“That sounds wonderful to me. So, what should we do?” Faith looked around her house. “Doesn’t look like anything really needs cleaning. You put the rest of us to shame. Leave a speck of dust here or there, would you?”
Minnie laughed. “I like a clean house.” She sat down across from Faith at the table. “How would you feel about walking to the store before lunch? Or I could walk over if you’d watch Olivia. I want to get some black yarn so I can knit a scarf for Robert.”
“I’ll walk over with you. Does Olivia like going to the store?”
Minnie shrugged. “As much as any two-year-old, I guess.” She really had no idea whether Olivia liked it, but she didn’t cry when they went, and Minnie took that as a good sign.
Olivia rushed into the room then, carrying Miss Hazel. “Hold!” she shouted at Faith as she ran back out of the room.
Faith and Minnie looked at each other and dissolved into laughter. “What was that about?” Faith asked.
“No idea. She’s got a mind of her own!”
“Well, I think I’m supposed to hold Miss Hazel. I’m not sure why, but that’s my job apparently.”
“It’s an important job!” Minnie said, shaking her head. “She loves that doll, so she must trust you.” She stood up. “Olivia, come here. We’re going to the store.”
Olivia raced back around the curtain, grabbed Miss Hazel by the hair, and ran back out of the room with her. Then she came back and stood in front of her mother. “Ready.”
Olivia’s hair bow had come out of her hair, and she was wearing one shoe and the other foot was barefoot. “I don’t think you’re quite ready.” Minnie shook her head at her daughter, wondering what on earth she was up to, but she couldn’t ask. Olivia wasn’t great at expressing herself.
After putting her daughter to rights, Minnie bundled them both up and led the way out the door. She had a small amount of money, but it should be enough to buy the yarn she needed.
When she got outside, she noticed the toboggan was still leaning up against the house. No matter. It would be easier to take Olivia to the store with it anyway. She was surprised Robert would forget, but she was glad he had in this case.
Olivia happily took her seat on the toboggan, and as they walked, Minnie marveled at the change in the landscape. While they’d been cozy in their cabin, many of the homes in the village seem to have been ravaged. “Did all four men go out today?”
She had her answer when she spotted two Mountie jackets off in the distance. “I guess Colton and Malcolm stayed,” Faith responded. “Are they helping rebuild?”
“It looks like it to me. I think that’s good.” Minnie turned to go into the store, smiling at the shopkeeper. “Hello, Mr. Harper!”
“Hello, Mrs. Barret. What are you looking for today?”
“I’d like to make Sergeant Barret a scarf. Do you have any black yarn that will match his uniform?” Minnie asked. She felt funny about her errand now. She should have waited for Robert to come back before she ran off.
“Yes, I have just what you need.” He walked over to a shelf and brought her back a skein of yarn. “Will this be enough?”
“I’d rather have two, just to be on the safe side.” Besides, Minnie was sure that as soon as Daddy had a black scarf, Olivia would want one just like it.
“That’s fine.” He got a second skein for her. “Anything else?”
“No, sir.” She pulled the money from a small pouch she’d put into her coat pocket.
“I can’t take your money, Mrs. Barret. Your husband told me that he wanted me to put all of your purchases on his account. He’s the law around here, so I’ll do as he says.”
She wanted the gift to be completely from her, including using money she already had, but she could see there was no point in arguing with Mr. Harper. “All right. Thank you.” Minnie looked over at Faith. “Is there anything you need to buy?”
Faith shook her head. “Nope. I’m just here to help pull the toboggan.”
“Oh! I almost forgot!” Minnie turned to Mr. Harper. “We brought your toboggan back.”
“If you need it to get your little girl back, that’s fine. I’m not in a hurry for it.”
Minnie frowned. “Are you sure?” It would definitely be easier than carrying Olivia through the deep snow.
“Sure. Just send your husband with it when you’re done. We don’t keep tabs on things like that around here.”
“Thank you!” Minnie held Olivia’s hand and got her back to the toboggan, and the little girl climbed on. She loved it, which made the walk so much easier.
That night, while Minnie fixed supper, Faith sat and told Olivia a story, using her fingers as puppets that made shadows on the wall. Olivia was clearly enthralled, and Minnie enjoyed hearing the story. It made the time without Robert go by so much faster and more pleasantly.
She was happy she’d become friends with Faith, because it would make the days so much nicer for her.
9
The Mounties didn’t come home that night. Or the next. By the time they returned on Wednesday evening, Minnie wasn’t sure if she was thrilled they were all right, or angry they’d been gone so long. She hurried to Robert, helping him take off his overcoat.
“I was worried about you!” Her voice was low, because Olivia was already asleep.
Faith and Calvin disappeared out the door without even a goodbye. Minnie had been thankful for her friend’s company during the men’s absence, but she was even more thankful to have Robert in front of her.
Robert sighed heavily. “It was bad. We found a man frozen out in the snow, and we had to find his wife and let her know. She was a native woman, and she wasn’t happy, but she wouldn’t show us any emotion. There were four small children playing at her feet, and she just closed the door in our faces.”
