Convenient Christmas Bride (9781460389034) Read online

  When he entered the house Anna Mae had already taken care of getting the girls to the table, and the food smelled wonderful. Rose and Ruby smiled, their freshly scrubbed faces shining. His girls had never looked happier.

  “What took so long?” Anna Mae asked, as she set plates before them.

  “I checked out the stall you mentioned.” He pulled his coat off, hung it on the rack beside the door, then stopped.

  When had Anna Mae hung the rack? His gaze roved the house and he saw several other things she’d done to improve the function of his home. He’d been so busy working that he’d neglected noticing the small changes. She’d brought warmth to his home. Would his new wife soon expect him to make changes, too? Would she expect him to express his appreciation with love?

  * * *

  The next afternoon, Anna Mae hummed as she finished wiping down the counters, then hung the dishcloth on the drying rod. Josiah had been called away shortly after breakfast, so she’d found her yarn, and while she knitted two pot holders, the girls played with balls of bright colored yarn. Then she’d started dinner and fixed lunch all at the same time.

  Now that the noon dishes were done, she thought about slipping out to the barn and working on the bookshelf while the girls napped. Anna Mae pulled on her gloves, cloak and finally her boots. She’d be out for only an hour and then she’d come back inside.

  The sun shone brightly and felt warm on her cheeks. Anna Mae hurried to the barn and pulled the door open; the warm scent of hay and dust filling her lungs. She loved the barn and couldn’t wait for Josiah to get the nesting box built for the chickens.

  Maybe she could help him do that. She was sick of cleaning up their mess, so something must be done. She walked to the stall and looked about.

  From what she could see, all the stall needed was a few boards nailed back into place, and then she could bring the chickens out here and clean up the spare room. With that thought in mind, Anna Mae forgot all about making the bookshelf.

  She grabbed the hammer and nails, then hung her cloak on a peg. It took her almost an hour to get the stall secure and in the shape that she thought it should be.

  Her hands hurt from hammering and holding boards in place. She’d taken her gloves off and now regretted the action. Anna Mae looked at her swollen, throbbing thumb and sighed. She didn’t dare glance at her palms, where she felt confident the blisters were rising.

  After spreading fresh hay and sprinkling a few kernels of corn into it, she pulled her cloak back on and headed inside to check on the girls. The wind had picked up and felt colder than when she’d gone out. She opened the door and listened. No sounds came from the bedroom where the twins slept. The chickens were clucking softly in their room.

  Anna Mae checked on Rose and Ruby. They were still sleeping. She smiled. Maybe she could get the chickens out to the barn before they woke.

  It was one thing to think she could get them out there. It was another to actually do it. Anna Mae gazed at the birds. How was she going to get them back inside the box she’d taken them out of?

  She stared at them and they stared back. Anna Mae didn’t know how, but she could tell from their beady eyes that they knew she was up to something. The rooster raised his head, stretching his neck up toward the ceiling, and then strutted about as if daring her to try and catch him.

  The hens looked more approachable. Anna Mae shut the bedroom door and then stepped into the pen she’d made. “You can do this, Anna Mae. They are just as afraid of you as you are of them.”

  She chased the chickens at a walking pace. Just as she reach down to grab one it would dart away. Soon she found herself running about the room, the hens jumping to escape her. They squawked in alarm and feathers flew.

  Anna Mae would get ahold of one and it would flap its wings and try to peck her. She’d squeal and let it go. She didn’t know how long she’d been trying to catch the hens or how many times she’d let them go when she heard the sound of laughter. She turned to find Josiah leaning against the door frame and laughing as if he couldn’t catch his breath. His reaction both annoyed and pleased her.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she demanded, out of breath and tired from her day’s work.

  He tried to compose his features, but failed miserably. “Long enough to see you are no chicken catcher.”

  “Do you think you can do any better?” she asked, leaning against a wooden chest.

  “I didn’t say that.” He continued to laugh. “You should see yourself.”

