Train Station Bride (8 page)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were here already. What time is it?” Julia asked.

“Nearly eight o’clock.” Flossie looked up from her kneading and smiled. “I got here about six-thirty. Wanted to let you sleep in your first day. I just went ahead and started, hope you don’t mind.”

“Were you up early as well?” Julia asked Jake as she seated herself.

Jake smiled. “Sunrise. I wanted to let you sleep.”

“Oh,” she said. She had awoken in the middle of the night as Jake kissed her neck and cupped her breast. Their lovemaking had been frantic, leaving them both panting. She had fallen back asleep sprawled across him.

Jake poured himself a cup of coffee, walked to her and kissed her on the lips. Her face heated with a blush. She couldn’t look at Flossie. He kissed her again and then pulled out a chair and pushed it close to straddle it beside her.

“Want some coffee?” he asked.

“I’ll get it.” Julia stared at her husband. He looked smug. And cocky. And adorable for a man twice her size. She grinned, plopped her hand on her chin and rolled her eyes.

“I’m right here. Still in the kitchen if you two hadn’t noticed,” Flossie said.

Without turning from Julia’s face, Jake answered his sister. “We know.”

Julia dropped her head and cleared her throat. “I’ve never made bread before. Would you teach me, Flossie?”

Jake lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ll teach you anything you need to know, Julia.”

“I’m talking to your sister,” she said.

“I know,” Jake said with a smile.

Flossie looked from her brother to her new sister-in-law and back. “I guess taking the time to get to know each other fell by the way side.”

“We got to know …” Jake began.

Julia jumped from her chair. “What do you do next, Flossie?” Julia said and pointed at the bread dough.

Flossie looked at Jake, cut off mid-sentence by his wife. “We’re going to let the dough rest for awhile. Thought maybe you’d like some help unpacking and cleaning.”

Jake rose slowly. “I’m going out to the barn. Holler if you need me.”

It was all Julia could do to look Flossie in the eye. When she did, she realized Flossie was staring. Julia glanced away absently.

“I didn’t think I’d live to see the day. My brother mooning over a woman. And in front of me yet,” Flossie said.

Julia looked at her hands. “I would hardly call it mooning.”

“Well, something’s different about him. Kissing you and trying to make us both uncomfortable. Jake Shelling doesn’t tease or kid. Other than with Millie or Danny. Something’s different.”

Julia looked at her slack-jawed sister-in-law. “He’s always serious then?”

“Not anymore.”

“None of my clothes seem appropriate for life here. I sew a fair needlepoint stitch but never made any clothes. Should I ask Jake if I could buy some fabric or cut down the clothes I have?” Julia asked.

“Having been married some years now, I’d get to Snelling’s store and pick out anything you want. Chances are good right now that Jake’d buy every bolt Snelling had in stock,” Flossie said. “Harry and I have to go into town tomorrow. Want to ride along?”

Julia smiled. “Yes, I would enjoy that.”

Flossie gathered a bucket and rags and together they gave Jake’s house the scrubbing it needed. Soon Julia’s white dress was covered in dirt. Her last nail had broken and cobwebs were stuck in her hair. Julia thanked God when Flossie announced they would take a break from cleaning and put her things away. Julia pulled her trunks down the hall from Gloria’s old room to Jake’s. Flossie did not say a word on the room adjustment but marveled over Julia’s lace gloves and dresses. They arranged some of Julia’s wardrobe in Jake’s tiny cupboard. The fanciest they left in her trunk for storage. As Julia and Flossie went down the steps Julia realized there were still buckets of dirty scrub water in the hallway, yet to be dumped. Clean walls met dirty with a clear demarcation.

“Lordy, is it that the time already,” Flossie said as she looked at the watch pinned to her dress. “The kids’ll be hungry, and Harry will have a fit if I’m not home soon.”

Julia’s stomach growled. “Hurry home then. You’ve been a great help.”

“We didn’t get anything ready for supper,” Flossie said.

“I’ll manage,” Julia replied with a smile.

“Pick you up early, like about seven o’clock in the morning, Julia. Harry hates to head to town late in the day when it’s crowded,” Flossie said as she went out the door.

