Page 235 of Conveniently Wed
Bruce followed more slowly as Stella waited for him. “I’ve been looking over the place,” he said, as he drew closer.
“What do you think?”
“It’s a promising piece of land. Your husband did well in choosing this.”
Her wary expression turned to a smile. “A promising pleasant place.” She stepped aside to let him enter. “Aunt Mary says she’d like to sit out here with the rest of us.”
He went into the bedroom. “How are you feeling?” he asked his aunt.
“Sore but glad to be settled. You did the right thing coming here. Stella is kind. She brought me tea and told me about the farm. She’ll be good for you.”
Stella came into the room in time to hear Aunt Mary’s comments and chuckled. “It’s early for you to be deciding if I’m going to be good for him or not.” She supported Aunt Mary’s leg while Bruce carried her to the big chair.
Stella drew a kitchen chair close and padded it with a pillow. “It’s too high, but Bruce will fix you a stool after dinner.”
Aunt Mary patted her hand. “Thank you, my dear. You and Bruce are going to make a great team.”
Donny laughed. “Like horses?”
Bruce grinned at Stella. “Sure hope I don’t have to pull the plow.”
She looked away, seeming flustered. “Kade has my animals. I’ll have to arrange to bring them back.”
“I could go over there, but not today. I want to check the fences, make a stool for Aunt Mary, and clean out the far pen of the barn.”
She straightened and looked at him. “What’s wrong with the far pen?”
“Just some hay scattered about. It won’t take more than a few minutes to clean it.”
“Odd.” She shrugged. “Maybe Kade and Flora fed horses when they were here.”
That made sense. Sort of. Perhaps they’d taken a nap there as well. It would be cool out of the sun.
“They planted a garden as well as the crops. Such good people.” She indicated he should join them at the table. He sat at one end, she at the other, with a child on either side, and Aunt Mary nearby, taking in everything despite her pain.
The others looked at him. He understood what they wanted. After all, Aunt Mary had raised him right. “Shall we pray?”
The children bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Stella watched him a moment, as if measuring his worth. Then she bowed her head. Had he been found adequate or wanting?
He drew in a slow breath and remembered the truths Aunt Mary had taught him of God’s love and acceptance and provision—all things he was grateful for. And none more than the assurance that God knew him and cared for him.
He offered a heartfelt, but short, prayer of thanks for the food and for the home they shared. “Amen.”
Stella filled his bowl with a thick soup. She had filled the children’s already, allowing time for the contents to cool. She passed him a platter of biscuits. He took three and buttered them as she buttered one each for the children. They began to eat while she took soup and biscuits to Aunt Mary.
“Thank you, my dear. It is so good of you to take on my care. I’ll try not to be a nuisance.”
Stella knelt on the floor beside Aunt Mary and smiled at her. “Never think you are a nuisance.”
“Thank you, my dear. I do believe you two getting together is God-directed. He moves in mysterious ways.”
Stella chuckled as she returned to the kitchen table. “You and the preacher would agree on that, though I think I could do with a little less uncertainty in my life.”
Bruce felt again the sting of her not trusting him. Not that he could blame her. Trust too easily given was destined for disappointment. He’d learned that lesson well, thanks to Louella and her treacherous behavior. For now, their vows before man and God had to be enough.
“The preacher seemed like a good man.” Aunt Mary’s words brought Bruce’s thoughts back to the present. He wondered at his aunt’s faith in this marriage that was really only a business deal that benefitted them all. He was glad his aunt was happy with the arrangement between him and Stella, but they’d only been here a few hours. He hoped everyone was as happy a few weeks from now. A few months. Knowing they’d agreed to forever, he added, a few years.
Donny asked again after the animals.
