Once more silence fell over the group. Josephine finished what she wanted of her rabbit and handed the remainder back to Thomas. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I think I’ll go wash my face.”
She heard their soft laughter as she left. What was so funny? Were they laughing at her? Josephine looked over her shoulder at them. All three of the Young men watched her with varying expressions. Quickly she turned back around and headed to the riverbed. More laughter followed her retreat.
Josephine didn’t see what was so humorous about her going to the river to wash her face and hands. Men could be so immature, she huffed to herself. The river gurgled past as she knelt down beside it. She dipped her cloth into the icy water.
Ringing out the moisture, Josephine once more pondered the sound of the men’s merriment. She washed her face and neck with the cold rag and then readied herself to go home.
Would it ever be home? She pulled her shoulders back and walked to the wagon. I’ll make it a home, Josephine thought. It may not be the perfect house, but it will be a place that Thomas will be happy to return to each evening. She nodded sharply as if to assure herself that her thoughts were true.
Chapter Nine
They arrived back at the Pony Express relay station just as the riders traded horses. No matter how many times Thomas saw it, his heart always hammered in his chest as if he were the one speeding off to deliver the mochila to the next rider. His gaze cut to Josephine, who sat next to him. She’d been quiet all morning, but as she watched the Express rider speed away, her eyes glistened with excitement.
“I never get tired of watching the exchange,” she said. “Makes me miss my horse even more.”
“You had a horse of your own? Before you joined the Pony Express?”
She grinned. “Yes, her name was Mistletoe, and she was solid black except the white star on her nose. Papa gave her to me for Christmas.”
“What happened to her?” He waited to hear, hoping the horse hadn’t died.
Josephine’s smile turned into a frown. “Uncle gave her to Mr. Grossman to pay part of his gambling debt.” Sadness filled her voice and he wished he’d not asked.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Thomas pulled the horse and wagon to a stop in front of the barn. “Welcome home,” he offered.
Philip came out of the barn. “You two made good time.”
Thomas jumped from the wagon. “That we did.” He turned to help Josephine down but found that she’d crawled over the seat and was even now pushing boxes to the back of the wagon.
She smiled at Philip. “Hey, Philip. Look what all Rebecca sent.”
“Nice,” he muttered.
“Yes, it was, and I’ve been thinking. Since you like helping Thomas so much, you can carry these boxes in for us while Thomas unhitches the horse and I go inside and decide what to do with it all.” She climbed down from the wagon. Without commenting on his stunned features, Josephine marched to the house.
Once she was safely out of hearing range, Thomas roared with laughter.
“Who does she think she is? Bossing me around like that. I’m not her husband, you are.” Philip didn’t budge from where he stood in the barn door.
“No, but you are the one who sent for her. And I do believe Josephine plans on making you regret that day.” Thomas unhitched the horse. “I suggest you get used to it.”
Philip shook his head. “She can’t make me haul boxes or do anything else.” He folded his arms over his chest.
Thomas stood up taller. “No, but I can.”
A teasing glint came into his brother’s eyes. “You think so?”
Hardness filled Thomas’s voice. “I know so.”
Philip’s face turned from teasing to confusion. “You are serious?”
Thomas wanted to throttle his brother for the trouble he’d caused. “Yes. After what you did to her, doing what she asks for a while is the least you can do.”
“I got her married to you. Now all her problems are solved,” Philip argued.
“No, you made it impossible for her to find someone who will love her the way she deserves to be loved.” Thomas pulled the mare into the barn.
Philip followed him. “She’ll grow to love you. I read once that parents used to arrange their kids’ marriages all the time and they did just fine.” He leaned against the door of the stall Thomas had just entered.
“You read that, did you? Well, most things you read in books are fictitious, meaning not pertaining to real life.”
“I know what fictitious means,” Philip snapped.
“Then clearly you didn’t ponder your actions or you’d never have meddled in two people’s lives as you did. Now the least you can do over the next several weeks is graciously accept whatever she throws at you.”
Thomas saw by Philip’s expression that he warred with his choices, so he decided to seal the deal for him. “And I also need you to help me keep an eye out for any strangers that come to town. We need to be vigilant so that Josephine is protected at all times, and being forewarned in this case is our biggest advantage. Who knows what her uncle will do when he finds her.”
Thomas knew he had Philip’s full attention now and he added, “And since you’re the one that lured her away from her home, you’re the one that needs to make the transition work for her.”
“And how in Sam Houston am I supposed to do that?”
“You can start by carrying in those boxes and then I think there’s the matter of a small debt you owe.”
“Huh? What debt?”
Thomas knew it was wrong to enjoy getting one up on his brother, but he couldn’t deny the satisfaction this gave him. He all but rubbed his hands together in glee. “You told her you’d send her the fare to get here, so fork it over. She can use the money for personal things.”
“But,” Philip stammered, “she made it here on her own steam. She didn’t require any money.”
“True. And at any moment she could have been killed. And how would you like that on your conscience?”