Julia waved goodbye to Flossie. She pulled back a curtain hanging in the corner of the kitchen where Jake said shelves were filled with supplies. Certainly there would be something here she could make. She gathered more potatoes in her arms than she could carry and headed to the sink. Potatoes slipped away as she hurried and hit the floor with a thud.

Julia rinsed what she still held and put them in a pot on the stove to boil. She stoked the stove as Flossie had shown her. She lugged the heavy buckets of filthy water to the door of the kitchen but could get no further. Julia filled the sink with tepid water from the warming reservoir on the back of the stove and unbuttoned her cuffs. She struggled with buttons on the back of her dress. Julia swore she would only have dresses with front buttons now that she had no maid. She stood at the sink, dress around her waist, in her silk chemise and washed.

* * *

Jake came up from the barn to get a cool drink and see if Julia still looked as pretty as he remembered from that morning and as tempting as she had the night before. His bride was as soft as newborn chick down and all woman that was for certain, every curvy indent, every rounded bit of flesh. Jake had been scared to death he’d crush her when they made love. She was such little thing, tucked under him, mewing soft sounds of pleasure. He was thinking it would only get better with time and familiarity. If it could.

He stopped dead in his tracks at his screen door. Julia stood in front of the sink, hair pulled up except for a few tendrils stuck wet to her back. Her dress was to her waist and she was running a washrag over her neck. Her skin was as pale as the shiny fabric of her underclothes. Julia tilted her head from side to side and hummed softly. Jake turned quickly when he heard his foreman hollering to him. He slammed the kitchen door open prepared to ask his bride what in the hell she thought she was doing standing near naked within a hundred yards of his randy group of farmhands. She turned as the door swung open. He took one fierce, angry step inside even as the sight of her stirred him.

“What in the hell …”

“Be careful,” Julia shouted

Jake charged into a bucket of water in front of the door. Water sloshed everywhere and the bucket flew end over end hitting a kitchen chair and knocking it over.

Jake grabbed for the door handle as his feet began to go out from under him. Julia ran to him and kicked an errant potato straight at him. He bent and grabbed his shin where it hit. His muddy boots slipped in the water and sent Jake careening to the floor. He lay still on his back, the wind knocked out of him.

Julia dropped down on her knees beside him.

“Oh, dear. Jake, are you all right?”

It took a moment to get his breath. He could already feel a knot growing on the back of his head. “Julia, everyman jack could a seen you standing at the sink practically naked.”

Julia’s head popped up to the door. “Does your head hurt? I heard it smack,” she asked as she returned her attentions to him.

Julia leaned down close and was running her hand through his hair, bringing her magnificent breasts swinging loosely within inches of his nose.

Julia sat back on her haunches. “No one is looking at me, Jake. What a silly thing to think.”

Jake sat up and touched his head gingerly. “Trust me, Julia. The men have been waiting for another glimpse of you since the day I brought you home. If any of them had come on the porch instead of me, they’d a gotten a whole lot more than a glimpse.”

She tilted her head. “Don’t be angry. I was hot and dirty and wanted to wash up. No one saw me.”

Jake straightened out one arm behind him and leaned close to Julia. His eyes dropped to the low scoop of her silk under things and all that beautiful pale flesh behind it. He ran his finger down her neck, to her collarbone and trailed slowly down, stopping when his knuckle touched breast. Julia’s eyes dropped, and she let out a slow sigh.

“I know men that’d kill to see a woman like you, looking like this.”

“Dinner’ll be ready about seven,” she whispered and fluttered her lashes.

“What did I trip over anyway?”

“The wash water. I couldn’t get any further than the door. It was too heavy. And I dropped a potato on the way to the sink. That’s what I kicked when I went to catch you,” Julia said.

Jake was sitting in a puddle of foul water on his kitchen floor. His head hurt, and he had hit his behind with a bang. His wife was too weak to carry a bucket of wash water, and his dinner wouldn’t be ready till near his bedtime.

“That’ll be fine,” he said.

“I better get started then,” Julia said.

Jake rose, looked her up and down and limped out the door. Julia was a far cry from a thick-waisted, farmwoman from Sweden, but Jake didn’t imagine the sight of Inga’s broad shoulders would have turned his mind to mush like Julia.

“What happened, Boss?” Slim asked as he limped back into the barn.

“Kicked a bucket of wash water Mrs. Shelling couldn’t lift,” Jake replied. “I don’t want to see my wife carrying anything heavier than her skirts. Got it boys?”

