Convenient Christmas Bride (9781460389034) Read online

  Should she refuse the cow? Her gaze darted between Emily Jane and Millie. They both looked so happy that she couldn’t get her mouth to say what her mind was screaming: Not another animal! What was Josiah going to say?

  “Where do you want her?” Millie asked, stroking the white streak down the center of the light brown cow’s face. Big brown eyes looked up at Anna Mae. The cow let out a low cry.

  Afraid she would wake the girls, Anna Mae made a quick decision. “Let’s put her in the barn.”

  “I’ll take the cake inside and check on my nieces,” Emily Jane said, heading for the door.

  Anna Mae shot her a stern look. “If you wake them up, you have to take them home with you.” They both knew it was an empty threat.

  “I’ll be quiet. I just want to look at them and maybe steal a kiss.”

  Millie laughed. “Come on, Anna Mae. I’m getting cold.”

  As they walked toward the barn, Anna Mae asked, “Why did Mr. Green send us a cow? I mean, I know he did it for a wedding gift, but why a cow?”

  The dismay in her voice prompted Millie to stop. “Mrs. Linker has been telling all your neighbors that you are going to make this a running farm, not just an orchard. Didn’t you know?”

  Anna Mae shook her head. “No, I can’t think what I could have said to her to have given her that impression.”

  Millie shrugged. “Well, don’t be surprised if more of your neighbors show up with other farm animals.”

  What Josiah would say about the cow didn’t bear thinking about. “Did Mr. Green say if she has a name?”

  “He called her Jersey. I guess that’s her name.” Millie pulled on the door to the barn. It opened and a whiff of warm air caressed their skin.

  Anna Mae watched as Millie coaxed the animal inside. She’d seen bigger cows and was glad that theirs wasn’t as big as those. She felt Millie studying her.

  “You have to make friends with her, Anna Mae, or she’ll think you don’t like her and will probably quit giving milk.”

  “You’re kidding.” Anna Mae gazed at the cow. She’d planned on Josiah taking care of her. After all, she took care of the chickens every day. It sounded fair to her.

  “Nope.” Millie shook her head and pursed her lips.

  “How do you become a friend to a cow?” Anna Mae asked, dreading the answer.

  Her friend grinned. “Well, first off you need to pet her and talk in a nice voice to her.”

  “Pet her?” she squeaked.

  Millie chuckled. “Yes, she’s really gentle. You have nothing to fear from her.”

  Who ever heard of petting a cow to be friends with it? Anna Mae didn’t believe her. For that matter, who ever heard of being friends with a cow in the first place? She eyed the big, brown-eyed animal with distaste. “Then what?”

  “Well, Mr. Green said to tell you that she has to be milked at six every morning and evening.” Millie looked about. “Where in here do you want her?”

  Anna Mae pointed to the only available stall. “In there.” Her finger shook. How was she going to befriend a cow? And she knew nothing about milking one. She only prayed Josiah knew how to do both. Anna Mae didn’t think she could run a farm. What was she going to do if the neighbors continued to supply her with barnyard animals?

  * * *

  Josiah heard the cow bawling long before he reached the yard. His gaze moved to the house and he thought he saw the curtain fall back into place. He dropped from Roy’s back and waited for Anna Mae to join him in the yard.

  It was well after eight o’clock and he was sure the twins were already in bed and sleeping. He continued to wait for Anna Mae, but after several long moments he realized that he must have been mistaken and she wasn’t coming out.

  The sound of an unhappy cow filled his ears. It came from the direction of his barn. “Oh, Lord, please don’t let her have gotten another animal.”

  He pulled the door open. His gaze immediately landed on the cow. She was a Jersey with a white blaze down her nose. From her cries she was a cow who needed to be milked.

  Josiah sighed. He put Roy in his stall and promised to return soon to complete their nightly ritual. Then he turned to the bovine.

  “Hello, beautiful. What brings you into my barn?” He leaned on the door of her stall and waited until she brought her head closer before extending his hand to touch her velvety nose.

