Page 403 of Conveniently Wed
“I think you’ll find it quite different from what you’ve seen. The design is something I brought home from my war days.” He pointed out the two levels.
“This is so smart.” She stood back and pressed a finger to her lips. “Built into the bank like it is lets you easily access both levels.”
He beamed. “I keep farm equipment and the harvest on the upper level, and the horse stalls, livestock area, and a tack room on the lower. You’ll see by the sheer amount of horse stalls what my plans are for the future.”
She took in the rows of empty enclosures, dreaming of how they might be filled someday. “I love horses.”
“Me too. I’ll have the finest stock in the valley very soon. My good friend, Colby, is partnering with me. While he makes it here with the horses, I’ll be rustling up the finest help around. Black or white, doesn’t much matter to me. The best man for the job is who I’m looking for.
“I agree.”
They walked and talked and, somewhere along the way, a switch was made from Katie having her hand on his arm to his hand supporting her elbow. The warmth penetrated through the well-worn sleeve of her day dress. She noticed the pressure increase when he was excited about one thing or another. A comfort settled over her jitters, and she found herself genuinely enjoying his company.
“Every household needs fresh eggs, thus the hen house, but watch out for old Strut.” He pointed toward a cluster of the birds. “That rooster can be a mean one unless you let him know who’s boss.”
“His name is Strut?”
As if on cue, the rooster headed their way. He let out a shriek that hurt the ears and sent the hens darting for shelter. He proceeded to strut along the edge of his pen with his head bobbing back and forth and his comb in the air like a shooting flame.
Katie laughed. “Good name.”
They wandered the grounds toward the summer kitchen. “The separate room keeps food smells and heat out of the main house in the muggy hot months. And Delilah loves the free-standing oven. Once the bricks are thoroughly heated, the ashes are removed, and food bakes inside.”
She peeked in to take a closer look. “Ma would’ve loved this on those blistering summer days. But why so big?”
“It’s a good place to do laundry, with the pump handy. Plus, the room is set to catch the cooling breeze from the north in the summer and has thick doors that can be shut in the winter. I won’t bore you with all the details, but”—he turned his gaze on her—"it’s important you know where everything is since this is your home. You’re not just some passing guest. You’re my life partner.”
She turned from his intensity. What was she to say to that? He was far more invested than she was. A feather of guilt brushed across her heart, but she disregarded the message. “And what’s that?” She pointed to a shed in the distance.
“That’s the smokehouse, and the icehouse is over there.” He pointed across the yard.
“Icehouse? Where do you get ice, and how long does it last in this heat?”
He smiled down at her. “I love your intelligent questions.”
Her stomach fluttered at the compliment, and her heart picked up pace as he grabbed her hand and continued walking.
“There’s a pond on the property, and we harvest the ice from there. Between the limestone brick walls of the icehouse, and the ice packed in sawdust and straw, the room is kept cool right into September. All our meat and dairy are stored there.”
“We, as in you help with the work?”
“Of course. There’s nothing on this farm I won’t help with. I might not be the best, but I give a hand.”
He kept talking, but all she could concentrate on was how wrong she had been about the entitled life she’d thought he lived.
“Come. I know the blacksmith and wheelwright shop won’t thrill you, but I want to properly introduce you to Abe, Delilah’s husband.”
They rounded the corner of a sturdy log building and stepped inside. Abe looked up from his work, rose, and dusted off his hands on the sides of his trousers.
“This is Abe’s home away from home,” Josiah said. “The man is a genius when it comes to fixing just about anything—wheels, horseshoes, tools. You name it, Abe can do it.”
“Don’t be giving too much praise. It goes to the head. Then I’ll get like you, too big for my britches.”
The twinkle in his black eyes danced and the amusement in his voice caused a bubble of laughter to slip from Katie’s lips.
“I see your new bride agrees with me.” His friendly grin was hard not to like.
Katie moved across the room and extended her hand.
