Page 232 of Conveniently Wed
“Where are the children?” She glanced around. “Oh, there they are, by the corrals. I wonder what sort of stories Donny is telling Blossom.” Stella studied her children and smiled. “I’ll show you to your room.”
He followed her into the small room beside his aunt’s.
“It isn’t much.” Stella sounded apologetic.
“It’s fine.” A narrow cot. A low dresser and a table by the bed. He hung his clothes on nearby pegs.
Stella watched.
He crossed his arms and faced her. If she wanted to say something, he was prepared to listen.
“This was the right thing to do.”
He couldn’t tell if she voiced doubts or not. “Are you having second thoughts?” He’d had a few in the last hour. Not that they would be allowed to control his actions or choices.
She smiled. He would guess she felt rather pleased with things. “Not at the moment, but I’m sure I shall from time to time.”
“Fair enough.”
“You likely will too.” Her expression hardened.
“I made a choice, and I intend to stick to it.”
“Good to hear.” She turned on her heel and left him staring at the empty doorway. Why did words that should have made him feel like they were in agreement instead make him feel like he’d been warned? He would have asked her, but the children came inside.
“Mama, when are we getting the cows? And the cats? And the chickens?” Donny asked.
“Want kitties. Want chickens.” Blossom echoed her brother.
“I can’t rightly say. We need a chance to settle in.” She hurried to the kitchen and rattled pots on the stove.
“I’ll look after the horses and have a look around,” Bruce said. “Who wants to help me?”
The children rushed after him. Blossom tripped on his heels, and he caught her hand. They walked side by side to the wagon. He lifted them both to the seat and led the team to the barn, where he unhitched them and took them inside to groom them. Done with that, he brought in his riding horse, Smokey, who had patiently followed the wagon these last few days.
He brushed the horses and turned them out to graze in the nearby pasture then returned to have a look around this place that was now partly his. The barn was small. Only four stalls and a tack room. He stood in the doorway studying the harnesses and tools. Well-equipped and tidy. He turned his attention to the stalls. The first three he checked were clean. Had Stella donethat or the neighbor she’d mentioned? Kade, if he remembered correctly. In the last stall, hay had been trampled to smoothness. Almost like a nest. Strange that this pen wasn’t as clean as the others, and yet it wasn’t soiled. Oh well. He’d take care of it later. Right now he wanted to take the hoops and canvas off the wagon and store them inside, out of the elements. Then he’d have a look around and see what needed to be done.
Smoke filled the house.
“Are we on fire,” Aunt Mary called from her room.
“I didn’t think to check the chimney.” Stella tossed a rug against the bottom of Aunt Mary’s door. “That should keep most of it out of your room. Holler if it’s not enough.” She pushed aside the wood from the smoking fire and rushed about opening windows and the door. She coughed. What was wrong with her? She should have known some bird would have used the chimney for a nest in the months she’d been away.
Her eyes streamed tears as she flapped a towel to chase the smoke out the open door.
Bruce clattered into the house. “What’s on fire? You children stay outside.”
“The chimney must be blocked.” She coughed again. And again.
“Aunt Mary?”
“I’m okay.” The woman didn’t cough, so Stella knew the smoke wasn’t too bad in her room.
Stella’s throat choked with the fumes. She couldn’t stop coughing. Tears flowed freely.
“You might as well wait outside for the smoke to clear.” Bruce caught her hand and pulled her into the fresh air.
“Mama, you all right?” Blossom asked.
