Florence

by Patricia Pacjac Carroll

“The roof doesn’t leak, does it?”

  Jay entered the room. “I don’t think so. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll go upstairs and make sure it’s sealed. Did I tell you there is a lot of room for bedrooms up there?”

  She grinned. “For all those children we’ll have?”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  Her cheeks warmed, but she wasn’t embarrassed. She was beginning to let herself believe this was her dream realized. And she was falling for Jay. So far, he was everything she’d ever wanted.

  “Well, I’m going to get us some wood and start a fire in the stove. We can cook—”

  “I’ll cook supper. You go ahead and bring in the wood. Probably need some for the bedroom, too.”

  He smiled. “I’ve already stocked it. Come here.” He led her into the bedroom and showed her a small door by the fireplace. “This leads to a box I have outside that is full of wood. That way, if you need to add wood to the fireplace, you don’t have to go outside.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” Her husband was full of surprises.

  “I’ll start the stove, and then I’ll wash up in the brook.” He laughed at his black hands and arms. “I suppose my face is black.”

  “Yes,” She laughed at him and took a cloth to help clean it. After a few minutes, she shook her head. “I think you are going to have to soak yourself in the creek to get the stuff off of you.”

  “You can soak with me.” He grinned most temptingly. “The water is warm, at least it’s not icy.”

  “I’ll pass.” She grinned. “I have supper to make.”

  “All right. I’ll be back before you can miss me.” And he was out the door.

  Florence grabbed some of the potatoes they’d bought and began peeling them. Jay was wrong, she already missed him.

  ***

  Jay washed as fast as he could. That Florence didn’t balk at the idea of a dip in the brook was a surprise. She was changing. Like a flower blooming in the spring, he could see the life coming into her eyes.

  Halfway to the house, he could smell supper cooking. He ran all the way up the stairs and into the house. “Did you miss me?”

  She stood at the stove, an apron on, and when she turned, she was smiling. “Yes, I did.”

  He looked at the pot. “Beans.”

  “I used one of the cans. I have some biscuits in the oven and potatoes boiling. I put some bacon in the with the beans.”

  Jay grinned. “I’m going to have to get that milk cow soon. I don’t have any butter.”

  Florence put her hands on her hips. “After you told me how much you loved bread and butter, I bought some. I told you I have some money, and Bridgette gave me an allowance, too.”

  He frowned. He really didn’t want her to pay for anything, but on the other hand, he could already taste those biscuits and butter. “Just this time.”

  “All right. But I want you to know I can help. We are in this together.”

  He nodded. “I know. How much longer?”

  “I believe if you sit down—” She looked around. “Where is the table?”

  “It’s another thing I have to do.” He took his pad and wrote it down. “For now, we can sit on the floor and use the crate.” He kicked a crate toward her. “Just for the night.”

  She grinned and took two plates, filled them with beans and potatoes. She set them on the crate and then took out the biscuits, put some butter on the plate, and brought them to Jay. “Dinner is served.”

  He took the biscuit, smelled the delicious hunk of bread, and buttered it richly. Jay enjoyed every bite. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and then gazed at her. “Woman, how did I get so lucky as to have you as my wife?”

  “I’m the one who is blessed.” She buttered another biscuit and handed it to him.

  “No, it’s me. I never even dreamed I could be this happy and filled with biscuits that tasted as if they were made by angels.” He laughed. “You’re not an angel, are you?”

  “No, I am not. But you have made me truly happy. What are we going to work on tomorrow?”

  Jay put his biscuit down. “Well, I have to go to the mill and check on things. I have two men working for me, and they, well, they need supervision. That will take me most of the day. We have to get the mill ready for the logs. Our first load is due next weekend.” He frowned. “They were supposed to come last Saturday, but they had some trouble. You will be all right here by yourself, won’t you?”

  She nodded. “You have a rifle?”

  “Over there by the door.”

  “I know how to use it. I’ll be fine. I think I’ll start my garden. We are going to need a lot of vegetables.”