“All right. All right. But this means I’ll have to start saving my money all over again to buy that new saddle.” Philip’s sour look told Thomas he’d won this round but Philip didn’t like it one bit.
Thomas felt his grin tip both sides of his mouth when Philip slammed the barn door behind him on his way to the wagon. Then he laughed out loud. Revenge tasted a little sweet today, but he figured he’d pay for it later.
This new life he and Josephine were creating would be full of good times and bad. Thomas shut the door to the stall and headed out to the yard. He prayed they’d have more good than bad.
* * *
Josephine looked about her new home with fresh eyes. The one and only time she’d been in the house had been the day Philip presented her to Thomas as his mail-order bride, and her mind had been occupied with worry and stress about her future. Though she still felt stressed, it was of a different kind. She sighed. Did the men not know how to clean?
Philip brought in the last box. “It’s a mess. Sorry about that.” The smirk on his face said he wasn’t sorry at all.
“Yes, it is a mess.” Her gaze ran over the two rockers that sat by the fireplace. The outline of where someone sat showed through the dust or dirt, she wasn’t sure which. A table sat against the far wall, with a bench on one side and a chair at each end. The kitchen washbasin was piled high with dirty dishes.
A tiny bit of confidence spiraled upward inside her and she felt an indefinable feeling of rightness. This was now her home to do with as she saw fit and that she would do. She struggled to keep from laughing out loud and twirling round and round. Being free from her uncle and having her own home gave her incredible joy.
She walked to the room closest to the door leading off to the right.
“That’s our room,�
� Philip informed her. “Your room is right off the kitchen.”
Josephine turned around. “Oh, well, good. You can help me carry those boxes in there.” She walked to the boxes and lifted one. It wasn’t as heavy as she thought it would be and she grinned as she passed him.
Philip scowled but did as she said.
Josephine entered her new bedroom. It was small. A bed rested under a window. There were no sheets on it, so she was grateful that at least one of the boxes held linens. A small table stood at the head of the bed with a kerosene lamp on top of it. That was it. No rug, no washbasin or chamber pot.
Philip dropped the boxes he carried right inside the doorway and left as quickly as he’d arrived. Josephine sat down on the bed. This room would need work to make it feel homey. She would have liked to have had a comfortable chair and a chest to put her clothes in. Her gaze moved along the wall and saw several nails. She assumed they were used to hang up her dresses.
This would never do. A smile pulled at her lips as she began to think of all the things Philip could make for her, provided they had wood to do so. She turned around and looked out the window. The barn came into view.
“I’m sorry it isn’t a very big room.”
Josephine pulled her gaze from the window and looked at her new husband. Thomas leaned against the doorjamb. “It’s fine. With Philip’s help, I’m sure I’ll have it looking great in no time.” She grinned.
Thomas laughed and she loved that he understood her. They were on the same page. It had been a long time since Josephine felt that with anyone.
The warmth of his pleasure caused her to giggle. “I thought I’d see if he could build me a closet. Nothing fancy, just something I could hang my clothes in. Do we have any wood?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, but we could make a trip to town and get some at the sawmill. What else would you like?”
Josephine stood up and looked about the small space. “Maybe a table for a washbasin?” Her gaze searched his. Was she asking too much?
Thomas nodded. “What else?”
“Would a small bookshelf be asking too much?”
He grinned. “Not at all.”
Josephine twirled around. “I’d really like a comfortable chair so that I can read in here.”
Thomas rubbed his chin. “We might have to order that at the general store.”
“Well, if you think that it would cost too much, it’s not that important.” Josephine tried not to show her disappointment.
Philip entered the room carrying Josephine’s basket from the wagon. “Do you want this in here, too?” he asked her.
“Yes, thank you.” Josephine hurried to him. She didn’t want him dropping it on the floor like he had the boxes. For now, she’d use the basket to hold her few clothes.
“Philip, were you going to give something to Josephine?” Thomas asked his brother. He blocked Philip from leaving the room.
Philip frowned. “I don’t have it with me.”
Thomas stepped aside. “Then go get it.”
Philip huffed and walked out.
There was a gleeful gleam in Thomas’s eyes that caused Josephine to wonder what he was up to. He seemed quite pleased with himself. “What was that about?”
“Oh, you’ll see in a moment.” Thomas propped against the wall facing the door, his face a study of expectancy and pleasure.
Philip returned and walked over to Josephine. “Here is the money I promised to send for your fare out here.” He handed her a fistful of bills. “There is a hundred dollars there. That should have been enough to get you here.”
Josephine protested. “I can’t take this.”
Thomas pushed away from the wall. “Yes, you can. That will get you that comfortable chair you wanted and pay for the lumber you’ll need.” He slapped Philip on the back. “Isn’t that right, Phil? You don’t want her to give it back now, do you?”
Philip shook his head. “No, it’s only fair that you keep it.” He turned on his heel and left them standing there.
Josephine lowered her voice. “Thomas, I don’t feel right taking his money. I know what he has to do to earn it.” She tried to give him the money.
