Page 537 of Conveniently Wed
He really was in a pickle. Not being able to let her know he’d changed his mind.
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Lorinda held Michael close to nurse him. She enjoyed these special times with him, but she knew they were limited. Her son was growing much too fast. He wasn’t satisfied to lie in her arms while she fed him. Instead, he was more sitting than lying down, and every few minutes, he stopped, raised his head, and glanced around as if he was going to miss something. She was pretty sure she knew what he didn’t want to miss. About this time of day, Franklin usually returned to the house for the evening. She knew she listened for him to open the door.
During the last few weeks, her husband was true to his word, staying close-by and only riding out to check on the ranch hands occasionally. While he was gone, she didn’t worry about being safe. Most of the time, she knew exactly where at least two or three of the men hid while guarding them, and she knew the others were close enough to see the road and the house at all times.
With Terrell back in the bunkhouse kitchen, she and Mrs. Oleson only had to cook for themselves and Franklin. Of course, Michael liked the mashed potatoes they ate with most meals. Mrs. Oleson fixed them more often since he was eating some of the table food.
Lorinda had learned to recognize the distinctive clip-clop of Major approaching the house. So had Michael. They both heard Franklin ride up outside. He would soon come through the front door. She could relax now, knowing he was so near, but her heartbeat grew stronger as she thought of her husband...even if he was in name only.
Their son wriggled and pulled away from her. His happy jabbering filled her heart even more with the love she felt for him. He sounded so earnest as if really telling her something important. She wondered what kind of thoughts babies had at this age. She wanted him to grow as he should, but since he would be her only child, she wished she could savor these times a little longer.
“Yes, your daddy will be here soon.” She lifted him to her shoulder, and he strained to look toward the door. Her husband was the kind of daddy she wished hers had been. “Let’s get you cleaned up before he comes into the house.”
She loved every moment she spent with little Michael, and she knew when Franklin came through the door, their son would want his attention. Franklin gladly gave it to him.
After dawdling over washing Michael and dressing him in a clean, long white baby slip, she reached the front hallway just before Franklin entered. Michael’s arms churned the air as he strained toward his father. She had to keep her hand on the baby’s bottom to stop him from hitting the floor while diving toward Franklin.
Her husband plucked him from her arms and held him close, kissing and blowing on his neck and his tummy while the baby laughed and batted at his head. Lorinda enjoyed watching them. She wondered what kind of father Mike might’ve been. Since he hadn’t been around babies and although he loved her and physically let her know, he wasn’t very tender about otherthings. Perhaps Franklinwasa better father than Mike would’ve ever been.
Her husband smiled at her, and her heart took a flip. “He smells so good. Did you just clean him up?”
“Yes. To get him ready for Daddy coming home.” She glanced down at the tips of her shoes that peeked out from under her skirt.
She had called Franklin Daddy in her own mind and often to their son, but she had never uttered the word out loud to her husband. She peeked back up at him, and his gaze locked on her face.
“What did you say?” His voice sounded husky.
“I got him ready for you.” Her answer came out tentative.
He clutched the wiggling baby in his arms, but his attention was trained on her. “That’s not all you said.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I said you were his daddy.”
A slow smile crossed his face until his eyes shone like the evening star. “I like that. I never called my father Daddy, but I want Michael to call me that. It sounds more approachable. And I want to be approachable...for both of you.”
His gaze held hers in an almost physical grip, and her breathing became shallow. So far he hadn’t made all the decisions as Mike had. She hoped that would continue through their marriage. “Thank you, Franklin.”
What else could she say?I want even more from you?Never in a million years would she have the fortitude to utter those words. Things were going great right now. She wanted to keep everything the way it was. On an even keel. To changeanythingcould cause a disaster.
“I cleaned up in the barn, because I knew Michael would be wanting me as soon as I walked through the door.” Franklin gazed at his son, then looked up and sniffed. “Smells as if Mrs. Oleson has our supper ready. Good thing I already washed up.”
“Well, both of us worked on supper while the baby took a nap.” Lorinda’s smile felt like a special gift just for him. “I think I’ve mastered meatloaf. You’ll have to tell me if you like it.”
He wanted to put an arm around her and hold his complete family close.Wonder what she would do if I did.
She entered the kitchen before him.
Mrs. Oleson looked up from mashing the potatoes. “There you are, Franklin. I hoped you’d get here before the food got cold.”
“I didn’t want to miss whatever it is I’m smelling. I didn’t realize I was so hungry.”
With one hand, he raised the table tray attached to the high chair he’d ordered from the Montgomery Ward catalog at the Mercantile in Breckenridge. The copy said the legs were wider spaced so the child couldn’t tip it over and the tray would go over the child’s head until he had grown much taller. After sitting Michael in the chair and moving the tray so it was in front of him, he grabbed the tea towel Mrs. Oleson held for him and twirled it into a thick rope. He didn’t want the baby to slip out under the table, so he anchored him to the back of the high chair with the towel.
Michael laughed and beat his hands against the tray table, kicking his legs at the same time.What a racket!But Franklin enjoyed every minute of the noise. He loved having a happy baby.
Lorinda took a large spoonful of mashed potatoes and put them on a plate to cool. Then she and Mrs. Oleson set the rest of the food on the table. Enticing aromas of the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans made his mouth water.