The men smiled and nodded in unison.

* * *

Jake went in the house, near seven o’clock. He’d washed up at the bunkhouse, anticipating sitting down with Julia. And going upstairs with Julia. She wasn’t in the kitchen. Julia was slouched awkwardly in one of the horsehair chairs in front of the fireplace. His bride was sound asleep. Instead of being angry the kitchen floor was still damp and the table still unset, Jake tilted his head at the picture before him. She’d tuckered herself out. Cobwebs hung from her curls, and she had missed a spot of dirt on the tip of her nose when she washed. Jake lifted her from the seat into his arms, and she snuggled against him.

Julia woke as Jake lifted her. “There’s soup on the counter cooling, Jake. And fresh bread,” she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head as he carried her up the steps. “Should a left it on the stove. Stay warm that way.”

She yawned. “Potato soup is just as good cold.”

Jake didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Who ate their soup cold? And what was he going to eat with it? Was there meat?

“I sugared some berries that Flossie brought.” Julia opened her eyes as Jake laid her down on the bed. She sat up and began to unbutton her dress. “No better meal than soup and fresh fruit on a hot day.” She smiled up at him lazily as she unpinned her hair.

Jake watched his wife undress. Julia bent down and inched her stockings down her pale legs and her hair swirled around them. She shimmied out of everything but her chemise.

“Think I’ll just sleep in this if you don’t mind. It’s too hot for a nightgown,” Julia said. She pulled the sheet up over herself. “I’m so sleepy. I hope you don’t mind eating alone. Tell me what you think of the soup. I’ve watched Cook make it hundreds of times. I think I got it just right.”

Jake would have crawled in bed then and there, stomach growling to beat the band, but Julia was looking at him so hopefully, he couldn’t disappoint her.

“I’m sure it’ll be just fine,” he said. Julia smiled and rolled onto her side.

Jake sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of cold soup, his sister’s bread and a dish of berries. He was going to have to eat the whole pot of the blamed stuff to fill up. But he would admit it was good. Jake dunked his bread and sopped up the bottom of the bowl and cleaned his dish of strawberries. He wasn’t full, but he didn’t care. The sight of Julia had made his mind wander from the hunger in his stomach to a far greater hunger situated below his belt buckle. He could hardly wake her up, her looking so tired and all, but he could sit at the table and envision those legs sticking out of a thigh-length chemise. Jake closed up the house and headed to bed. If nothing else he could hold her. Jake crept into his bedroom.

“Did you like the soup?” Julia asked.

“Never heard of eating soup cold, but it was good. I figured you’d be sound asleep by now.”

“I’m tired, but I was waiting for you,” she said.

Jake pulled his pants down and smiled. “Were you?” Julia nodded. He climbed into bed and pulled her close. “I thought you’d be tired.”

“I am,” Julia said as she stroked the side of his face. “But I don’t suppose it’ll take longer than last night, though.”

Jake didn’t know whether to be insulted or thrilled. He settled for being happy as hell his wife was inching her foot up his leg. “I think I might be able to stretch things out for you, Mrs. Shelling.”

“Whatever suits you, Mr. Shelling, is fine with me,” she said.

Chapter Eight

Julia awoke the next morning just as the sunlight began to filter in the window. Jake was dressing and a rooster was crowing outside. She lay still watching him run a hand through his hair.

“You don’t have to get up quite yet,” he said.

Julia sat up, stretched and yawned. “Yes, I do. Flossie and Harry will be here soon. They’re taking me to town.” Julia dropped her head, unsure of how to ask her husband for money. “Jake, I need to have some clothes more suited for here on the farm. I can cut my dresses down, but it seems a shame …”

“Buy whatever you want, Julia. I have a charge at Snelling’s store,” he said.

Julia took a clean chemise out of a drawer and pulled the one she had slept in over her head. She stretched up, reached through the lace straps and shimmied her fresh under clothes down her body. She realized then her husband was watching her.

“Buy every bolt they have as long as you promise me to get some more like that thing you’re putting on,” Jake said.

Julia giggled. “I have twenty or more of these, Jake in every color. How silly you are. I need to make some plain skirts and blouses.” Julia picked out a dress with lavender flowers. She had a felt hat and green shoes that matched.