by Jaclyn Hardy
“Keep it. You were fast and professional. Besides, this is what I would have paid in South Carolina.” Samantha dropped the money into the woman’s hands.
“Th—thank you, miss.” The woman’s hands trembled as she tried to open the register.
“Samantha.” She held her hand out. “Please call me Samantha.”
The woman smiled. “Millie.”
Samantha picked up her items. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Millie. Now, I must be going, or I’ll be late to my own wedding.”
Millie’s eyes widened. “You’re getting married now? But you just got your dress.”
“This isn’t your typical wedding.” Samantha smiled to herself as she left the shop and headed toward the inn. What she’d said was an understatement, but she would rather be here than back east getting married to someone she wanted nothing to do with.
A group had gathered at the inn when she walked inside. There were too many people for it to be the patrons, and she couldn’t help thinking that the entire settlement had shown up. David stood near the front talking to a priest, and a woman stood next to David who had to be his mother.
David looked up and his eyes widened. He turned to his mother and gestured toward Samantha, and several others in the crowd followed his gaze. Samantha wanted to duck around the corner out of sight. David’s mother pushed her way through the crowd and stopped in front of Samantha.
“My, you’re a beauty. Come, let’s do something with your hair before this starts.” David’s Mother took her by the arm, pulled her into another room, and sat her down in a chair. She pulled out the bun and ran her fingers through Samantha’s hair. “David has been talking nonstop about the letters he’s received from you.”
“I have quite enjoyed his letters as well.” Samantha stared at his mother in the mirror. This woman had a warmth about her that Mama had never had. “Thank you for doing this, Mrs. Poulton. This dress is wonderful, but it’s a little difficult to lift my arms enough to do it myself.”
His mother laughed. “Call me Mother. That’s what David calls me. And besides, that’s what I’m here for. And that gown looks quite lovely on you.”
“Thank you. Oh, don’t pull it all the way up. I have a hat in the box right there.” Samantha pointed at the pile she’d dropped at the entrance of the bedroom.
“Ah.” Mother picked up the hat and set it on Samantha’s head, then pulled her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. “Much better.”
Samantha stood. “Thank you again, Mrs.—er, Mother.”
“Of course.” Mother slipped her arm through Samantha’s and walked her back to the common room. “I’ll let them know you’re ready. The organist will play when it’s your turn to come in.”
Samantha nodded, unable to speak. Her stomach fluttered with nervousness as she waited. When the music finally started playing, she closed her eyes, took a breath, and walked down the aisle. The smile on David’s face was the only thing that kept her walking.
A pang of sadness dampened her mood as she thought of the fact that Papa wasn’t there to walk with her, but she pushed the thought away. He had given her his blessing. That’s what was important at the moment. She lifted her chin and continued walking until she stood next to David.
He leaned down. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her face burned as she looked up at him. She breathed in as the priest began speaking. She could do this.
Samantha had never been one to have trouble speaking—in fact, she was usually told to be quiet. But she barely registered what was said during the ceremony and had to be reminded a few times that she was supposed to say something. When it was finally time to say “I do,” the world came crashing to a halt.
David’s eyebrows rose as Samantha stared up at him, the words stuck in her throat. He leaned down, his eyes troubled. “You do want this to happen, right? Do we need to wait a day?”
It was enough to clear her head. Samantha cleared her throat. “No, I mean, yes. I mean, I do. I will marry you.”
He grinned down at her. “Good, because it would have been just a little embarrassing if you’d said no.”
There were a few outbreaks of laughter in the crowd, but they were quickly stifled. Samantha forced herself to avoid looking out at whoever had laughed and maintained eye contact with David.
The priest leaned in. “That was an ‘I do,’ correct?”
“Yes. That was an ‘I do.’ We could start over if I didn’t say it right.” Samantha had suddenly found her ability to speak, and it had turned to rambling. She needed to get out of there before she said anything else wrong.
“No, it will do. By the powers vested in me by God and the territory of Idaho, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Now it was David’s turn to be shy. He glanced out at the crowd and then back down at her, his face red. Samantha reached forward and took his hands in hers and smiled up at him. He squeezed her hands, then let go and wrapped his arms around her waist bringing his lips to her own. The kiss was gentle, but sent a shock through her. If there hadn’t been a crowd nearby cheering, she would have wrapped her arms around him and never let him go. When he pulled away, the world spun, and she had to hold on to catch her breath.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Poulton. I have a certificate for you to sign and then I must be off to another wedding. It’s been a busy day.” The priest smiled and handed the paper to David.
Samantha stepped back, unsure of what to do, what to say, what her name was. It had been their first kiss, but had felt so . . . perfect. So right.
Mother’s arms enveloped her. “Welcome to the family, Samantha. It will be nice to have another woman around the house.”
“Thank you.” Samantha glanced over at a man that looked enough like David that he had to be a brother.
“Oh, Samantha, this is Nathaniel. He made it here just in time for the ceremony. This is David’s brother and the reason why we came to this valley.” Mother stood on her toes and looked around. “His wife and son are around here somewhere.”
