The Rancher's Mail Order Bride (Dalton Brides Book 1)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Bonnie laughed. "I took lessons from Mrs. Butterfield for a year. I can't teach all that in one day."

  Gwen sighed. "You'll teach us as fast as you can, though, right?"

  Bonnie nodded. "I'll walk you through cooking meals this week, and I'll write everything down from now on. You'll learn fast. The cooking we'll do here will be much simpler than it was back in Beckham." She waved to the stove. "At least we won't have to use fireplaces. I do know how to cook on one, though."

  They spent the morning mixing the dough for bread. Gwen was shocked by the muscles required to knead the dough. She hadn't ever thought of cooking as something that required a lot of physical strength.

  By the time the loaves were in the pans and rising, Gwen was covered in flour from head to toe. She sat in the chair and sighed. "That was a lot of work. I'm hungry." Looking at Bonnie, she asked, "What's for lunch?"

  Bonnie laughed. "We all need to make lunch for our husbands. Whatever you make is what you'll have." She walked toward the door. "I'll be back this afternoon to help you bake the loaves and to help with supper."

  Libby was right behind her and she closed the door after them.

  Gwen looked at the door and sighed. She wondered if Walt would be satisfied with a sandwich for lunch. Surely there was something she could make into a sandwich. She went into the cellar to see if she could find something down there.

  Finding a slab of bacon, she carried it up the narrow steps and set it on the worktable. She found a knife and carefully cut off strips. She had no idea what she was doing, but she was determined to make lunch for her husband.

  She put a pan in the middle of the stove that she'd had going all morning. She put the thick slices of bacon on the stove and cut up the last of the bread he had sitting on the work table. Hopefully it was still good, because the bread she was making with her sisters wouldn't be ready until later that afternoon.

  She stood over the bacon with a fork, turning it every minute in the hopes it would cook faster and not burn. She'd never cooked anything in her life, so she had no idea if she was going about it the right way.

  The door opened and closed behind her. "Lunch isn't ready yet?"

  Gwen held her breath for a moment instead of turning and unleashing her fury on Walt. She couldn't believe he was criticizing her when he had no idea what she had done all morning. Why, she'd never done that much work in a month, much less in a morning.

  She turned to him with a smile, getting her temper under control at last. "It's almost ready. We're having bacon sandwiches."

  "I see that." He nodded to the plates with bread sliced on them. "Do you want me to butter the bread?"

  She nodded. "Yes, please. It'll taste better that way."

  Walt looked at the loaves of bread lined up on the work table and saw a lot of sandwiches in his future. At least he'd be fed and not have to do any of the dishes for a change. She could be a good wife with a little training, and her sister seemed to be just the right woman to do that training.

  He got up and got the butter and the bread she'd sliced, buttering each piece of bread. There wasn't much of the store bought butter left, so he certainly hoped she knew how to make it. He didn't have a butter churn, and neither did his brothers, but they lived close enough that they could spend the money on just one and share it between the three couples.

  Walt smiled at the back of his wife's head. Gertie may not be much of a cook, but she was easy on the eyes, and just what he was looking for in the bedroom. He was glad her sister had been willing to explain everything, because he wasn't certain he could have explained it all in a way that would have satisfied the pretty little thing.

  She put a plate of bacon on the table, and he eyed it skeptically as he buttered the last piece of bread. There were undercooked parts and overcooked parts...all on the same slice. How did she do that? It took skill to cook something that poorly.

  She stood over it as proudly as if she'd just shot, skinned, and cooked a bear all on her own, so he didn't complain. "Looks good," he lied.

  Gwen smiled happily. "I've never cooked anything before. I hope it tastes as good as it looks."

  She slipped into the chair across from him, and he took her hand in his as he prayed over their meal. He added a silent prayer that neither of them would die from her cooking. "I'm hungry enough to eat my horse," he told her.

  "What did you do this morning?" she asked.