  Jay hated to think of her doing all the hard work. “I’ll get home as fast as I can to help. I don’t want you to strain yourself.”

  “I’m not one of those city folks. I’m a farm girl. I grew up working hard.”

  He looked at her with admiration. “Yes, I bet you did. I don’t want you to have to work so hard, though.” He looked outside. “Tell you what, after dinner, we can go outside and decide where to put your garden.”

  She grinned. “I’d love that.”

  It wasn’t long, and they finished dinner. Florence took the dishes to the kitchen and then turned to look at Jay. “I don’t suppose we have a well?”

  Jay gave her a slight frown. “No. Another thing for the future. I’ll go to the brook and bring us some water.”

  Florence found a pitcher and walked with him to the creek. “It’s a beautiful stream with good fast running water.”

  Jay nodded. “It comes from the mountain. It’s usually cold, but during the summer, it’s perfect for swimming.” He hugged her to him and kissed her. “I saw a contraption in a catalog that lets you heat water for a bath. I’m going to get you one of those so you can take a warm bath in the house.”

  She looked upstream at the mountain. “You know, back home, we had friends that were near a stream. They got pipes to send it to their house. We might be able to do that.”

  He looked. “Might work.”

  She did the dishes, and he dried. “We’ll need more cabinet space and a pantry. The space next to our bedroom would make a nice pantry with a door to the outside and to a cellar.”

  He nodded. “I can see you are going to keep me on my toes.”

  Florence looked at him. “Oh, I hope I’m not being—”

  “Shh, I like it. I probably need a good woman to keep me in line and give me ideas.” He put a finger to the tip of her nose. “Don’t worry. I want you to feel free to tell me what you want and need. We’re in this together. A team.”

  She nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. I don’t want to be one of those pushy wives.”

  “I don’t want you to either.” He laughed. “Come on, let’s get this garden started.” Jay didn’t have to ask twice. Florence was full of energy, and she ran outside and grabbed the hoe.

  She turned to him. “I’ll hoe out the edge, you can pick up those rocks and make a boundary.”

  Jay put a rock at the beginning of her row. “We’ll need a dog.”

  She stopped hoeing. “Yes. But not a chicken killer.”

  “I think the first month’s earnings from the mill are going to be spent on animals.” He laughed. “I know the Howards have sheepdogs. They’re pretty and smart.”

  Florence was already done with one side. “The soil is so rich and easy to hoe. We’ll be eating the fruits of our labor in no time.”

  Jay dumped another large rock along the row. “It will have to be. Winter can come early.”

  “I’ll have to talk to the other women in the area and see what they plant. Jericho mentioned Rachel Taggart as a good source. She was from Minnesota, too.” Florence stood and rubbed her back.

  “You’re not getting too tired, are you?”

  She looked at him and frowned. “I am not fragile. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  Jay placed another rock on the boundary, stood, and went to her. “You’re wr
ong there. It’s my job to take care of you.”

  She touched the tip of his nose. “I release you from the worry. We work together, and we will both have sore muscles.”

  He kissed her. “But you’re my wife and my responsibility. I want to take care of you. That is if I can keep up with you.”

  She laughed and began turning the soil even faster.

  They stopped at dark. Jay would see to the mill tomorrow. He cleaned up and made sure the wood box for the bedroom was full. Then he went inside the house but didn’t see Florence. She must have already gone inside.

  He knocked and then opened the door to the bedroom.

  She let out a girlish giggle. “You don’t need to knock on your own bedroom door.”

  She was already in bed. A lamp let off a soft glow, and the room smelled fresh and clean like her.

  Jay saw that the shutters were open, and the moon was shining silver light into the room. He didn’t care if morning ever came.

  Chapter 9

  Jay awoke to a scream. He threw off the covers and opened the door to find Florence slapping a broom at a full-grown moose and having little luck moving the beast.

  He yelled and waved his arms. Then he grabbed the rifle.