Nathaniel reached forward to shake her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. Madeline had to change Mark after a rather adventurous trip here.”
Samantha wasn’t sure what to say to that so she nodded. It was a relief when David stood next to her and slid an arm around her waist. She looked up at him—her new husband—and smiled. “Everything is set?”
“Yes, it’s official.” He turned to Mother. “Are you ready to go? Samantha’s had a long day. I’m sure she wants to go see her new home.”
Mother shook her head. “I’m not going there tonight. You two go enjoy a couple of days together and I’ll stay here. Petunia could use my help anyway.”
David shifted uncomfortably and nodded. “If that’s what you would like to do. I suppose we could bring you back some clothes if you need us to.”
“It’s fine, David. I brought them with me. You two should go, though. It’s getting late and you’ll want her to have a chance to see her new home in the daylight.” Mother wrapped Samantha in a hug and then hugged her son. “Congratulations.”
Mother laced her arm through Nathaniel’s. “Let’s go find my grandson.”
Nathaniel shot a grin at David before walking away, leaving Samantha and David standing awkwardly in the empty room.
“I guess she’s right. We should probably go.” David let go of her waist. “Do you need to grab anything?”
“Oh, yes. My dress and my boxes are in the other room where your mother did my hair. In fact, I think I might want to change for traveling. I’ll hurry.” Samantha lifted her skirts so she could walk easier and went to get her things.
Samantha had a hard time getting to some of the buttons on the dress, but finally had it off and put her other dress back on. She folded her wedding gown and set it carefully into its box so it wouldn’t wrinkle, then gathered the rest of her things and opened the door.
David took the glove and hat boxes from
her and situated them under one arm, then took her hand in his other hand. “Anything else?”
Samantha shook her head. “Everything else is already in your wagon. Oh, except for my horse. We can’t forget Clover.”
“She’s already harnessed next to my horses. I hope that’s all right. We could always leave her here in the stables if you think she needs more time to rest.” David waited for Samantha to go through the door first, then stepped out.
Samantha blinked in the sunlight, surprised that it was still so bright. The ceremony had taken less time than she’d thought. “I think Clover would prefer staying with me. She doesn’t like stables with horses she doesn’t know.”
Not to mention the fact that she was the only friend she had left from back home. Another pang of homesickness hit her. Hopefully Papa would be able to visit sooner than the end of the summer.
David helped her into the wagon and climbed up next to her on the bench. “I’m working on getting a carriage so we don’t have to use this old thing, but I’m not quite there yet.”
“It’s nice. We can work on settling into your new home before worrying about a new carriage.”
“Our home,” David corrected. He pulled a wool blanket from a basket in the wagon. “You can use this to protect you from the dust for now.
Samantha stood and took the blanket from him, making sure that her dress was covered. “I’ve seen plenty of dust across the country, but thank you. I was cold anyway.”
David nodded. “It’s definitely chillier than it was earlier.”
Once they were settled on the bench, David flicked the reins to get the horses moving. Clover glanced back at Samantha, almost pleased with herself for being part of the team of horses, and Samantha couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” David looked over at her.
“Clover. Until the trip here, she had only been used for me to ride, never with a team. She seems pretty pleased to be helping out again.”
The sleek black horse was small compared to the rest of David’s team of horses, but she was able to keep up as they rode out of the small settlement. The cool breeze Samantha had felt in town grew in strength as they traveled, promising a late winter storm. Samantha was grateful she’d made it here before it hit.
“Is Nathaniel your older or younger brother?” she asked, breaking the silence between them.
“Older by a few years. Matthew is the oldest. You’ll meet him sometime.” David glanced down at her. “Do you have siblings?”
She nodded. “I have three older brothers. I was the only girl, so Papa spoiled me.”
David chuckled. “If I’d had a sister, I can guarantee the same thing would have happened in our family as well. Mother has fallen completely in love with Madeline, and I can tell she’s thrilled that you’ve joined our family as well.”
Samantha blinked back tears. “You think so?”
“I know she is.” David pointed straight ahead. “There’s Oakley. It’s small, but that’s one reason I fell in love with it.”
“I can see why.”
There couldn’t have been more than a few streets that made up the small town. Samantha leaned forward in anticipation. When she’d thought of coming west, this was what she’d pictured. The first settlement had been a little small for her taste, but it seemed that this was probably two or three times that size.
“My shop is right there in that building. It’s only been open for a couple of months, but business has been good so far.” David waved at a couple who walked past. “And my—our—house is just up ahead.”
Samantha leaned to the side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the house. “How long have you lived here?”
“We moved in just before we finished the shop, so not long.” David cleared his throat. “It’s not well furnished, but we’re working on making it a nice home.”
“I’m sure it’s wonderful.” Samantha felt a pang of homesickness for the large estate, but when David stopped the horses in front of a white house with adorable windows, she pushed aside the longing and leaned forward. “This is it?”
