“I hope this is all right,” Michael paused only inches from her lips.
“Mm hmm,” she murmured inching closer to him until her lips met his. “It’s more than all right,” she whispered against his mouth and then he stole the rest of her words as he kissed her nearly senseless.
CHAPTER FIVE
If Lester asked again, Michael would definitely say married life was incredible. They’d been together less than a day and already he knew he would never regret his decision to send for a wife. Michael thanked his Maker above that He’d seen fit to send this particular woman to him.
As much as Michael wished they could just keep kissing, he eventually pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Maybe there can be some of that every time I come home too?”
Susan laughed her infectious laugh and it warmed him even more.
“Sounds good to me. So let’s get some lunch made, then you can show me what you’d like me to do. Also, is there anything I can do to help you get ready for the cow?”
“I’ll have to cut down some small trees first for the fence, and see if there are some nails and wires at the mercantile. It’ll be a day or two before there are enough supplies to get it all going.”
Susan nodded as she moved over to the piles of groceries that had been gifted them. “Just let me know. I’m happy to help where you need me.”
“Maybe, if you’re willing, you could go talk to a few of the ladies in town. See if someone could teach you about bread making. I only do flapjacks and that’s not the same. Some homemade bread sounds heavenly.”
“I can do that for sure. Anyone you suggest? I still don’t know many of the ladies by name. It was all mostly a blur yesterday.”
“Mrs. Lewis would be the one I’d check with first,” Michael said. “They’re the ones I was going to talk to about housing the cow.” After he explained which house belonged to the Lewis’ he helped her pull out some of the kitchen things and then touched the cook stove.
“Oh, I thought you’d have started a fire.”
Susan’s chagrined expression made him pause.
“Sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how. Don’t know how much wood is needed and didn’t want to waste matches in any failed attempts.”
“Not a problem,” Michael said. “Did you never need to cook your own food back east?”
“Not much,” Susan said softly. “I worked in places or lived places where I could purchase it.”
“Part of room and board? I think I remember something like that before we moved out here. My momma always cooked and sometimes sold what she had to people like that.”
Susan just nodded and watched him as he broke up some of the smaller sticks to get some good kindling. He walked her through it slowly, enjoying the closeness of her body as she leaned in to watch how it was done. She wasn’t being flirtatious or anything, but just the way she felt so comfortable with him made his interest grow even more.
Before long, they had a fry pan with some salted bacon and a couple of eggs as well as a can of beans cooking. She’d watched closely as if she truly had never cooked before and Michael wondered exactly what her life had been like before she came out here.
When they finished eating, she cleaned up quickly while he hauled the sacks of flour to the cellar and then arranged the items in the cool dark storage room. She followed him down quickly and when she reached the ground, he pulled her close to steal a couple of kisses.
She eagerly joined him, but when the kiss got a little heated and he bumped her into the ladder, he pulled back and let her go completely.
“I’m so sorry about that. I’ll behave myself. I promise.”
Susan smiled, and though it was hard to see clearly in the darkness since they only had the small bit of light from above and a little wax candle on a shelf, he knew she wasn’t upset. In fact, she seemed to have enjoyed it as much as he had.
She didn’t speak, but moved to the side and looked around the small room.
“This is nice. A cold storage room. Keeps things pretty cool. I don’t think milk would last really long down here or anything, but if I figure out how to do cheese and butter, this will be great. The eggs and salted meat are good.”
Michael nodded, liking the fact she understood its purpose.
“The ladder won’t be hard for you to manage with your skirts will it?” He’d noticed her taking her time coming down like she’d never done something like that before.
“It’ll take a bit of getting used to. I think I’ll do all right after I figure out my footing.” She seemed to be taking stock of what they had and he hoped she’d be pleased. Most of it had come from all of their neighbors, and Michael would have to work hard to pay them all back for their kindness.
He didn’t like the idea that he was in such poor circumstances that people had felt the need to give them gifts of such things, but as Susan looked it all over and smiled at him, he was glad they had it.
If only he’d taken the time to plant more than just a few rows of root crops.
“Maybe we should go look at the garden. It’s too late in the year to plant corn or anything, but we might be able to do a few things more.”
“You have a garden?” Susan asked.
“Yes, it’s out back. You probably saw it as you were throwing out the water.”
“Oh,” Susan said. “I guess I did. Though I don’t know much about gardens. What do you have there?”
“Potatoes, carrots, beets. A few pumpkins. Didn’t do the beans or squashes. We can see if the mercantile has any seed.”
“Great idea,” Susan nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you,” Michael said, taking her hand. “It will be a lot easier to prepare for the future with two of us.”
***
Susan was reluctant to see him leave, but she knew he had to get back to the shop and finish up the work he had to do. She was glad he’d been able to take some time to show her around the house and yard in the daylight. Now that she knew where things were, she’d be able to help out more.
Gathering her courage, she headed toward the Lewis’, hoping her neighbor would be willing to teach her something about bread making.