  She snorted into his palm.

  “Oh, my lovely new wife brought you in here, did she?” He worked his hand up her face, then gently scratched the stiff hair behind her right ear.

  She twitched her tail and stomped a back hoof. He leaned to the side and looked at her swollen udder. “Just as I thought, you need to be milked.”

  Josiah found a rope and created a loop at one end. Then he approached the stall once more. He patted her nose and face and scratched behind her ear, and at the same time slowly lowered the rope around her neck.

  After opening the stall door he gently led the cow out into the center aisle of the barn. He tied her to a sturdy post and grabbed a bucket of oats. Josiah set the bucket at her head and then placed the stool where he could milk her. “This won’t take long,” he told her, finding another clean bucket. He set it under her udders and slowly began to milk.

  The barn door creaked open and a gust of cold air entered the barn. Josiah rested his forehead against the cow to soothe her. “Come inside, Anna Mae, but move very slowly,” he instructed, continuing to milk.

  She did as he said. Her skirts swished across the dirt floor as she inched closer to him and the cow. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to do that. But Millie said it had to be done by six and, well, even though I’m late, I came out to try.”

  “You don’t have to whisper. Just don’t shout or move suddenly.” He looked up at her.

  Anna Mae wrung her hands in her apron. Her big eyes took in the animal with renewed anxiety. Why did she keep taking animals that she feared? Instead of asking her that, he asked instead, “Anna Mae, where did this cow come from?”

  “Mr. Green gave it to us as a...”

  “Wedding present,” Josiah finished.

  She nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Why did you accept it?” He heard the frustration in his voice, but didn’t know how to hide it from her. Josiah wasn’t sure he should even try. She had to know he wouldn’t be pleased.

  Anna Mae mangled the apron. “Millie and Emily Jane brought it out. I didn’t know how to say no and I didn’t want to hurt Mr. Green’s feelings.”

  “What about how I would feel about it? I told you I’m no farmer, yet you keep accepting animals that have to be cared for. You are so scared of them you can’t possibly help look after them. What are we going to do now with another animal that needs tending? Also, cows aren’t cheap to feed, Anna Mae,” he barked, not looking at her.

  Josiah knew he was overtired from his day at the sheriff’s office. Word had it that a gang of bank robbers had moved into the area. He’d spent all afternoon going over wanted posters, memorizing faces and names, just in case they came to Granite.

  His town.

  The town he’d vowed to protect.

  Unless Anna Mae learned how to milk, the cow would have to go. The swish of the door opening and closing again met his ears. She’d left.

  Josiah sighed. He finished milking the cow, took care of Roy and pitched fresh hay into all three stalls. By the time he entered the house, Josiah knew he owed Anna Mae an apology. He shouldn’t have taken his stress out on her.

  Pushing the door open, he found the sitting room and the kitchen empty. A covered plate of food sat at the back of the stove. Anna Mae had retired to her bedroom.

  Maybe she would come out while he ate, he thought, pouring himself a cup of warm coffee. He took the plate and moved to the table. Josiah a
llowed the wood of the chair legs to scrape loudly against the floor.

  Had he been too hard on her? He expected his wife would come out any moment, telling him she knew exactly how much a cow cost to keep and that she’d learn to milk, just as she’d learned how to feed the chickens.

  He finished his coffee and dinner, but Anna Mae never appeared. Josiah sighed. When he carried his dirty plate to the washbasin, he noticed a large slice of chocolate cake on the sideboard. The thought of eating it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  Josiah walked to the rocking chair by the fireplace and dropped into it. He reached over and picked up his Bible.

  Thank God, when a man couldn’t commune with his woman, the Lord always proved sufficient. His Bible fell open to Romans 8:25. But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. He sighed again. Patience was not a virtue he was known for.

  He stood and blew out the lamp on the table. At least it would be warm in his room tonight, for Anna Mae had left his door open all day. Last night it had been so cold he could see his breath, and he’d burrowed under the covers like a mole.

