Page 248 of Conveniently Wed
Bruce chuckled. “I was civil as soon as I woke up and even more so when I stepped outside into the warm sunshine.” He turned to Stella. “I’ve never before seen myself as a farmer, but now I wonder why I haven’t.”
She nodded. “It is to my benefit if you like the farm.”
His smile flattened. “I’d say the marriage vows are enough.”
Donny edged forward on his chair. “What did you do before you became a farmer?”
It took a silent beat for Bruce to shift his guarded gaze to Donny. He smiled at the boy.
Stella watched, not quite ready to believe he wouldn’t at some point find Donny’s questions annoying.
But Bruce’s smile went to his eyes, convincing her he wasn’t upset at her son. “I mostly worked in town so I could be near my aunt. I worked at the feedstore. I worked for a man sawing lumber. What I liked best though was working at the stockyards.”
“What’s that?”
“That’s where they bring cattle to sell and ship them out on the railcars.”
“Were you a rancher?”
“Not exactly.”
“A cowboy?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then what were you?”
“Just a man doing a job that needed to be done.”
“He could have joined a cattle drive.” Aunt Mary’s voice revealed both pride and regret. “I know he would have liked to, but he stayed home to be with me.”
Bruce’s gaze returned to Stella’s. She saw perhaps challenge and assurance. She couldn’t say for certain, nor was she ready to decide one thing or another. She pressed her hands together,trying not to remember the feeling of strength she’d felt back in the Kinsley yard when they’d agreed to marry.
She wasn’t ready to trust that feeling.
They finished breakfast. Bruce lingered over his third cup of coffee.
Blossom, until now quiet and watchful, slipped from her chair to whisper in Stella’s ear.
“Mama, the Bible.”
“What about it?”
“Like at the other place.”
It took a moment for Stella to understand. “I don’t know, honey.”
“What does she want?” Bruce asked.
“The preacher read from the Bible every morning after breakfast.”
Bruce considered the little girl. “Do you want us to do the same thing?”
Blossom nodded.
“Sounds good to me. Where’s a Bible?”
Blossom trotted to the bedroom and returned with the one Stella kept there. She handed it to Bruce and leaned on the corner of the table, a look on her face that made Stella wince. Blossom could not remember her father and was way too ready to give Bruce that role.