  He shrugged. "Built fences. We've got one section of land all fenced off, but we need to be able to move the herd. There are no other sections that have been prepared, so we're working on that now. We want there to be five or six different pastures to move the cattle between."

  Gwen had no idea why they would want to do that, but at that moment she didn't care. She took her first bite of her bacon sandwich and all but cringed. It was terrible. She started to push it away, but when she saw that he was eating every bite as if it was actually good, she decided she could force herself to do the same.

  He talked about the ranch while they ate, and she nodded a lot as if she was actually listening. She wanted to go into town and explore. "What's the nearest town?" she asked.

  He grinned. "Wiggieville. Isn't that a crazy name?"

  "It is. How far is it?" She wasn't about to ask how that town got its name, but she was sure someone would volunteer the information soon.

  "About an hour drive from here. If you ladies want to go, let me know, and I'll have Bart take you in." He'd send Bart because he thought Bart was the one who needed the most time with his lady. His brother had looked very unhappy that morning, and he was certain it was the lack of marital relations.

  Gwen pushed back from the table and walked to the basin. She set the water she'd brought in earlier on to boil. She'd do the dishes, even though she'd cooked. The meal had been almost inedible, and it wouldn't be fair to ask Walt to do the dishes for her. After supper she'd make him wash them. That would be fair. Because she was going to make him the best meal he'd ever eaten.

  *****

  While they worked on the fences that afternoon, Walt asked the brothers what they thought of their new wives. He'd not been willing to broach the subject that morning, because he knew they were still a bit angry with him for not telling them they were getting married.

  "Lizzy's a pretty little thing," he said to Nate.

  Nate nodded. "Libby sure is. Wish she could cook, though."

  Walt sighed. Would they only find fault with their wives? At least he'd provided them helpers. Their dynasty couldn't be built without wives. "What do you think of Bonnie, Bart? She can cook!"

  Bart shrugged. "She sure can. She's a fine woman, and any man would be lucky to have her as a wife. You two lost out when you didn't pick her."

  Walt grunted. "Well, Gertie may not be able to cook, but she's gorgeous, and she's willing to learn to work hard." He couldn't call her a hard worker at that point, because she obviously wasn't. He needed to make it clear that their wives were good women, though.

  Nate laughed. "The only one of them that knows how to work is Bonnie, and all three of us know it." He looked at Walt. "And why do you keep calling your wife Gertie? Her name is Gwen."

  Walt frowned. "Are you sure? I was certain her name was Gertie." He wasn't great with names, but he knew his own wife's name, didn't he?

  Bart shook his head at his eldest brother. "You don't even know your wife's name. That's a right shame there, Walt."

  Walt said nothing. He'd figure out if they were right later. Hopefully before he accidentally called her by the wrong name. Why couldn't he remember who she was?

  Chapter Five

  They quickly fell into a routine with the men leaving early to work every morning, and the three women gathering in one of the houses for Bonnie to give the other two some much needed cooking lessons. The only day that was different was Sunday.

  Gwen walked into church on their first Sunday there a bit nervous. She'd never attended church as a married woman, and she wasn't certain about
the reception she would receive. She was used to men crowding around her as soon as she walked into the building, but would that be the same now that she was married?

  As Walton introduced her to the people in the small congregation, she felt more and more relaxed. Why, it was a group of almost entirely single men. She'd have no problem here at all. She knew how to deal with bachelors.

  One particular man made her uncomfortable with his knowing looks. "So nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm John Jenkins."

  Gwen smiled and held her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Gwen Blue. I mean, Gwen Dalton." She blushed at her mistake. It was the first time she'd ever introduced herself with her married name, though, so she was certain everyone would forgive her.

  John took her hand and brought it to his lips. "It will be so nice to have a beautiful lady to look at on Sunday mornings."

  Gwen snatched her hand away. She was a married woman now! Why would he do that? She looked around until she found Walt. He didn't seem to be watching which thrilled her. She didn't know how he'd react to someone like that.

  Libby and Bonnie flanked her as John smiled.

