To Have and To Hold

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  weren’t as easily resolved as she thought they’d be when it came to her mother. He let go of

  her hand and closed his eyes. She left the room so he could sleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Despite the large gathering of family members in the dining room, Dave couldn’t help but notice

  how tense Mary was during supper. She’d been equal y tense during the lunch and had asked

  him if they could sit further away from her mother. He was more than happy to oblige her.

  He’d have to be blind not to see the cold looks her mother gave her from time to time.

  As he ate, he debated, once again, whether he should approach her mother or not. He didn’t

  care if Mary was her daughter. Mary was his wife and that counted for a lot more than the

  woman’s relationship with her daughter.

  “It’s too bad you didn’t make something, Mary,” her brother Stan cal ed out from across the

  large table.

  “That’s a good idea,” another one of her brothers agreed. “We’d love to have one of your

  pies.”

  Stan picked up his glass of lemonade and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what Mary

  makes. Everything she cooks tastes like gourmet cooking.”

  “Yep. If there’s one thing she can do, it’s cook. So what do you say, Mary? Wil you cook

  something tomorrow?”

  Mary glanced at her mother, so Dave turned his gaze in her direction as wel . She cleared her

  throat and said, “It depends on what Mother thinks. This isn’t my house.”

  Her mother’s lips formed a thin line and she refused to look at Mary. She just chewed her food

  slowly, obviously in no hurry to swal ow it so she could respond to what Mary said.

  Setting his fork down next to his plate, Dave leaned forward with his elbows on the table and

  told Mary’s brothers, “She’s famous in Nebraska for her cooking, especial y her apple pies.

  People fight each other for a slice.”

  “Oh yes, her apple pies.” Stan rubbed his stomach. “No one else makes pies like that.”

  “I sure wouldn’t mind another one of those,” her other brother added.

  “I haven’t had one yet,” Calvin spoke up after he wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin.

  “Once you do, you won’t like mine anymore,” Grace teased. “Mary, you should make

  something, even if it is your apple pie. I’d be happy to help.” Shooting a sly look at Calvin, she

  added, “Then I won’t have to be too jealous when you fal in love with her cooking.”

  A couple of others chuckled at her joke, but his mother-in-law’s frown deepened, something

  Dave noticed even if no one else did.

  “Oh come on, Mary,” Stan said. “What do you say? For old time’s sake?”

  Smiling, Mary nodded. “I can do that.”

  Forcing his gaze off of her mother, Dave said, “I hope you make enough for everyone.” He

  winked at Stan. “Since I’m her husband, I’m guaranteed a slice.”

  Her mother set her napkin on the table, col ected her plate and stood up to leave the room.

  While the others at the table commented on their favorite foods that Mary could make, Dave

  watched as her mother headed for the kitchen. He’d just about had it. What was wrong with

  Mary being appreciated for her cooking? It was something she wasn’t only good at but also

  enjoyed. Why would her mother begrudge her that?

  Her mother returned with dessert so the conversation came to an end as people helped

  themselves to blueberry pie. As Dave tested it, he couldn’t help but think there was no

  comparison between Mary’s pies and her mother’s. Mary’s was much better.

  After they were done eating, the women cleaned up the table while Dave joined Calvin and Stan

  on the porch while other men stayed in the parlor to talk. On a nice day, he preferred to be

  outside, and being outside also put enough distance between him and his mother-in-law where

  he could calm his mounting anger.

  “What’s bothering you?” Calvin asked him from where he leaned against the porch railing. “You

  wish Mary hadn’t agreed to cook for the rest of us?”

  Dave rocked in the chair and grinned. “As long as she’s up to it, I think it’d do her good to

  cook. She enjoys it. Says it relaxes her.”

  “I’m looking forward to trying the pie. I’ve heard they’re a legend.”

  “They are,” Stan added from where he sat next to Dave. “Too bad we had to lose her. I know

  it was for a good cause, but between you and me, no one comes close to Mary when it comes

  to cooking.”

  Dave shifted in his chair. “Yes, it’s one of her many attributes.”

  “Oh right.” Stan nodded. “She’s good at sewing, too. I hear Mother misses the dresses Mary

  used to make for her.”

  “Wel , there’s more to Mary than those things. She’s got a good heart. She helps a lot of folk

  without expecting anything in return. She’s a good wife and mother. She’s a good friend to my

  sisters and sisters-in-law. I don’t know how I lucked out in marrying her, but I thank God every

  day for her.”

  Stan stared at him for a moment, as if he hadn’t considered Mary like that before, and maybe

  he hadn’t. Dave didn’t know how Stan saw her, nor did he particularly care to. He heard a

  couple women from the parlor and figured they were done cleaning up from the supper so he

  stood up.

  “If you’l excuse me,” he said before he went into the house.

  He searched for Mary but didn’t find her in the parlor where a couple of her sisters were. As he

  headed for the kitchen, her mother happened to be coming toward him down the hal way.