  Florence put a hand on his arm. “Not in the house. Besides, she’s a lovely looking animal and hasn’t tried to hurt me. She just startled me is all. A woman isn’t used to finding a moose in the kitchen.” She laughed. “A mouse maybe, but never a moose.”

  The animal gave them a look and then trotted out of the house.

  “That does it, we need a dog to keep the animals away. I hadn’t thought about that.” He’d not paid much mind in the few days he’d spent here, but now, with Florence, he didn’t want her endangered by the wildlife.

  As he helped her clean up the mess the moose had made, a squirrel chattered at them from the rafters. “After breakfast, we’ll go to the Howards and see if they have any dogs for sale.”

  “I think we should get two. I know in Minnesota bears attack the dogs, and you need more than one to fight them off. I’m sure there are bears in the woods.”

  He nodded. “The worst of bears. The giant grizzlies. They’re not only big but mean. We’ll get two dogs.”

  “Jay, let me buy them with my money. In fact, it really is your money because it is my dowry. My brothers got together and pitched in to give me one.”

  He shook his head. “No, we’re going to do this on our own.”

  “But it is my money. Don’t you understand?”

  He pulled her to him and smoothed back her hair. “I want to take care of you.”

  She shook her head. “I see that I have married a very stubborn man. Let’s go get our dogs.”

  “I still have the buggy. I’ll harness the horse, you get ready.”

  Florence stopped him. “But breakfast?”

  “We’ll eat berries on the way. I know a patch that we can stand and eat our fill.”

  Looking excited, she ran into the house and came back with a shawl and her reticule. “I’m ready.” She handed him his hat.

  Jay drove them to the Howards Sheep Ranch. He stopped the buggy and saw William and Darcy Dowd moving a few cows out of the pen.

  Waving to the couple, Jay stepped down and helped Florence. “William, I’m Jay Selmer. I think we met once before.”

  “Yes, I remember, and this must be your wife that I’ve heard so much about.”

  Jay nodded. “My wife, Florence. We were just married the other day.”

  “Congratulations.” Darcy shook her hand.

  Jay looked around. “I was hoping you’d have a dog or two for sale.”

  William snorted. “We are dog rich right now. Sheila had pups a couple months ago. I was wondering how we were going to get rid of them. They’re mutts. She got out with a scoundrel, and now we’ve got five mongrel pups.”

  “We can take two. Do you have any older dogs? We woke up to a moose in our kitchen.”

  Darcy laughed. “Oh, my. That had to be a bit of a surprise. In fact, we have a stray that’s been hanging around. He’s a good dog, but we sure don’t need any more mouths to feed.” Darcy rubbed her rounded belly.

  Florence smiled. “He sounds perfect. Where is he?”

  Darcy looked around. “Here, boy. Come big, Scout.”

  A low woof sounded before a huge dog came from the barn. Its hair was mostly grey and curly. The dog nuzzled Darcy and then looked at Florence.

  Florence knelt and held out her hand. Scout moved closer to her, sniffed her hand, and licked it. Then the big animal stood beside her as if he’d found his owner. Florence looked at Darcy. “I love him. He’s not like any dog I’ve seen.”

  William nodded. “Judge Taggart said he might have some wolfhound in him, but you’re welcome to him. By the way, he’s not the father to Sheila’s pups. That had to be some yellow cur that we’ve seen around. And the dogs are free. We ought to pay you to take them.” He hugged Darcy. “My wife attracts animals in need. Did I tell you we have a pet moose? Came to us as a baby. I wouldn’t be surprised if your visitor wasn’t Maggie, the moose.”

  Jay chuckled. “Could be. She didn’t seem a bit scared of us. What about a milk cow?”

  William looked toward the barn. “I do have an extra that I can sell you. Say forty dollars.”

  Jay reached for his pocket but stopped. “I’d like to, but I better wait until the mill is going strong.”

  Darcy took Florence’s hand. “You can take the cow now. It’d be one less to milk. Please. Then you can pay once the money comes in.”

  “I don’t like to be beholding to others.” Jay shook his head.

  Florence nudged him. “Weren’t the biscuits good with butter?”