David nodded. “I know it’s small, but—”
“It’s just like I imagined.” Samantha climbed down off the wagon, excited to see the inside. Her luggage could wait. She stopped suddenly when she got to the front door. Barging into the house was poor etiquette, even if it was hers now.
“Welcome to your new home.” David scooped her up in his arms and fumbled for the door. “Perhaps I should have opened it before I picked you up.”
“Hold on.” Samantha reached down and turned the doorknob, then pushed it open. The kitchen and dining room were much smaller than what she was used to, but they would work.
David set her down. “If there aren’t enough dishes or pots and pans, we can get some at the general store. And we may need to go get some groceries. It’s been a couple of days since we went last, and Mother usually knows what to get for baking.”
“We can go tomorrow if you’d like.” Samantha ran her hand along the countertop. “This is beautiful. Did you make this?”
“No, a friend of ours is very good with carpentry. He helped in the shop as well.” David went to the door. “You can look at the rest of the house while I get your bags if you’d like.”
Samantha hesitated before shaking her head. “I can look in a moment. I want to make sure Clover is brushed down and has some food.”
David nodded. “I’ll meet you out at the barn in the back, then. Well, it’s more like a shack than a barn at this point. We’ve been so busy with the house and the butcher shop that we haven’t been able to finish it.”
“I’m sure she won’t mind now that she can finally rest.” Samantha left the house and unharnessed Clover from the wagon. “Come on, sweet girl. Let’s get you settled in.”
Clover whinnied and followed her out to the back. Samantha’s eyebrows shot up when she saw the barn. Shack didn’t even work for what David had built. It was made of scraps of wood that had to have come from building the house. Samantha tied Clover to the post and took the brush off one of the shelves to brush her down.
“I’ll make sure we get a better roof over your head. I promise.” Samantha nuzzled her nose. “For now, you just rest. There won’t be any more long rides for you. I promise.”
David joined her soon after, so she helped with the other horses. “Do you always talk to your horse?”
Samantha handed him the brush. “Don’t you?”
“I guess I do. I’d just never thought of it.”
While he finished with the other horses, Samantha filled the trough with hay and made sure they had water. While this was nothing like the stables she was used to at her plantation, the routine was the same, and it helped calm her nerves. By the time she was done, David had finished with the last horse.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much for dinner tonight. I should have had some packed from the inn.” David set the brush down.
“It’s all right. We’ll figure something out.” Samantha wiped her hands and walked back to the house.
Mama had always given Samantha a hard time for getting cooking lessons from their chef. After all, she would marry a wealthy plantation worker, and the servants could do it for her. Now as Samantha went through the cupboards to find something to eat, she was glad that she spent all those hours in the kitchen growing up. There was no one else to cook now, so it was up to her.
Samantha found a couple of potatoes and some dried pork. She grabbed a frying pan, set it on the stove, and threw the pork into it. While that cooked, she cut up the potatoes into small pieces and threw them into the pan as well. It was simple, but that meant she couldn’t mess it up.
David pulled out two plates and set them on the table. “Whatever you’re making smells wonderful.”
“We’ll see if it tastes wonderful.” Samantha stirred the potatoes. making sure they didn’t burn to the bottom of the pan.
David peeked over Samantha’s shoulder. Her stomach flutt
ered with nervousness when she realized how close he stood to her. “Is there anything I can help with?”
His lips tickled her ear when he spoke, sending shivers through her. Samantha froze, wanting to say no as she always did when asked if she needed help. She handed the pan to David and stepped back. If she was going to survive this new life, she would need to learn to work with him. And it appeared that it was going to be harder than she thought.
David slipped out of bed and changed into his work clothes. Nathaniel was supposed to deliver inventory that morning, so they had to be there an hour earlier than usual. He leaned down and kissed Samantha on the forehead, then crept out of the bedroom to get some breakfast.
The pan they’d used the night before lay upside down near the sink, so he used it to make some eggs and toast. It had been a week since Samantha arrived and he still wasn’t accustomed to having someone else doing the chores. Mother knew exactly where he liked things, but Samantha had her own system.
Once breakfast was done, David slipped his shoes on and pulled on a jacket. A freezing wind met him as he opened the door to leave. Snowflakes fell to the ground piling up along the side of the road. It was already April. The snow would have been long gone if it had been up to him. He wasn’t used to these Idaho winters.
The shop was cold when he walked inside, so he went straight for the fireplace to heat it up. It was good for the meat to stay cold, but he didn’t want to freeze his customers in the process. Mother and Samantha would be there later to check on him, but for the moment he was on his own.
Setting the meat out in the displays had become a routine for him, and he could set it up how he wanted it without having to think about it. By the time Nathaniel arrived with more inventory, the store was about ready to open.
“I almost didn’t make it here. We have quite the blizzard going on out there.” Nathaniel set a package on the counter.
“I’m missing my California weather.” David shook his head. “Snow in April. How does that even happen?”
Nathaniel laughed. “It happens more often than you would think. I was surprised myself the first year. But don’t worry, by mid-afternoon it’ll be melted.”