A Family For Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Brides Book 5)

by Cheryl Wright

  “It looks nice.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. A bank was nothing fancy, after all.

  “We’ll cross over and you can see the other businesses,” he told her. “We’ll call at the bakery and get some bread for luncheon.”

  When they got to the edge of the boardwalk, Jacob reached down with his free hand and lifted the end of the carriage. Magdalena followed suit.

  The dirt road was littered with ruts and it would have been a bumpy ride for little Annie. She was grateful for his foresight.

  As they reached the other side, he gently placed the carriage down on the boardwalk. As they went to move off Magdalena shivered.

  Her actions didn’t go unnoticed. “Cold?” he asked, frowning. She nodded. “It’s coming on for Christmas. The cold weather is setting in. It won’t be long it will be snowing.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “Snowing? Really?” She grinned, she couldn’t help herself. “I’ve never seen snow before.”

  “You’re in for a treat, then.” She wasn’t sure, but felt he was being sarcastic.

  She rubbed her hands together. They suddenly felt chilled. “Really?”

  “No, not really. It’s dreadful stuff. Cold, wet, and slippery. It’s the bane of my existence at times. Some days I can’t even get out of the house because of the horrid mess.”

  “Oh.”

  He suddenly stopped. “Here we are at the bakery.”

  They went inside and he introduced her to the owner, then bought their supplies.

  Annie began to wail. “She’s probably wet and hungry. And tired,” Magdalena said. Jacob picked up the doll that was laying in the carriage, and handed it back to Annie.

  “Here,” he said. “Amuse yourself with this for a few minutes. We’ll be home soon.”

  She snatched it out of his hands and cuddled it tightly. He grinned. “She seems to like the doll,” he said.

  “She does.” Her little eyes began to flutter closed, and she lay back and promptly fell asleep.

  Jacob glanced at her. “That was sudden.”

  “It’s been a big day. In fact, it’s been a big week – for both of us. That train trip took a lot out of me too.”

  He put his free arm around her and pulled her close. It felt nice, but was it all for show? People shuffled about the town, going about their business, and Jacob would want them all to know he cared about his new wife.

  They reached the end of the boardwalk, and he let go to grab hold of the carriage again. He lifted it carefully down, and they continued their walk back to his house.

  “Did you enjoy our trip to town?” he asked quietly, in an effort not to wake the baby.

  She nodded.

  “You can go there any time you want,” he said. “You don’t have to ask permission.”

  She just might take him up on that. It was a pleasant stroll to the shops, especially on a nice day. Even better with her husband tagging along with them.

  He carried the supplies into the kitchen while Magdalena sorted Annie. She managed to change the baby’s diaper without her waking, then carefully placed her in the crib.

  She was looking forward to sitting down with a nice mug of coffee and a few minutes to herself. She’d just sat down at the table, when the wailing began. She put her hands to her face. “I don’t think I can do this,” she said to her husband sitting beside her.

  “We’ll work it out,” he said, snatching up the bottle she’d already prepared. “You drink your coffee. I’ll sort out the child.”

  He’d reverted back to calling Annie the child again. Would things ever improve, or would they be moving on after all?

  Chapter Six

  Jacob left for work soon after luncheon. They had jam sandwiches, since there was nothing else to put in them. Neither of them had thought of that when they were at the Mercantile.

  Magdalena walked to the front door with him, Annie in her arms. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, then Annie reached out her little arms to him.

  He held her and pulled her close, and two little arms snaked around his neck. Magdalena watched with disappointment as he grimaced at the action.

  Annie leaned back and stared into his face. “I have to go, little one,” he said, still avoiding using her name.

  She looked as though she might cry, but waved instead. He grinned as he handed her back.

  “I’ll probably be late. I have a lot to catch up on,” he said, as he prepared to leave the house.

  Magdalena wrinkled her nose. “It doesn’t matter, I guess. It’s only soup.”

  He leaned in and kissed her again, only this time lightly on the lips, as though this was the most natural thing for him to do.

  After he left, she carried Annie inside. “I have to prepare the soup,” she told Annie sternly. “You need to behave yourself.”

  She rummaged through the cupboards and found a large pot to make the soup in. Investigating further she found a chopping board and a number of smaller pots in another cupboard.

  She placed the chopping board on the counter top then pulled the vegetables out of the box and began to peel and chop them. When they were finally ready, she threw them into the pot, adding water, then put them on the stove.

  Annie had amused herself with the doll all this time, but now was getting restless. It was distracting Magdalena from what she was doing.

  Then she remembered the lids to the pots, and gave them to Annie – it didn’t take long before she realized smashing them together made a wonderful noise.

  A wonderfully loud noise.

  It kept her happy – for now at least.

  While the soup bubbled away on the stove, Magdalena inspected the pantry – there was little of any merit there. What she did find either looked or smelled terrible, or was full of weevils. It all ended up in the rubbish.

  A total clean-out was what that pantry needed, and that’s exactly what it got. She swept and dusted, then washed down all the shelves using soap and water before filling the clean shelves with the fresh items.