  Gwen shook her head. "I'm a married woman, Mr. Jenkins."

  He shrugged. "Men die young out here. Just staking my claim." He tipped his hat at the three ladies and wandered off.

  Libby glared at Gwen. "You can't encourage the men here, Gwenny. None of us need the kind of scandal we had at home!"

  Gwen felt sadness overwhelming her. Everyone immediately assumed she was at fault for everything. "I didn't encourage him, Libby. He walked up to me and introduced himself, and the next thing I knew he was kissing my hand. I certainly didn't ask him to!"

  Libby looked skeptical even as Bonnie patted her arm. "I'm sorry. It was unfair of us to assume you'd done something wrong without knowing all the facts."

  Gwen gave her sister a brief nod and wandered across the church to where Walt stood talking to the preacher, who immediately turned his attention to her. "It's good to see you again, Mrs. Dalton."

  Walt smiled proudly, his arm going around her shoulders. "She certainly is nice to look at, isn't she?"

  The pastor laughed while Gwen blushed. She didn't think men should be talking about her appearance now that she was a married woman.

  "It's time to take your seats," the pastor told them before he wandered to the front of the church.

  Gwen followed Walt to a pew in the middle off to the right of the church. Her sisters and brothers-in-law moved into the same pew. Bonnie looked so happy as she stood holding Bart's arm for the song. Gwen was glad her sister had found someone to love her. She deserved it.

  After church, Libby asked the others to come over. "Bonnie is making lunch, but I have the best table for company. We thought it would be nice to have all six of us sit down for lunch together."

  It was really the first time all six had been together since the wedding. Gwen nodded happily, pleased to be able to eat someone else's cooking. Her own made her stomach hurt.

  "I just made a stew, and there are fresh biscuits. I thought we'd all like to be together," Bonnie added.

  Walt shrugged. He knew the women got together every day while he and his brothers worked, so he didn't understand why they wanted to be together on their day of rest, but he wasn't going to argue. "Sounds fine."

  "Do you need me to bring anything, Bonnie?" Gwen asked, praying her sister would say 'no.' She had no idea what she'd cook for them, because she only cooked what Bonnie told her to cook. She knew it was the right thing to do to offer, though.

  Bonnie seemed to think about it for a moment. "You have some jam in your cellar. Why don't you bring that for the biscuits?"

  Gwen smiled and sighed with relief. "I'll do that."

  On the drive home Gwen asked about taking a trip into town. "We really need a butter churn. Bonnie promised us she'd teach us to make butter if we can just talk you men into a churn. I need to get some fabric as well. Bonnie's promised me a new dress." A cornflower blue dress to be exact, but she wasn't going to tell Walt that. She wanted to look her best for him, and she couldn't wait to see his face when she wore a dress that matched her eyes so perfectly.

  Walt nodded. "You don't make your own dresses?" Did she do any kind of work?

  Gwen looked down at her hands. Somehow Walt made her feel as if she'd wasted her life before meeting him. She hated that. "I've never learned. Bonnie's promised to teach me, though."

  Walt sighed. "What exactly did you do all day before you came out here?"

  Gwen frowned. She'd been locked in her room for two full months before moving to Texas, but she didn't want to tell him about that or the scandal that had preceded it. "I spent time shopping, talking to my sisters, visiting with friends. That's what young ladies do back East."

  "Then why does Bonnie know how to do everything while you know how to do nothing? You had the same mother, I presume." He couldn't tell by looks or actions, though. The two women were as different as night and day.

  Gwen sighed. "We did have the same mother, and she encouraged each of us in our strengths. Bonnie is smart, and she was always good at cooking and sewing. So Mama had someone teach her to be even better at those things. I was always the pretty one, so she taught me to shop for clothes that suited me best, and I learned how to style my hair in the most attractive ways." As she said the words, she thought of a way she could help Bonnie if Bonnie would accept her help. She could teach her sister how to style her hair in a more flattering way.