  When she saw him, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

  “Mrs. Peters,” he began before she could turn from him and go back to the kitchen, “may I have

  a word with you?”

  Her spine stiffened. “I’m rather busy at the moment.”

  “I won’t take up much of your time. It’s about Mary.”

  She let out a long sigh. “What is it?”

  Once he reached her, he lowered his voice. “I don’t mean to pry—”

  “Then don’t.”

  Surprised at her sharp tone, he paused before continuing. “The fact of the matter is, Mary

  doesn’t remember how things were when she lived here.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve been informed of that.”

  “I’ve talked to your husband, and he fil ed me in on how it was for Mary.”

  She stared at him, her face void of emotion.

  He struggled to hide his irritation. It’d been trying enough to hold his tongue during the supper

  where this woman managed to be pleasant to everyone else while ostracizing Mary, but the

  way she was looking at him now—as if he was inconveniencing her by talking about her

  daughter—was pushing him to the point where he was ready to be outright rude to her. “I’d

  appreciate it if you showed Mary the same concern you show your other daughters.”

  “You don’t know everything, and I don’t care for the fact that you’re passing judgments on me.”

  “Are you saying your husband isn’t aware of how things were?”

  “I’m saying this doesn’t concern you. It’s a family matter.”

  “With al due respect, ma’am, as Mary’s husband, I am a part of this family.” As strange as it

  was. In al his years, he’d never come across a family who was ful of contention like this one

  was.

  “But you didn’t grow up here, so you don’t know al the fac
ts. You’d do wel to focus on things

  that pertain directly to you. Now, if you’l excuse me, I have a sick husband to tend to.”

  He knew when something was a lost cause, and this woman had no intention of changing the

  way she did things. Reluctant, he stepped aside so that she could pass him and go up the

  stairs. As much as he wished Mary had told him why she never showed him her mother’s

  letters in the past, he couldn’t blame her for keeping quiet. Wel , in a little less than two weeks,

  he and Mary would be on their way back to Nebraska and then none of this would matter.

  Mary was right. They just needed to get by until then.

  He turned to go to the kitchen to see if Mary was there when someone cal ed out to him from

  the parlor. He looked over his shoulder and saw one of Mary’s twin sisters.

  “You can’t let my mother bother you,” she said as she walked toward him. “She’s set in her

  ways.”

  Her mother wasn’t merely set in her ways; she was downright rude to her daughter. With a

  sigh, he said, “I’l remember that,” and turned his attention back to the kitchen. Mary was

  bound to be there.

  “The best thing you can do is give Mary a break from here,” she continued before he could take

  his first step to the kitchen.

  Interested, he looked back at her. “That’s not a bad idea.” Mary probably could use some time

  outside this house. Grace must have known that since she took Mary to the restaurant. “If the

  weather’s nice tomorrow, I’l do that. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She shot him a smile and then returned to the parlor.

  He frowned, not sure what to make of the smile she’d given him. Something about it didn’t sit

  right with him. Shaking his head, he decided to let the matter go and strode to the kitchen.

  Mary and Grace were talking at the cook stove where they were boiling water.

  Mary looked over at him and smiled. “If you’re thirsty, we’l have tea ready in a couple

  minutes.”

  “I can wait.” He glanced at Grace. “Could I talk to Mary?”

  “Sure.” Grace pul ed off her apron and hung it on the hook by the doorway. “I’l be outside with

  the children.”

  Mary nodded and waited for her sister to leave before turning her attention to Dave. “Is

  something wrong?”

  “No, nothing’s wrong.” Though it wasn’t the ful truth, he saw no reason to bother Mary with the

  details. Besides, she was beginning to understand how her mother was, and the last thing he

  wanted to do was have her cry again because her mother saw no need to be nice to her.

  Settling his hand on the smal of her back, he whispered, “I missed you.”

  She glanced at the doorway.

  “No one can see us,” he assured her before he let his hand drop back to his side. “And if

  someone did, they can talk to me about it.”

  She looked as if she was going to protest but then nodded. “Alright.” She picked the pot of

  boiling water off the cook stove and fil ed up the three teapots. “My father thinks it’d be nice if I

  took you to the lighthouse.”

  “That’s a good idea. When did you want to go?”

  She shrugged. “I suppose tomorrow if the weather is nice. I’d like to tel him you saw it before

  he passes away.”

  “We’l do that.”

  He helped her col ect the cups to put on the trays. “Mary?”

  “What?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with tel ing someone you don’t like the way they’re treating you.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked up from the tray she was placing cups on. “What

  made you say that?”

  “I notice things, and I don’t like a lot of it. You shouldn’t have to do something or be agreeable

  to someone just because you want to avoid an argument. There are some people you can’t get

  along with, no matter how hard you try.” Deciding to leave it at that, he picked up two trays.

  “I’m not going to make apple pies because they want me to,” she said as she picked up the last

  tray.

