Page 11 of Mail-Order Bride Mommy
Gwen rushed past him. “My things.” She gathered items up, piled them on the floor by the trunk then sat beside the stack. Her gaze scanned the room and came to a stop at her right. She lifted a finger to Matt and directed his gaze to a pair of feet barely visible under the bed.
“Lindy, come out.” His voice revealed his anger at her misbehavior.
The pair of feet withdrew further.
Gwen rose and touched his arm. “Let me try.” She spoke so softly Lindy wouldn’t hear.
He thought of arguing. Pointing out that the child should be disciplined but perhaps this was a chance for him to evaluate how Gwen would deal with Lindy’s trying behavior. He nodded consent.
She turned toward the bed. “Lindy, it’s all right. No harm done. I’m guessing you were looking for the book I promised you. Come here and I’ll get it for you.”
Inch by inch the feet emerged, followed by the rest of Lindy. She looked defiant, knowing she deserved a scolding at the very least.
Gwen reached into the trunk and brought out a book. Something about a child searching for a star. Matt couldn’t imagine what sort of story that would be, but Lindy took it eagerly.
“Thank you. I’m sorry.” She tipped her head toward the pile of books.
“You’re forgiven but, in the future, I’d like you to ask before you touch things in my room. Understood?”
Matt leaned forward and perhaps sensing that he might want more than an apology from her, Lindy darted away. He sank back on his heels. He’d agreed to let Gwen manage it and she had. No tears. No protests. So why was he out of sorts?
Gwen considered him. “Did I do something wrong?”
He shrugged. “You dealt with it differently than I would.” He scrubbed his hand over his head. Then it hit him. That was how Merry would have spoken to the child. He strode from the room and stopped at the window, his gaze on the distant mountains but his thoughts filled with memories of Roscoe and Merry. “Roscoe worked for us before he met Merry. Guess he was about my best friend in the whole world.”
Gwen came to his side. Not saying anything. Just standing beside him gazing at the same thing.
“He met Merry when he went to Fort Benton one winter. He returned in the spring with her as his bride. Ma had been dead a couple of years and we welcomed her to run the house.” He drew in a deep breath. “The girl must have wondered what she’d gotten herself into. But she managed really well. She learned to be a good cook.” He paused as memories washed over him. He chuckled. “The first time she made a big batch of bread she must have mismeasured something. The loaves sank in the middle.” He shifted to look at Gwen while he spoke. “How we teased her about that. Well, mostly it was Luke who did the teasing.” Matt had warned Luke to stop a couple of times. But Luke had laughed at his concern.
Matt continued. “And then little Lindy was born. She got a lot of attention. I worried she might get spoiled but Merry insisted a child couldn’t know too much love.” He heaved a huge sigh. “Guess I need to remember that. It’s been hard on her. Losing her parents. Having only busy men to care for her. I’m grateful you’re here to fill in that gap.”
Gwen’s smile caught the light of the sun. “I’m glad I’m here too.”
Lindy ran past the window, both arms out like wings, the pages of the book Gwen had given her flapping in the wind.
“I should tell her to put the book in her room.” Matt took a step toward the door.
Gwen caught his arm. “I gave it to her. Besides, she isn’t hurting it.”
He stopped, looked at her hand resting on his sleeve, and swallowed hard. “Very well.”
“Thank you.” She stepped back, ducking her head. Then she looked up and smiled. “I think if we bear in mind that we both want what is best for the child, we’ll manage just fine.”
He had no argument against that and nodded. “Couldn’t ask for more.”
Lindy raced in the back door letting it bang shut in her wake. She skidded into her room and returned without the book. “I’m hungry. Uncle Wally is gonna feed us.”
“Then let’s go eat.” Matt waited for Gwen to fall in step with him as Lindy ran ahead through the thicket of trees that sheltered his house and yard. They reached Riley’s house. Gwen slowed her steps to study it. “It looks a lot like yours.”
“Riley insists he wasn’t interested in marriage but built the house to please Pa. But he lives like one of your tarpaper bachelors.”
She stopped walking. “That is not a tarpaper shack.”
“Might as well be. All he cares about is a warm plate of stew, coffee that would burn your insides out, and a place to sleep. Merry used to go over there and get the bedding every so often to wash it. Roscoe always teased her because she wore his gumboots to clean the place.”
Gwen’s face broke into a wide smile that erupted into an amused grin. “You paint a delightful picture.”
He chuckled. “Ma would roll over in her grave to know how he lives.”