As she reached the front yard area, she didn’t even make it up to the door before Mrs. Lewis opened it and smiled brightly.
“Why Mrs. Clark, what a pleasure to see you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lewis. I wondered if I might ask a favor.”
“Sure thing, but call me Bessy.”
“All right, Bessy, and please call me Susan. Though hearing Mrs. Clark made me extra happy right there.”
“Doesn’t it though. So what can I do for you?”
“I was hoping you’d be willing to teach me how to make bread. I’m afraid I don’t have the slightest idea what to do and I’d like to know how to feed my new husband.”
Bessy smiled wide. “I’d love to. In fact, I was going to make bread soon anyway. Might as well do it today. Do you have any pans?”
“No,” Susan said. “Not yet. We were going to stop at the mercantile and see if they had some. I can return home and provide the flour and such if you need.”
“For today, we’ll just use mine. You can take a couple loaves home. Then one of these days when you get the hang of it, you’ll have to bring me a loaf to try.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Susan said, smiling up at the other woman. She was a few years older than Susan and in the house sounds of young children echoed. “How many children do you have?”
“I’ve got five. Oldest is ten. He’s out with his father working the sheep. Youngest is just starting to walk. They can be quite energetic at times.”
Susan nodded, not sure what to say about that. It was obvious the woman was busy and had her hands full, but she didn’t need that pointed out. “I’m sure they are lovely children,” is what she finally settled on.
“Thank you. They are quite the help as well, most times. You’ll find out I’m sure.”
Susan hadn’
t thought a lot about children, but now that she was married, it could definitely become a possibility. She just hoped that she would be smart enough and strong enough to handle the raising of a child.
Bessy took a step into the house and led her to the kitchen where a pump was positioned over a wash basin. “Let’s get washed up and gather the things we need. Before we start, have you had any practice doing bread?”
Susan shook her head. “Not even a little. So pretend I’m a child and go slow please.”
Bessy smiled. “It’s not that hard. Before long, you’ll be doing it with your eyes closed and just by feel.”
“One can hope,” Susan said.
Bessy decided to make her do it all, only stepping in on a few parts to double check the feel of the dough and instruct her on whether to add more flour or to knead it a bit longer.
“Lots of the results depends on how long you let it sit and whether you’ve got the cook stove to the right temperature. Your stove have a spot like this?” She pointed out a small door next to the center place in the oven where she’d built her fire.
“I don’t think so. It’s a bit smaller.”
“After we make a few batches of bread here, then you and I can go see what yours will take. If you’ve got an older model, it’s still possible to bake bread, but just a little differently.”
“You can only fit two loaves in at a time?” Susan asked as she watched Bessy set the bread in.
“Yes. Usually I make the dough for one batch, then as it’s baking, I make a second batch. I bake bread every other day at least.”
“Doesn’t your house get unbearably hot?” Susan asked, noticing the open window no longer gave any relief.
“Some days. Most times I just get the bread going and while it’s cooking, I head outside under the tree to do the washing.”
“Right,” Susan said, starting to realize exactly how much work there was to do. Since there were no staff members like at her uncle’s house, most all of it would fall to Susan. She’d never done the laundry before so it would take some practice to figure out how to do it. Hopefully it wouldn’t be that difficult to learn.
Before long, she was covered in flour and sweat and sticky fingerprints from the toddler that had latched onto her, but incredibly happy and pleased with what she’d learned.
“Nicely done, Susan.” Bessy picked up her little girl who was once again tugging on Susan’s skirt. “I don’t think I’ll be able to come over to look at your stove tonight. I’ll come over tomorrow and give you some suggestions on how to best use it for bread making.”
“That will be wonderful. Thank you, Bessy. I’m looking forward to eating this bread for dinner tonight.”
Susan took home two loaves of bread, already wishing she had butter to put on top. It was a good thing she’d be getting a cow so she could churn her own butter. The recipe for the bread had needed flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, salt, and butter. All things she could manage if she could just remember the amounts. She would need to find a piece of paper to jot it down on. Bessy had also promised her a sourdough start and Susan hoped she’d be able to figure out how to keep it alive.
When Susan entered her little home, she placed the bread on the counter and covered it with a piece of cloth. She found the oil lamp and lit it then did her best to come up with a meal to go with the bread. She figured if she used a third or fourth of the loaf tonight, there would be enough to have something for the next couple of days. There was still some bacon and she’d seen a can of vegetables as well as some small potatoes and onions she figured she could fry.
By the time she finished, it wasn’t horrible, but she knew she wouldn’t win any prizes for best meal. At least it was for sure edible and Susan couldn’t wait for Michael to arrive home.
CHAPTER SIX
Michael was practically dragging by the time he left the shop and headed toward home. He hoped Susan would have managed to make a meal, though he doubted it, given the lack of cooking skills she had. For the first time, he wondered if maybe he should have specified that he preferred a woman who knew how to cook.