“Oh, that’s terrible!” No wonder they’d stayed gone so long.
“That was the only death we found, but there were plenty of homes that had been damaged, so we helped repair them. One man had broken his leg, and his wife was close to her due date, so we chopped enough wood to keep them going and shot a couple of deer, so they’d at least have food.”
She shook her head. “I feel almost guilty that we were inside this cozy cabin while all those things were happening.” She walked away from him for a moment, getting the scarf she’d finished. She held it out to him.
“Did you make that for me?” He looked down at it in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to do the same little things for him that she did for her children. Now that she had, he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t expected it. It was the kind of person she was.
She nodded. “Faith, Olivia, and I went to the store right after you left on Monday. I wanted to have time to finish it, but I was still hoping then you’d make it home Monday night. I wish there’d been a way for you to get word to me. I can’t believe how worried I was. Smoke signals would even work!” Even if he’d sent them, though, she wouldn’t have understood.
“I’m really sorry. I would have told you if I could have. I didn’t want you to worry.” He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, trying to get out some of the soreness from his journey. They’d taken dog sleds and had to find shelter in old cabins. It had not been an easy two nights.
She noticed him rubbing his neck and walked around behind him, massaging it for him. Hating the idea of him being in pain overrode her shyness at how close they were getting—and how strong her feelings were.
He groaned. “That feels good. I have a knot in there that just hurts.” But more than having her working on the knot in his neck, he simply enjoyed the feel of her hands on him.
“I’ll see if I can get it out.” She worked on it for a while, not talking to him. It felt good to have her hands on him. Her feelings had only grown in his absence and by the time he returned, she was certain she had him made out to be much better than he actually was in her mind.
When she’d finally gotten the knot out, she walked over to the counter and cut him
a slice of cake, taking it to him with a glass of milk. “Did you miss home cooking while you were gone?”
He nodded emphatically. “We had more of the seeds and we got a couple of rabbits that we roasted, but your stew was a life saver that first day. Absolutely delicious, and Calvin was impressed with your cooking.”
“You shared?”
“I couldn’t make him sit there and smell it and not share with him. That wouldn’t have been very nice.”
Minnie smiled, watching as he wolfed down the cake. “I can’t believe how hungry I was. I hope you’re planning a big breakfast in the morning!”
“I am. Do you need to leave again?”
“Not right now. We’ll stay in town helping with the repairs, and the other two men can do rounds next time. That’s why there are four of us.”
“All right.” She felt safer knowing he’d be there. “Olivia has been asking about you. She’d wake up and ask for her daddy, and then every meal she’d ask. She refused to sit in your chair, and she didn’t like it when Faith sat in your chair. She thought it should be open for you whenever you got home, apparently.”
He grinned. “I missed her, too. I found her a feather I think she’ll like.”
“You’re going to spoil her, aren’t you?”
“Yup. I’ll spoil all the children.”
“All? Right now, there’s only one with one more on the way. How many do you think we should have?”
“Not more than another dozen or so…” He laughed at the shocked look on her face. “I’d be happy with a half-dozen!”
She sighed, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I could have that many more. The first three months of pregnancy are difficult to get through.”
“Do you get sick?” He found that he was sad that he’d missed out on her early pregnancy. He would have liked to have held her hand through it. “You have to have at least one more, so I can be with you every step of the way.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I’m not sure you want to be with me. I lost my breakfast every single day. Even Olivia got tired of it.”
“Well, I’d like to see it happen.” He shook his head. “And I can’t wait to sleep in our bed together. I kept waking up during the night, and you weren’t there. Calvin doesn’t appreciate it when I call him Minnie.” It had only happened once, and really the other Mountie had just laughed.
“I missed you too, which is strange. You’ve only been part of my life for a week…I shouldn’t even be used to having you around yet.”
He took her hand and tugged her toward him onto his lap. “I’m glad you missed me too. I was feeling like I was being silly, thinking about you so much.”
“It is odd.” She rested her head against his shoulder, wondering how he felt about that. He didn’t seem to mind when she was physically affectionate, but she never knew how a man would react to things she did.
They sat together in silence for a short while, with him stroking her back. “Did you run into any trouble while I was gone?” he finally asked.
“Not really. There was enough food and firewood. The native women still come to the house every day for tea and whatever else I want to serve them. They don’t say anything to me, but they are sure willing to drink and eat.” And she was starting to pick up a few words of their language, which was nice. She would like to be able to have real conversations with them.
He chuckled. “I’m just glad you’re making an effort to make friends. I know it’s hard with the language barrier, but it’s good that you’re at least trying.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know if what I’m doing is trying. I’m feeding them when they show up and that’s about it.”
“I think we need to head to bed,” he said, yawning widely. “Tomorrow is another busy day. I want to make sure I get to see Olivia before I head out for work, too.”
Minnie got to her feet. “She’s going to be so excited to see you. You might not be able to get her off you.”