  "So your mother didn't work with you at all on cooking or sewing?" He was surprised to hear that. He'd never heard of a young lady who wasn't taught to do those things at least some.

  "Well...she tried. I just wasn't a very good pupil." She wasn't a willing pupil either. Now she really wished she'd listened to her mother when she'd told her she'd need to be able to cook someday. When she watched Bonnie it was as if her sister was able to do it all without thinking. She needed to be that way someday.

  Walt shook his head, sure he understood completely. His wife had been spoiled beyond anything he'd ever seen, and she didn't care to work hard to do better. He could see her complaining about it too. "I see."

  Gwen really hoped he didn't see. He was the most handsome man she'd ever spent time with, and he was her husband. She wanted him to think only the best of her, of course. She took his arm and rested her cheek on his shoulder as he drove. Maybe she could distract him from thinking about it too much.

  When they pulled into the yard in front of Libby's house, Walt helped Gwen down and then went to take care of the horses. "You go on in. It's too cold for you to stay outside for long."

  Gwen wanted to laugh at that. It was a balmy day. They only had days like this in Massachusetts in the summer. Never in the middle of October. "All right." She did her best to sound obedient.

  First she rushed home to get two jars of jam. She wasn't certain where Walt had gotten them, but they were good. She carried them to Libby's house and went inside.

  Libby's cabin was the only one that really felt finished to her. It had beautiful furnishings, like Nate had a woman in mind when he chose them. She knew that wasn't the case with Walt. Walt had chosen the things that were most suitable for his lifestyle, whether they would be pleasing to a woman's eye or not. He was a frugal man, determined to spend his money where it mattered most and would do him the most good, which meant he put his money into his herd.

  Bonnie's was the worst, though. She felt bad for Bonnie. Bart had barely enough for him to survive, and when you added in a wife? That must be hard. The couple seemed happy together though. Bonnie was always smiling, and when they were together, they were always holding hands or she was holding his arm. Walt wasn't that demonstrative in public, and Gwen found herself envious of her sister for the first time in her life.

  Gwen placed the jam on the table and walked over to Bonnie who was standing guard over a huge pot at the stove, while Libby sat at the table watching. "Do you need any help?"

  Bonnie sh
ook her head. "Not really. You two can set the table if you'd like, but there's really nothing else to do."

  Libby smiled and rushed over to a chest of drawers where she kept her dishes and silverware. She pulled out a tablecloth and napkins. It wasn't long before Libby and Gwen had the table looking every bit as pretty as their table at home had looked.

  When they were finished, Libby took a step back and eyed the table. "It needs something, doesn't it?"

  Gwen shrugged, knowing she didn't have the ability to make her table look half as good no matter how hard she tried. She just didn't have the pretty dishes and silverware.

  A moment later the men came into the house, all of them wiping their feet and hanging their hats on hooks by the door. "For my beautiful wife," Nate said, pulling a small bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back.

  Libby clapped her hands together once. "That's just what we needed!" She ran and got a vase, filled it with water, and tucked the flowers into it. Putting the arrangement onto the center of the table, she smiled and nodded. "Isn't that better, Gwen?"

  Gwen nodded, suddenly feeling inadequate. She'd always been a bit jealous of Libby but never like she was at that moment. Libby was the best of both of her sisters. She was pretty and smart. Gwen had the looks, but she didn't have the brains to go with them. She sighed. She did have the brains. She'd just never done anything to develop them.

  "Table's set, Bonnie. Anything else we can do?" Gwen asked, trying not to think about anything.

  "Coffee's ready. Why don't you pour a cup for everyone, Gwen?" Bonnie suggested.

  When they were all seated at the table, Walt said, "I'll pray for us." His prayer was simple and to the point. "Thank you for bringing us women who will share our lives with us. Thank you for this food. Amen."

  The others echoed the 'amen' and then passed the dishes. Gwen had never eaten with her brothers-in-law before and she studied them all, looking for ways to tell them apart.