  She was going on her merry way, cleaning and exploring her new kitchen when she realized the relentless noise had stopped. She popped her head around the corner to find Annie asleep on the floor. The poor little mite had worn herself out. It had been a big day for both of them.

  She picked Annie up, then carried her into the nursery, placing her carefully in the crib. As she returned to the kitchen she could smell something burning.

  “Oh no! Not my soup!” It was all she could do not to cry. This was her first opportunity to impress Jacob with her cooking, and she’d ruined it.

  Magdalena quickly added some water, and gave the soup a stir. She stood beside it until it simmered, then added a small amount onto a spoon and tasted it. She breathed a sigh of relief when there was no burned flavor.

  While Annie slept, she decided to make biscuits as a surprise for Jacob, and prepared the mixture.

  When she was done, Magdalena stood at the window looking out. The sky was darkening. He must surely be coming home soon?

  She stoked the stove and added more wood. It was almost time to put the biscuits in the oven. Annie would wake soon, and hopefully Jacob wouldn’t be too late. She didn’t want him to eat an overcooked meal.

  She knew she wasn’t the best cook around, but she could get by. She hoped it was enough to keep Jacob satisfied. With her sister working the late shift, Magdalena often prepared meals for William and herself.

  She fought back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm her at the thought of her sister and brother-in-law lying dead at the bottom of the Bighorn River. They would never have a burial, and she didn’t get to say a proper good-bye.

  Tears welled in her eyes and she fought them back.

  She stirred the soup again, trying to take her mind off the negative thoughts that had overtaken her, but it didn’t work.

  At least she hadn’t parted from her sister on bad terms. That would have been too much for her to bear. The hardest part was that Annie would never
get to know her wonderful parents.

  Tears streamed down her face, and she swiped at them. She’d tried hard to fight back her grief since the accident, and now it was overwhelming her.

  She sat on the sofa and quietly sobbed.

  “Magdalena?” Jacob ran to her. She hadn’t even heard him come in. “What’s wrong?” He pulled her into his arms, and she felt a little better.

  A sob escaped her lips, and she rested her head on his shoulder. His arms went up around her, soothing her with the circles he was rubbing across her back.

  She stared at him with tear-filled eyes. “I was thinking about Elizabeth and William, how Annie will never get to know them, and they’ll never get to see her grow up, and…”

  He put his fingers to her lips, then pulled her closer. “You didn’t get a chance to grieve for them,” he said gently, and she knew he was right.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m bawling like a baby.”

  He looked around. “Speaking of babies, where is she?”

  “Asleep.” Magdalena pulled out of his arms. “I have to fix supper.” He tried to keep her there. “No, I really have to fix supper or it will burn,” she said quietly, wiping at her eyes.

  He stood with her, and it was then she noticed the concern on his face. For the first time since she arrived, she thought perhaps there might be a chance they could come to care for each other given time.

  Love or anything like it, was far from her thoughts.

  Annie was in her highchair, Magdalena sitting close by, feeding her cooled soup.

  Jacob looked down at his supper. Despite Magdalena saying she’d ruined it, this soup was by far the best he’d ever had. But he wouldn’t tell his sister that.

  Over the years he’d had many a meal at Jennifer and Charles’ ranch. It was always a circus with the adults trying to eat, and the children running riot.

  Finally they’d worked out feeding the children ahead of time would allow the adults to eat in peace. But Magdalena was having none of that.

  Annie had always eaten with the family, she’d told him. At least since she’d been able to sit up.

  Family. Were they a family?

  He supposed they were. But not in the true sense.

  A real family was a mother, father, and a bunch of children. They were an aunt, a niece, and… truth be known, he had no idea what he was. A husband for sure, but other than that, he honestly didn’t know.

  He pulled his thoughts back to the delicious food sitting in front of him. The biscuits were good. Very good. Jacob reached for another one and slathered it with butter. He had no idea his new wife was such a good cook. It was certainly a plus as far as he was concerned.

  She put another spoonful of soup into the baby’s mouth, but she spat it out. “She’s had enough,” Magdalena said, wiping the mess from Annie’s face.

  She cleaned up the spilled food around her, then fussed over the child. “Eat your supper,” he said between mouthfuls. “It’s very good, by the way.”

  He stared into her face. She seemed to be over her earlier upset, which relieved him. He couldn’t imagine losing his sister, let alone his sister and her husband at the same time. Top it off with taking on the responsibility of caring for their children.

  He shifted in his seat. He really hadn’t been fair to his wife. She may not have understood it until now, but she was definitely in the throes of grief. Perhaps even guilt at having told her sister she was leaving after they returned from their honeymoon.

  Ending up dead on the bottom of a river was not his idea of a successful honeymoon.

  His head shot up when he heard the child giggling. Her hands were reaching out for a biscuit. “Can she have some?” he asked, not sure if it was alright or not.

  “Just a little. She’s never had them before.”

  Annie snatched it up and shoved it in her mouth, slowly sucking on the soft texture. “I think she likes it,” he said, and grinned.

  Magdalena stared down into her food but made no attempt to eat it. “Are you going to eat that while it’s hot?” She was far too skinny already, and couldn’t afford to not eat.