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.” He figured she was going to make the pies because she

  missed being in the kitchen, and he couldn’t blame her for that. Cooking made her happy, and

  if there was something she needed to get through the rest of her time here, it was having

  something to look forward to. “I just meant that if someone isn’t nice to you, you don’t have to

  take it.”

  She nodded before she headed for the doorway. He fol owed her and noticed most of her

  family was outside. Since her mother was in the parlor, smiling as one of the twins talked to

  her, he nodded toward the porch.

  “Take that out there,” he said. “I’l set this tray down in the parlor and be with you in a

  moment.”

  “Alright.”

  As she went to the front door where Grace saw her and opened the screen door for her, Dave

  went into the parlor and placed one of the trays on the table.

  “Don’t tel me men out west serve refreshments,” one of Mary’s brothers joked. “If so, I need

  to get my wife home so she doesn’t get ideas.”

  Picking up on the good humor, Dave’s eyebrows rose and he shrugged. “I don’t see the harm

  in helping out once in a while.”

  Her brother chuckled. “Now I know I’m going to be in trouble if I keep bringing my wife here

  while you’re around. Thank goodness she’s outside with the children.”

  “Oh, real y Harry,” one of the twin sisters playful y admonished. “It’s rather nice that Dave

  helps our sister.”

  “I don’t mind if he helps her as long as I’m not expected to go in the kitchen. I wouldn’t know

  the first thing to do in there.”

  “I’m sure between Mother and I, we could help with that,” she replied.

  “Leah!” her mother snapped.

  Leah gave a slight jerk and looked at her mother.

  “The kitchen is no place for a man,” her mother said, not bothering to look at Dave.

  “Whew.” Harry wiped his brow. “Thank you, Mother.”

  Katie adjusted the cameo locket around her neck. “Dave only carried the tray out here. Surely,

  there’s no harm in that.”

  “There’s no harm in a husband helping his wife whenever she needs it,” Dave said.

  As he expected, Mary’s mother gave a slight grimace before she looked at him. “Society needs

  standards for men and women to abide by. I raised Mary to understand her place.”

  “I’m sure you did,” he said, unable to resist the opportunity to annoy her further since he’d had

  al he could take of her. “Too bad she went out west where we’re al too uncivilized to know

  what’s appropriate for men and women. Men have been known to make coffee in the kitchen

  for their wives and women have been known to wear pants and ride a horse. Don’t even get

  me started on what rooms we kiss and hug each other in. It’s a barbaric place.”

  Harry gasped. “Mary’s worn pants and rode a horse?”

  Dave nodded. “Not so much since the children were born but she’s done it. She’s a natural

  rider, too.”

  Rising to her feet, his mother-in-law glared at him. “While you’re in my house, I expect you to

  act appropriately.”

  “Mother,” Katie began with a laugh as she glanced at Leah whose eyebrows rose, “he’s joking.

  They don’t act like that out there.” />
  “We do,” Dave told her. “And we have a lot of fun doing it, too.”

  Everyone’s jaws dropped except for his mother-in-law who narrowed her eyes at him in a move

  he took as a chal enge. He held her gaze, not the least bit disturbed by the silent threat. If she

  thought she was going to intimidate him into doing things her way like she intimidated the

  others, she was in for a rude awakening.

  “Dave?”

  Breaking eye contact from her, he turned and saw Mary at the parlor doorway.

  Mary scanned the room before she looked back at Dave. “Is there something wrong with the

  tea?”

  “No,” he said. “The tea is fine. I was just wondering if I positioned the cups right on the tray,

  that’s al .” He added the last part only because he knew her mother wouldn’t like it, and he got

  the satisfaction out of hearing her low grunt. Ignoring her, he went over to Mary and took her

  by the arm. “Let’s go outside. I could use some fresh air.” Before Mary could look back at her

  mother, who surely would be fuming, he led her out to the porch.

  “What happened in there?” she whispered once the storm door was shut.

  “Nothing that matters,” he replied. And it didn’t matter. Her mother’s opinion didn’t change

  anything between them. They had every right to live as they saw fit to in their own home.

  Grace waved to two empty chairs that were next to her and Calvin. “Sit down and drink the tea

  before it gets cold. I got your cups ready.”

  “Thank you, Grace.” He set his second tray on one of the tables by a group of her relatives

  before he led Mary to her chair. He waited for her to sit before he took the cups from Grace

  and held one to Mary. After she took it, he sat next to her and let out a long sigh. He didn’t

  realize he’d been tense in there. Sitting back, he relaxed and took a sip. “It tastes great.”

  “Oh, I can’t take credit for that. Al I did was set out the teapots and trays,” Grace replied as

  she sat next to her husband. “Mary made the tea. I just hope Calvin isn’t disappointed.” She

  turned to Calvin and smiled.

  Calvin chuckled. “I’m not disappointed, Grace.”

  “You shouldn’t compare yourself to me,” Mary told her. “He’l always love you no matter what.”

  “Listen to her and stop worrying I’l find your cooking inferior,” he kindly added. “I assure you