  Anna Mae didn’t doubt that she was a sight. Her hair hung about her shoulders and feathers covered her arms. She was sure they were in her hair, as well. “If it’s all the same to you, I believe I’ll avoid a mirror for a while.”

  He straightened. “What were you going to do once you caught one?”

  “Put it in that box.” Anna Mae pointed to the crate Mrs. Linker had brought them in.

  He opened his mouth as if to ask another question, but one of the twins interrupted him by yelling from the other room. “Up!”

  Anna Mae left the pen and walked toward Josiah. “I’m going to go get the girls up from their nap. If you think you can catch the chickens, by all means do so.” She raised her chin and continued past him.

  Once she was out the door, Anna Mae headed to the kitchen, where she quickly washed her hands, arms and face. The cool water both stung and felt good as she splashed it over her many scrapes and the broken blisters on her hands. All the while the girls continued to yell, “Up!”

  “I’m coming,” she called back to them. Anna Mae hurried to the bedroom and found Rose and Ruby clutching the rails and looking unhappy.

  When they saw her, their sweet faces broke into smiles. Anna Mae hurried to get them up, and by the time she had them out of the bed and into dry clothes Josiah stood in the doorway waiting for her.

  “They are in the box. Now what?” he asked, his eyes still dancing with merriment.

  “Now you can take them to the barn,” she answered, setting Rose down and watching as she ran to her papa.

  He shook his head. “That stall needs to be repaired before we can put them inside.”

  Anna Mae ran her fingers through her hair, removing feathers, careful to avoid using her aching thumb and sore palms. “I already fixed it.”

  Disbelief filled his face. “You did?”

  “Sure did.” She heard the pride in her voice, but couldn’t contain it. “I might not be able to catch chickens, but I can nail boards together.” She hoped him seeing that she could get some things done about the place would endear her to him. Maybe what Josiah was looking for in a woman was someone strong who could work alongside him. Maybe he’d see that as a reason to love her. Maybe.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The woman in front of Josiah never ceased to amaze him. He’d not been able to contain his amusement as he’d watched her chase after that chicken. It was such a small space and no matter how hard she’d tried, Anna Mae couldn’t bring herself to just grab the bird and hang on. He felt laughter bubbling up in his chest once more. When was the last time he’d been this happy?

  Anna Mae nodded. “Go see for yourself.” She tucked her left hand behind her.

  What was she hiding? Josiah looked back at her sweet face. Her lips smiled, but something else was going on behind her eyes.

  A loud clang in the kitchen had them both rushing out of the bedroom. Josiah knew Rose and Ruby were into something. When had his daughters slipped past him?

  Sure enough. There they sat on the kitchen floor, playing in a new puddle of flour.

  “Oh, you little scamps.” Anna Mae hurried to get them out of the flour. “You know you aren’t supposed to be in here,” she scolded, even as she dusted the back side of their dresses.

  He chuckled. “You seem to have this situation u
nder control. I’ll take the chickens out.”

  Her gasp stopped him in his tracks. He turned to see Anna Mae clutching her left hand against her chest and grimacing. What in the world?

  Rose and Ruby had returned to the flour and were playing happily in the white powder, but Anna Mae seemed to have lost all interest in the little girls.

  Josiah set the box of chickens down and hurried to see what she was hiding and what caused the intense look of pain. He took her hand gently in his and examined it. Her thumb had a big blood blister under the nail bed, a sure sign she’d hit it with a hammer. His fingers gently opened her hands to reveal broken blisters.

  “Aw, Annie.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just a couple of blisters and a banged up thumb. I’m sure farmer’s wives everywhere have to deal with a few blisters. I’ll toughen up. I promise.” Anna Mae pulled away from him.

  Josiah wasn’t having that. He gently drew her to the kitchen table and helped her into a chair. Not that she needed help, but he wanted her sitting while he cleaned her hands. “You aren’t a farmer’s wife. You are a sheriff’s wife and most sheriffs live in town and their wives don’t have to repair barns.” He scooped up his girls and put them in their chairs. “You two stay put. Annie is hurt.”