  She pushed it away. “You can have it if you like.”

  He frowned. “I have plenty.” He scraped his chair back and came next to her, squatting down to her level. “You have to eat,” he said, gently touching her shoulder.

  She swiveled her head to look at him. “I’m not hungry.” The sadness in her eyes hit in right in the heart.

  His arm went up around her shoulders. “If you don’t eat, I don’t eat.”

  “Oh, that’s just silly. I’m not hungry.”

  He stood abruptly and returned to his place at the table, and sat there, not moving.

  “Finish your supper while it’s hot,” she told him.

  She’d obviously not believed what he’d said. He pushed his bowl away from him. “Only if you do,” he said, determined. He was not going to be responsible for his wife becoming ill.

  “For goodness sakes,” she said in a huff, then picked up her spoon and ate slowly.

  He waited until she’d almost emptied her bowl before he began to eat again.

  He’d already begun to care too much. This wasn’t what he’d expected when he sent away for a bride. His idea was for someone to cook and clean, and somewhere down the track, produce an heir for him.

  He didn’t expect a relationship, and he would have to ensure this didn’t go any further than it already had. Magdalena had clearly stated in her letter she needed a husband to support her. There was no mention of anything more.

  He reached for another biscuit. “These really are good,” he said, wondering what tomorrow night’s supper would be.

  Chapter Seven

  Magdalena lay in bed, her long hair in a plait, her flannelette nightgown keeping her warm.

  Jacob was right, it was already getting chilly, and the winter had not yet set in. She’d pulled an extra blanket from the wardrobe, and also added another blanket for Annie.

  She wondered when the snow would arrive. Jacob told her it would definitely be there for Christmas, and that was only weeks away.

  Her head rested on the soft pillow, and she felt her eyes begin to flutter closed. She knew the exact moment Jacob had climbed into bed as she’d felt the waves of movement ripple across to her side.

  Once settled, he reached out and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She enjoyed his warmth against her back.

  “Supper tonight was amazing,” he said quietly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she answered, wondering why he’d brought it up again. He’d already thanked her at supper, and again when she was washing the dishes.

  “I haven’t decided yet, but we might have roast tomorrow. If that’s what you want, that is.”

  She felt him shift against her back, and he held her tighter. “Sounds great.”

  Magdalena knew this was just small talk, leading up to something bigger. But he stayed silent for some minutes and she began to drift off again.

  “I’m sorry we got off to such a terrible start,” he said, bringing her out of sleep again. His fingers brushed her cheeks, and she couldn’t deny she enjoyed when he touched her.

  A tingle went down her spine, and warmth spread throughout her body.

  He pulled her onto her back, and lifted himself until he was leaning over her, staring into her eyes. He moved slowly toward her, and finally kissed her lips with fiery resolve.

  Jacob pulled away, and she wanted him to return. “Do you think we can make it work?” he asked, ignoring the fact he’d just kissed her with a passion he’d never shown before. Worry was etched in his face.

  Could they? She hoped so – she’d already come to care for this man, despite his misgivings about her and Annie. Despite his naivety when it came to babies.

  She did know Jacob was a good man, a kind man, someone she could come to really care for given time.

  She stared up at him, his striking blue eyes
piercing her soul, her very being. She licked her lips that were suddenly parched. “I, I hope so,” she said softly. “I really do.”

  His arm slid underneath her, and his head came down again. Magdalena closed her eyes again, but this time knew she wouldn’t sleep.

  Sunday rolled around quickly, and Magdalena was looking forward to returning to the sweet church where they’d married.

  She dressed Annie in her best clothes, put on her thick stockings and warm coat, and placed a pretty bow in her hair. The gloves she’d placed on her hands were already pulled off.

  Jacob kept an eye on Annie in the sitting room while Magdalena dressed. She pulled out her favorite dress, but couldn’t reach all the fastenings. She was sure Jacob would be happy to help.

  He glanced up as she entered the room, a smile on his face. It became bigger when he found out his help was needed.

  He pushed her long hair aside, and began to do up the fastenings, his hands sliding over her bare skin. Unnecessarily, in Magdalena’s mind.

  “Your skin is so soft,” he said, leaning in to gently kiss her shoulder.

  She sighed. “We need to get ready for church, Jacob.” She pivoted her head to look at him. His eyes were full of hunger, of need for her.

  Never in her wildest dreams did she believe a man, any man, could have an appetite for her, an old spinster of twenty-eight. She’d always been told she was well past her prime.

  He finished the job then spun her in his arms. He stole a kiss before she realized what he was doing. She looked down as she felt a tugging on her gown.

  “Oh my gosh, Annie,” Magdalena exclaimed. “I’m not sure that is very safe.” She watched as Annie tried to pull herself up by grabbing hold of both Magdalena’s gown, and Jacob’s trouser leg.

  As they gazed down at her, she pulled herself into a standing position. Her aunt groaned.

  Jacob reached down and picked her up. “She’s too small to be doing that, I’m sure,” he said. “Jennifer’s children crawled first.”

  So he did know a bit about children after all. “How old were they, can you remember?”