  She’d thought of him; that was a plus. The minus was that if she kept heating the whole house, he’d run out of firewood long before winter was over.

  The bed groaned as it took his weight, and a still small voice from within whispered in his mind: Tomorrow things will look much brighter.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Anna Mae jerked awake. She’d overslept. Sunshine filtered through her window. She sat up quickly and found Rose and Ruby grinning at her from their bed.

  She knew without being told that Josiah had gone already. He left every morning long before the sun rose, so why should today be any different? Anna Mae thought about the night before and his harsh words.

  It had been childish to hide in her room, but she just couldn’t face him. She’d known he wouldn’t be happy about Jersey, but he’d never spoken harshly to her before. It had been unexpected but deserved. He could have said what he wanted in a kinder manner, but she couldn’t fault him. Who knew what his day had been like before he’d come home to find even more responsibility?

  “Good morning, ladies.” She smiled at the girls and pushed the covers back. “I overslept. I bet you two are starving.”

  “Eat?” Rose asked hopefully.

  Anna Mae laughed. “Yes, as soon as we’re all dressed and ready for our day.” She quickly put her words to action and had the girls dressed and walking into the kitchen within ten minutes.

  “How about we have pancakes for breakfast this morning?” she asked, looking down at them.

  “Sounds really good to me.”

  Without glancing up, Anna Mae recognized her husband’s voice. He hadn’t gone to work. Was he sick? She looked up to find him studying her face. What did he hope to find? He didn’t appear sick. Had he stayed home to finish what they’d started the night before?

  “Then you shall have as many as you like.” She offered him a wobbly smile. Why did she feel so close to tears again? Never in all her life had she felt the sting that his disappointment caused in her.

  “Papa!” Rose and Ruby toddled as fast as their little legs would carry them, falling against his legs.

  He swooped down and picked them both up at the same time. Josiah rubbed his face against theirs, causing more squeals.

  The little girls’ joy brought a genuine smile to Anna Mae’s face. No matter what came their way, Josiah’s daughters made it all worthwhile. She’d give up the cow, if that’s what he wanted. Even though the previous afternoon she’d dreamed of all the things she could make. Soups, baked custards and cheese were at the top of her future menus.

  Just thinking about them gave her renewed bravery. She’d try again to get him to let her keep the cow. He hadn’t exactly said they were getting rid of it, just that she’d have to learn not to be afraid of it, and that it would cost more to have.

  As she made pancake batter, Anna Mae began to think of ways she could earn a little money to help keep Jersey. Maybe she could make cream or cheese and sell it to Carolyn at the general store.

  Lost in thought, she didn’t realize Josiah was behind her until his arms snaked around her waist. She gave a little squeal, then tilted her head just as he fitted his face against hers.

  “I’m sorry, Annie, for behaving like a raging boar yesterday. Can you forgive me?” Softly his breath fanned her face.

  She sighed. How wonderful it felt to have a man apologize. She couldn’t recall her father ever apologizing to her mother. And Josiah’s arms felt so good around her, as if they were meant to enclose her.

  Anna Mae tried hard not to read too much into it, but surely she could enjoy moments like this for what they were. He had hurt her feelings, and he recognized it and wasn’t willing to let it pass.

  But perhaps he was expecting more. She pushed the thought away. No, Josiah was asking for forgiveness. Even if he was looking for more, she wasn’t. Her heart had been broken and still hadn’t mended from that embarrassment. Still, that same heart sang with delight that he cared about their friendship and had asked her to forgive him.

  She tried to act nonchalant, but her voice broke with huskiness when she spoke. “You are forgiven, with one condition.”

  He moved back but kept an arm about her waist. “I know, I know. I’ll do my best not to ever take my tiredness and frustration out on you again.”