  Big blue eyes turned to Anna Mae. “Owie?” Ruby asked, tearing up.

  “Oh no,” Rose added, her eyes wide.

  “It’s not so bad,” Anna Mae assured them.

  Josiah poured water into one of the wash basins. He stepped over the flour and placed the container in front of her. “Here, put your hands in this while I clean up the floor.”

  He turned stern eyes on his daughters. “Look at this mess you made. If you were older, I’d make you clean it up.” Josiah set the flour bucket upright and grabbed Anna Mae’s broom.

  “Sawee,” the girls chorused. Their little faces looked to him for forgiveness.

  “Don’t tell me, tell Annie. She’s the one who has been cleaning up after you this week,” Josiah scolded.

  The twins each looked to Anna Mae. “Sawee, Awnie.”

  “Thank you, girls, that’s very good that you are sorry.” She offered them a sweet smile.

  Josiah was glad that she didn’t tell them it was all right. The twins needed to learn that they couldn’t play in the flour and that they needed to respect their stepmother. He finished cleaning up the mess, put the flour back under the cabinet where Annie had set it and then turned back to check on her hands.

  Once he had finished that, he looked at his girls. “You two stay there until I come back in.”

  “Josiah, you are making too much of this. I’m fine,” Anna Mae protested.

  He shook his head. “That goes for you, too. I’m going to release these birds into the barn and then I’ll be back.” Josiah didn’t give her a chance to argue. He picked up the chickens and left.

  What was he going to do with that woman? Anna Mae was a schoolteacher, and from what he gathered from her, she’d never lived in the country. Between the two of them they had no business living on a farm. She wasn’t cut out for hard labor, and if the truth be told, he had no idea how to run a working farm.

  The chickens squawked in gratitude as he released them into the stall. He watched as they immediately began scratching in the fresh hay that Anna Mae had spread for them. His gaze moved over the walls, inspecting her handiwork. She’d done a pretty good job.

  Josiah grabbed the hammer and finished where she’d left off. It didn’t take him more than a couple minutes to reinforce what she’d already done. He left the chickens happily scratching at the ground and clucking softly to one another.

  As he started out the door, his gaze landed on the boards that Anna Mae had attempted to create a bookshelf out of. He sighed. If he didn’t do it, she would. The woman was determined, he’d give her that.

  Josiah stacked the wood into a pile, found the bag of nails and laid his hammer on top. Then he found the wheelbarrow and put it all inside. He pushed it to the house.

  Anna Mae had moved to the couch and the girls sat at her feet, looking at some type of picture book. Satisfied his family was resting, Josiah headed back outside and collected the wood, nails and hammer. He set them inside the door and then ran the wheelbarrow back to the barn.

  When he returned, Anna Mae had moved to the wood. She was about to pick up a piece when he stopped her. “What do you think you’re doing?” Josiah demanded, pulling his coat off and hanging it up.

  “I just wanted to help,” she answered, standing up straighter and placing her bandaged hands on her hips. “I’m not going to sit around and do nothing because I have a couple of blisters.” Her eyes dared him to argue.

  The girls looked up at her raised voice, studying the grown-ups’ every movement. Aware that his daughters were listening as well as watching, Josiah shook his head.

  “Why don’t you let me make the bookshelf? You can supervise.” He offered her what he hoped was a compromising smile.

  Anna Mae nodded. She handed him the board she’d been holding. “All right. I’m guessing this is my new bookshelf?”

  “You guessed right.”

  “Why did you bring it inside?” she asked, gnawing on her bottom lip.

  “Three reasons. One, if it’s built in the house I won’t have to lug it in from the barn when I’m done. Two, I wasn’t sure how tall you wanted it, or how many shelves. And three, if I work on it in here we can both be warm and I can keep an eye on you.” He knelt down and began sorting the wood, before glancing at his girls, who had regained interest in their book.

