Page 23 of Mail-Order Bride Mommy
Lindy shifted past Gwen and before Gwen could protest, scampered down the ladder. “Come on, Auntie Gwen.”
Gwen gritted her teeth and edged toward the hole. It was a long way down, but she didn’t intend to do it in one step. She grabbed the brace she’d used previously and with every nerve in her body screaming a protest, she lowered one foot and then the other to the first rung. Realizing she needed to move down even more so she could cling to one of the narrow cross pieces of wood, she sucked her lips in, closed her eyes, and moved her foot. It hit air. Her heart froze within her.Pull it closer to the wall. You can do this.
It took more courage than she knew she had to release her handhold and grasp the lower bar. But she did and slowly made her way to the barn floor where she sucked in musty yet refreshing air.
Lindy grabbed her hand and together they ran from the barn, their footsteps thudding. They reached the bright sunlight. Gwen blinked and laughed at the sheer relief at having her feet on solid ground.
“Where are we going?” she asked the child who continued to tug at her arm.
“You wanna see the garden?”
“Yes, please.” She’d seen the houses and the insides of two, but she’d like to see what else constituted the ranch buildings and yard.
Lindy tugged on her hand. They passed the corner of the barn where a horse nickered a greeting. A cow lifted her head and regarded them a second then resumed grazing. A long, narrow building stood past the corrals.
Gwen slowed her steps. “What’s that?”
“Where the cowboys live when they’re here. Right now, they’re with the cows. That’s where Uncle Matt and Uncle Luke, Uncle Riley and Uncle Andy went today.”
“And the building beside it?”
“Where they eat.”
Eat? That meant cooking. “Who cooks the meals?”
Lindy stopped to stare at the structure. “Boots. But I have to call him Mr. Boots. He lives in the eating house and doesn’t like little girls bothering him.”
“Then I’m guessing you aren’t allowed to go to the cookhouse.” She knew that’s what the place was called.
Lindy rocked back and forth and stared at the place. “You wanna see it?”
“Lindy, aren’t you supposed to stay out of there?”
She continued to rock. “Mr. Boots isn’t here.”
Gwen would love to see inside and get a glimpse at how real cowboys lived. But she couldn’t let Lindy be disobedient. She’d have to wait for someone else to show her. “That doesn’t change the rules.” She turned away from looking at temptation. “I thought you were going to take me to the garden.”
Lindy let out a long-suffering sigh. “It’s over there.” She indicated a fence and trudged in that direction.
Gwen tried to keep back a laugh and then gave up.
Lindy turned to study her with a curious look on her face. “What’s funny?”
“Us.”
Lindy squinted, silently demanding an explanation.
Gwen took her hand and continued toward the garden. A perfect place to explain her thoughts. “Have you learned about the Garden of Eden?”
“Where Adam and Eve lived? Mama told me that story.”
“Do you recall how they had a beautiful garden?”
Lindy poked her fingers through the squares of wire of the fence and plucked off a deep-pink flower. “Mama had a picture of it. Lots of flowers.”
“It had lots of everything. Did your mama tell you about the tree they weren’t supposed to eat from?”
Lindy buried her nose in the flower. “But they did. Right?”