  Anna Mae shook her head, aware she hadn’t put her hair up this morning because she’d thought he was out of the house. “That’s not what I meant at all.” She poured batter into the heated pan. “I need you to forgive me, too.” She set the bowl down and wiped her hands on her apron. “Josiah, I’m so sorry I accepted the cow. A little voice in my head warned me you would be upset, but I was more afraid to offend the giver than I was you.”

  He gave her waist a little squeeze. “There’s nothing to forgive. You did right in not wanting to hurt the old man’s feelings. But that still leaves the question, what do you think we should do now?” Josiah released her and rubbed the back of his neck.

  Anna Mae knew he was talking about the cow. Was he hoping she’d say to give it back or sell the beast? Had he asked her only out of politeness, and actually planned on selling it regardless of what her answer might be? Or was that just what he did while trying to figure out what to do next? She decided that instead of questioning his motive for asking her, she’d just tell him what she thought they should do now.

  “I guess you better teach me how to milk the dreadful animal.” Before he could protest, Anna Mae rushed on. “The girls need the fresh milk and I’m sure I can make cream and cheese with the excess and sell it to Carolyn at the store. That will help with the extra cost of hay and oats or whatever cows eat. What do you think?” She slid fluffy pancakes onto a plate and poured more batter into her hot pan.

  Josiah nodded. “That might work.” He paused, looked up and grinned wickedly. “But someone has to build a corral and a shed to keep it in. It can’t stay in the barn forever.”

  “Why not? And who would you get to help you?” Anna Mae knew he meant for her to help him, but couldn’t stop herself from teasing him back. Yet she really didn’t understand why the cow couldn’t stay in the barn.

  “Cows are leaners. They like to lean against things. And they are heavy. Anything built for use around cattle must be very sturdy.” He picked up a couple plates and put a pancake on each one, then carried them to the table.

  Rose and Ruby hurried to meet him there. “Up, eat.” They waved their arms in anticipation of being served breakfast.

  “In a minute,” he told them, brushing the tops of their heads with his big hands. Josiah returned and picked up two more plates, one for himself and one for Anna Mae. “As for who is going to help me, I think you have the muscles to do that.”

 
Anna Mae jerked her arm away as he squeezed the upper part, testing her muscles. She giggled as if it had tickled. “So now we are building a lean shed for the cow and a chicken coop for the chickens.” With a serious expression she added, “I suppose that’s what I get for allowing the beasties on the farm.” She carried the pancakes and butter to the table.

  Josiah grabbed a jar of blackberry preserves from the icebox and followed her. “Yep.” He set the jar down and proceeded to help the girls into their chairs.

  Anna Mae wasn’t sure what to say. Was he teasing again? His tone had sounded very serious.

  He straightened, his gaze met hers and he wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “I guess you’ll listen to that small voice next time someone gives us a wedding present. Especially if it’s in the form of some sort of animal, like a pig or a goat.”

  She crinkled her nose at the thought of a dirty pig needing care. “I should say so.” She laughed.

  Josiah blessed the meal and he and the girls began to eat. He laughed and teased Rose and Ruby as he helped them with their pancakes. Blackberry preserves would have to be washed from their hands and faces and even possibly their hair. Anna Mae didn’t mind. The girls never failed to put a smile on their father’s handsome face, and that made her happy, as well.

  Now that she thought about it, Josiah had been serious every time she’d seen him in town. It was only at home that he allowed his softer, fun side to show. A smile touched her lips, because now she was part of his home life, and she liked it and her new husband.

  “If you are thinking about getting a pig, stop thinking. I hate taking care of those dirty animals.” He shook his fork in her direction.

  Anna Mae held her hands up in surrender. “No, I promise, no more barnyard animals.” She looked to the girls. Purplish-blue goo covered their mouths and cheeks. “Except maybe a dog or a kitten.” She laughed gleefully at the pained expression that covered his face. She could get used to married life if it stayed like this.

  * * *

  Josiah grinned at Anna Mae, enjoying the banter more than he ever expected to. “You know what this means now, don’t you?” He wiped the grin from his face and studied her over his coffee.