  “Oh, why didn’t I think of that?”

  “What? That I want to keep an eye on you?” he teased.

  Anna Mae looked troubled. “No, to bring it inside to work on it.” She sat down on the arm of the couch. “I guess I’m not as clever as I thought I was.”

  Josiah laughed. His gaze moved about his home. It felt like a new place since she had arrived. Curtains hung on the windows; blankets and throws draped the furniture. The house smelled clean and fresh, not damp and musty. She’d managed to turn their house into a home in just a matter of days. He hadn’t figured out how to do that during the whole time he’d been in Granite. “I wouldn’t say you aren’t smart. If you hadn’t plowed forward and fixed that pen in the barn yourself, I wouldn’t have decided to work on the shelves tonight.”

  She shook her head. “No, I could have saved us both time if I had brought the wood in.”

  Josiah stood up and walked over to her. He lifted her bandaged hands in his. “Now look here, Annie. This is all new to both of us. I am not a farmer, have never wanted to be a farmer, but here I am, corralling chickens and making bookshelves. You are a schoolteacher, and how often have you raised chickens or built furniture?” He didn’t give her time to answer. “I’d say never to both. So don’t go whipping yourself because you didn’t think to bring the wood into the house.”

  Tears sprang into her eyes. “Do you regret marrying me?”

  He shook his head. “Of course not. You are the best thing to happen to this place and my girls. Just look at what you’ve done to the house.” Josiah released her hands. He motioned toward Rose and Ruby. “And look at the girls. I don’t think they’ve ever been this happy and content.”

  Josiah knew he meant every word he said. What he didn’t say was that he cared about her and was happy that she was his wife. He wouldn’t say that out loud or even to himself. To do so would suggest that he’d developed feelings for Anna Mae Miller, and that scared him more than any bank robber ever could.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Anna Mae’s hands healed over the next few days. Still amazed by Josiah’s tenderness and kind ways, she washed and scrubbed the guest bedroom
floor until it shone. The chickens had made a mess of the whole room, but the floor had been the worst part.

  A glance at the clock told her she had a little while longer before the twins awoke from their morning nap. She pushed up from the floor and picked up the pail of dirty water. Her plans were to fix ham sandwiches and potato salad for lunch. She’d found a wonderful array of canned vegetables in the root cellar and couldn’t wait to open a jar of pickles.

  The sound of a wagon pulling into the front yard drew her to the door. The soft lowing of a cow came from the direction of the wagon. Emily Jane and Millie Westland, Levi’s wife, waved from the seat.

  Happy to see her friends, though a bit puzzled as to why they had a cow tied to the back of the wagon, Anna Mae tossed the dirty water to the right of the porch and hurriedly put the bucket away. She ran her hand over her hair and donned a fresh apron before going back to the door to greet her guests.

  “Emily Jane, Millie, I’m so happy to see you both here.” Anna Mae rushed down the stairs to stand behind Emily Jane as she disembarked from the wagon. It wouldn’t do for her to fall in her condition.

  Millie was already tying the horse and wagon to the porch rail. She looped a feed bag over the little mare’s head and then walked around to the back of the wagon. “I hope you don’t mind us just dropping in like this, but we wanted to get the milk cow out here before it got too late,” she offered. “Levi has the baby, so we can’t stay long.” She started untying the cow from the tailgate.

  Emily Jane turned to Anna Mae and grinned. “I brought chocolate cake, enough for now and more for your dessert tonight.”

  Anna Mae tilted to the right so she could see around Emily Jane to where Millie was undoing the cow’s lead. “What is Millie doing with that animal?” she asked, feeling uneasy because she thought she knew the answer to her question.

  “She’s a wedding present from your neighbor Mr. Green,” Millie answered, pulling the cow toward the porch. “The girls will have fresh milk every morning and her milk makes the best butter, according to him.”