  He grinned. “That they were.” He patted her hand. “I’m expecting my first load of logs this weekend. If all goes well, perhaps we can return at the end of the month and pick her up.”

  Darcy pouted. “Mr. Selmer. Have you any idea what it’s like milking cows when you are with child?”

  Jay laughed. “No, I can’t say I do.”

  William left them and went to the barn. In moments, he came out, leading a black and white cow. “Out here, Mr. Selmer, neighbors help one another and celebrate events. Take her as a marriage gift. And when our little one is born, you can bless us with a pound of butter.”

  “A gift, Jay. That’s all right.” Florence stared at him with pleading eyes.

  Jay shook his head. “I just don’t want to owe anyone.”

  “Pride.” Darcy had her head up and fire in her eyes. “Take Gretchen here as a gift. It’s not polite to return gifts, you know.”

  “But you’re already giving us the dogs—”

  William laughed. “In all honesty, we ought to be paying you to take the dogs. Come in in the barn and pick out another pup or two.”

  Florence didn’t hesitate and followed him into the barn.

  Darcy walked with her. “I’ll show you my favorites. They’re both females, but they are smart as whips and are a team. I named them Splish and Splash. They’re both black and white like the mother. Splish has blue eyes, and Splash has a pink nose. They’ll be good dogs, and Scout likes the puppies.”

  Jay nodded. “They look fine to me. So now our family has grown from two to six. I’m going to have to work extra hard to feed them and build a barn.”

  William put a hand to Jay’s shoulder. “Name the day, and I’ll be there to help. My stepfather, Judge Taggart, took great pains to teach me how important it is to let others help. I know how hard it is to admit you need help, but a wise man will put the needs of his family above his need to be proud. I learned that the hard way.”

  “All right. Thank you, William, Darcy. We better leave before we end up with your farm.”

  Florence put a hand to her forehead. “Chickens. Do you have any laying hens for sale?”

  Darcy grinned. “I can give you two right now. I have plenty of hens sitting, but these two don’t get along with the flo
ck. It would be a pleasure to get rid of them.”

  Florence glanced at Jay.

  He shook his head and smiled. “Go ahead, but I don’t have anything to make a pen for them right now.”

  Darcy handed the hens to Florence. “They’ll forage for themselves. Make them a nice little box to lay their eggs, and they’ll roost in the trees. Once you can build a coop, then you can come back to buy young hens.”

  William helped him carry the pups to the buggy and tied the cow to the back.

  Jay reached out his hand. “I want to thank you.” Jay felt embarrassed for letting them help him out, but he knew the words William had spoken about accepting help were wisdom. That and Jay enjoyed seeing Florence smile.

  William grinned. “It’s not easy accepting help, but we all need it at times. I’m sure you’ll help when someone else needs it.”

  Jay nodded. “I guess so. If I can help you, let me know. We’re at the old Sanders farm.”

  “Yes, the big unfinished house. That’s not far from us. We’ll be neighbors. It was nice meeting you.” William and Darcy waved.

  After they were on the road back home, Florence cuddled the pups. “Are they our closest neighbors?”

  Jay nodded. “I think they might be.”

  “I’d like to have them over for dinner someday. After we’ve got the place fixed a little.”

  “Sure. I better get you home and then go to the mill. Curt and Fred will think that I quit.” He laughed and slapped the reins. The morning had been well worth the effort, but the tick-tock of the things to do was weighing on his mind. Not to mention the list in his pocket was growing.

  Florence nodded. “I’ll be fine at home, and I’ll have supper waiting when you return.”

  He glanced at his wife. “I’m not sure when that will be. I’ll try to get home as quick as I can.”

  “Don’t you worry about me. I have plenty of company now. Don’t I Scout?”

  The big dog, who was sitting between them, woofed. The pups whined. The cow mooed, and the chickens clucked.

  Jay laughed. “I guess you do. When I get home tonight, we’ll start working on where we want to put the barn.”

  She grinned at him, her eyes shining. “I already know.”