Of course, he had learned on the go and had managed just fine. It might take a while, but he was sure she could get it. She seemed willing and eager to learn. Besides, he was happy to pass the meal preparation to her. He just hoped it was something she could pick up on quickly.
When he reached his front door, he could tell the house felt different. Lived in, and that made him happy. No more coming home to a dark and lonely place. He opened the door and the smell of food hit him.
She’d done it.
Susan turned around at the sound of him entering and the smile that reached her eyes made him forget for a moment he was hungry. What he really wanted was to kiss her. He closed the door and took a step forward. She set down the pan she’d been holding and walked toward him.
It still surprised him that he was actually married. When Susan reached him, she put her arms around his waist and tucked her head against his chest. “Welcome home, Michael.”
He hugged her back, then when she looked up at him, he gave her the kiss he’d wished for, but this time she didn’t let it last nearly long enough.
“I made dinner.” She turned in his arms and stepped away from him toward the table. “I hope it turned out all right. I’m not sure if it’s still warm since I wasn’t sure what time you’d get back. Bessy taught me how to make some bread, and tomorrow she’ll come over and help me figure out the best way to use my stove. She said I don’t really need a pan if I don’t want to use one. I can just make it a long roll of bread.”
Susan took a long breath, then bit her lip as if she realized she’s been talking non-stop. He looked at the stove and wondered what the best way to make bread on it would even be. He hadn’t tried anything like that.
“Come sit down,” Susan said, waving him closer. “Let’s eat and see if I managed to not make a mess of things.”
“Smells good,” Michael said as he turned toward the table. She had taken the small stool and allowed him to sit in the only chair that had a back, and Michael decided he’d need to figure out a way to get more furniture. That would be a good activity to work on in the winter months. Of course, he knew more about working metal than wood. Yet he figured he could study the chair and make at least a decent attempt at building one.
He wouldn’t be at his blacksmith shop as many hours a day in the winter. Most of his time would be spent inside his little cabin with his lovely wife. That thought brought him more happiness than he had expected at the simple notion of being married. The two sat down, and Michael offered a prayer of thanks then turned his attention to his plate.
Susan watched him as he lifted his fork and took a bite of the food. He smiled and nodded, then looked down at the plate. The flavors were familiar but the way she’d mixed it all was something new. He nodded and took another bite.
“It’s good.”
Susan sighed and took a bite herself. She watched him throughout the meal and he wondered if he needed to give her more praise or talk to her, but decided he’d just eat and wait until she spoke.
As the warm food and the warm room and the lack of sleep the night before combined with all his extra work at the shop caught up to him, he felt his arms grow heavy and his eyes struggled to stay open.
“Looks like you’ve had quite the day,” Susan said. “Maybe you should get some sleep.”
Michael wanted to protest. To claim that he could stay up and help her clean up dinner, but he realized she had already cleared away the plates and was taking his hand to lead him to the bed.
“You sleep on this tonight.” Susan released his hand and stepped back. “I’ll take the floor.”
“Not a chance,” Michael said waking up enough to argue.
“But you need your rest. I’d hate for you to be so tired you ended up injuring yourself.”
“No worry on that. The floor will be fine. Last night was just new. I’ll sleep like a rock tonight and there won’t b
e a problem.”
Susan frowned and for just a moment he thought maybe he could suggest they share the bed. Completely just for sleeping, but he knew that if he actually felt her presence next to him through the night, there would be even less of a chance of a good night’s rest.
He picked up his blanket and laid it out on the floor then turned toward the door. “I’ll be right back after I check on the animals.”
“I did that before you got home. Unless you want to double check.”
Michael shook his head. “Thank you. Sleep well, Susan.” He moved to the floor and lay down, fully dressed apart from his boots.
She watched him for a moment as if she meant to say something, but instead just whispered, “Sleep well, Michael.”
He closed his eyes, hoping to drift off to sleep immediately since he’d been so close to that while sitting at the table, but as his wife moved around the room, tidying up the last of the meal and preparing herself for bed, he was hyper aware of every sound she made.
When she climbed into the bed nearby, he listened to all the little sounds of her making herself comfortable. Michael couldn’t wait for her one week request to be over. Maybe, if he was lucky they could revisit that conversation.
***
Susan woke the next morning and rolled onto her side, noting once again she was alone. Disappointment washed over her at the fact he hadn’t stayed to say goodbye. Although she didn’t really know what time it was, she knew she had slept late again. She wondered if she’d get used to waking up early when he did, or if she’d even hear him. As far as she could tell, there weren’t any roosters nearby crowing to wake her up.
She’d always stayed up late in her room or in the library reading or going over things with her uncle. Of course, there weren’t any books here currently for her to read, and the small lantern and very few candles wouldn’t last long. Besides, she knew she should make herself go to sleep early each night so she could get up when the sun rose in order to do what needed to be done here in Birch Creek.
The Blacksmith's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (The Brides of Birch Creek Book 1) Page 5