He chuckled. “I don’t see that being a problem. I’m just as happy to see her.” He nodded toward the bedroom. “If you want your ten minutes tonight, you’d better hurry.”
She scampered off behind the curtain, changing quickly. She couldn’t believe how happy she was that he was home with her. He joined her as soon as she’d gotten under the covers, and once they were in bed together, he turned onto his side and pulled her back against him. “All right?” he asked, his lips against her ear.
“All right.” She felt strange being held by him, but she found she liked it. Who’d have thought her marriage to a stranger would be so tender?
Minnie woke the following morning to her daughter climbing into bed with her and Robert. “Daddy!”
Robert opened one eye to see Olivia sitting on his chest and staring down at him. “G’morning,” he said, wondering how soon he could make the girl a separate bedroom. He wouldn’t mind some alone time with her mama, anyway.
“Daddy!” She didn’t seem to need anything from him. She just wanted him to know she knew he was home.
“I came home. I’m sorry I was gone so long.”
She frowned at him. “Stay home!”
“I’ll stay home as much as I can. I do have to work.” He watched her face fall and immediately felt guilty. Why was it so hard for him to have people he loved and work at the same time? Was it this hard for all men?
Minnie rolled to her side to watch the two of them. Her daughter was so happy to have her daddy home again. Whatever she’d done wrong in her life, it was being righted by marrying this man. He truly was exactly what she needed him to be.
She got out of bed and went into the kitchen to dress and start breakfast.
As soon as Robert heard her clanging on the pots in the kitchen, he got out of bed to dress, dumping Olivia onto the bed. “Are you ready to go help Mama make breakfast?”
Olivia shrugged. “Daddy!”
He sighed. “All right, you can stay with me.” He got his uniform on and picked her up to take her into the kitchen. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“You work.”
His eyes widened in understanding. She’d come to associate his uniform with work, and she was right. He wished he could stay with her, but he also loved what he did. It was hard to be so torn. “I’ll only be gone for a little while today. Not overnight this time. All right?”
Olivia nodded, but he could see she was still sad.
He enjoyed breakfast with Minnie and Olivia, impressed that Olivia would now only sit on her stool. She really did have her own way of doing things, which pleased him to no end. He didn’t think she’d ever get into a marriage like her mother’s first, where she was abused. He hoped not anyway.
He felt so protective of her, he couldn’t imagine what he’d do if someone hurt her. She may not be his flesh-and-blood daughter, but she was his daughter of the heart, and that was enough for him.
10
Minnie continued to work hard to get the house the way she wanted it for her and Robert. Now that it was mostly done, she spent the afternoons while Olivia napped working on her drawing. She’d decided she liked the idea of a story about an arctic fox named Finnegan who wanted to be the leader of a dog sled team, and she worked hard to write the story, drawing beautiful pictures of the fox as she went along.
It was about two weeks later that she finished the book, and she couldn’t wait to show Robert. When he came in at the end of a long day, she served him supper, but she couldn’t quite keep the excitement from her eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked, knowing she had to be up to something.
“I have a surprise for you after supper,” she said, sitting down across from him for their meal. She truly couldn’t wait until he saw the book, because she was very proud of it. She’d written the story entirely in rhyme, but the illustrations were what made it special in her eyes.
Robert eyed her curiously, but he didn’t ask any more questions. Olivia was babbling unintelligibly
while she ate, very excited about something as well. He wondered if they both had a surprise, or if it was the same one, or if Olivia was just being her usual silly self.
After supper, he sat with Olivia, telling her a story while Minnie did the dishes.
As soon as she was done, she hurried to her trunk where all of her art was, and she pulled out the papers she’d drawn for the story. She took them to the table, and Olivia sat watching.
She read the story aloud as she turned the pages, the words seeming so much more real as she read them aloud. She felt tears pricking her eyes as she realized that the words she had written were touching other people’s lives—people she loved. It was a powerful feeling.
When she finished, she set the papers down, and looked from one of them to the other. They’d both looked at the pictures as she’d gone along, and Olivia had even squealed at a few of the illustrations. “What do you think?” she asked them.
Robert grinned. “I’m not even a little bit surprised. I knew you could do it!”
She smiled, pleased that he liked it. Looking at Olivia, she asked, “Did you like Mama’s fox story.”
Olivia nodded emphatically. “Again.”
Minnie shook her head. “It’s too late. I should have put you in bed before I read the story, but I wanted you to hear it, too.” She got up and picked up her daughter, carrying her to the bedroom. “Go to sleep.”
Olivia closed her eyes obediently. The only thing she was ever obedient about was sleep, but only because she liked to sleep so much.
When Minnie walked back into the kitchen, she saw that Robert was flipping through some pages. She stopped short when she realized he was looking through all of the illustrations she’d made of him.
He was looking at the one of their wedding day, tracing a finger over her face. “Let me put those away,” she said, embarrassed. Those pictures had never been intended for his eyes, but she must have grabbed them with the story she’d written by mistake.
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