Thomas gently folded her fingers around the bills. He held her hand closed and looked deeply into her eyes. “No, you should keep it.”
Josephine felt breathless. He was standing too close. She’d felt this strangeness when he’d kissed her after they’d said their marriage vows the day before. Taking a step back, she pulled her hand from his. “All right.”
Thomas nodded and then said, “I need to go feed the horses and I’d like to check on Hazel. Do you want to ride over with me?” he asked.
“Not today. I’ll go see her tomorrow. I think I’ll unpack these boxes while you are gone.” Josephine put the money into her dress pocket and knelt down near the closest box. “Tell Hazel hello for me.”
“I’ll do that.” Thomas walked out the door.
Josephine leaned back on her heels. What had gotten into her? She laid her hand over her pounding heart. Get a hold of yourself, Josephine Dooly. The thought that she was no longer Josephine Dooly but now Josephine Young only accelerated the pounding of her heart. You cannot fall for Thomas. He might be nice, but he’s a man. And men can’t be trusted. But strangely, her thoughts on the matter had lessened in strength. When she had time, she’d ponder on that a bit, but right now she had a household to set up and miraculously it appeared she’d get to do it alone. That was icing on the cake because who knew how many times she’d have to move things around to get them just right.
Josephine found a straw broom in the corner by the fireplace and set to work in her bedroom. There were layers of dirt on the wood floor, so she dampened the edges of the straw so that the sweeping wouldn’t stir up so much dust. As she worked, Josephine silently prayed. She hadn’t done much praying lately, but now she breathed a prayer of thanks for things working out for her so nicely.
Four times with a rag mop she cleaned the floor, adding a drop of linseed oil to the last bucket of water. The outcome was a clean smell as well as a bit of a shine on the floor. Moments later she could actually see through the window and, taking a deep, fortifying breath, she stepped to the door and looked back into the bedroom. She exhaled a long sigh of contentment.
Whether it was the hard work or the fact she had her own home, Josephine experienced an unusual strength shiver through her. For the first time in her life, she felt in charge. Thankful for her home, her new life and the man who would be sharing it all with her, Josephine whispered, “Lord, is this how it feels to be in Your will? If so, this is where I want to stay.”
A smile tugged at her lips. Josephine dug through the boxes till she found the sheets and bedspread. The lavender soap she’d put in the same box had made the sheets smell good and the bedspread quilt from Rebecca added just the right feminine touch.
She couldn’t wait to show it to Thomas. She hoped he would be proud of her.
Chapter Ten
After assuring himself that Josephine would be happy to be left alone, Thomas had pulled his gloves back on and headed out to the lean-to. Both his horse and Philip’s snorted when they saw him. He patted Philip’s on its velvety nose and then went to his own gelding. “Ready for a ride?” he asked.
The horse stomped its front leg as if to say, “I’ve been waiting all day.”
Thomas opened the gate and led the horse to be saddled. He looked about for Philip. Not seeing him, Thomas went into the barn. Was Philip hiding from both him and Josephine? Had he been too hard on his brother and best friend? He really didn’t think so. Philip had brought this upon himself. He grinned at the thought of telling Philip that he’d soon be building furniture. Not seeing his brother, Thomas returned to his horse.
In record time he had the horse saddled and
was on his way to Hazel’s. Thankfully there wasn’t another Pony Express rider coming through the relay station tonight, so he could take his time visiting.
He tied the horse up to her front porch and then knocked on Hazel’s door.
“Well, hello, Thomas. When did you get back?” Hazel held the door open for him to pass.
“We arrived about an hour ago. The wagon’s unpacked and Josephine is putting stuff away,” he answered, whipping his hat off as he entered the sitting room.
“How about something to eat?” Hazel asked. She shut the door and headed for the kitchen.
Thomas wanted to eat, but he wasn’t sure how Josephine would feel if he ate with Hazel. His new wife hadn’t said she’d be cooking dinner, but Thomas thought she probably would fix something. “I best not spoil my appetite.”
“Oh, I should have realized Jo would fix dinner for you.” Hazel turned to face him. “Do you think she’d mind if I sent a few slices of pie home with you?”
“Not at all.”
Hazel laughed. “I don’t think you know what she’d mind.”
He chuckled with her. “Nope, but I want pie.”
She waved him to the table. “How about a small slice now with coffee and I’ll send more home with you?” Hazel’s eyes twinkled at him.
“That sounds even better.” Thomas sat down and laid his hat on the floor at his feet.
“How was your visit with your family?” Hazel placed a plate and fork in front of him. The scent of apples and cinnamon filled his nostrils.
“It went well. They are all good.” He waited for her to return with a cup of coffee for the both of them.
“What did your ma think of Josephine?” She sat down with her cup and took a sip. Hazel motioned for him to eat.
Thomas picked up his fork. “I think they liked each other.” He shrugged. “Ma isn’t happy that we got married without her being there and I think Josephine wasn’t too pleased with the wedding, but they both seemed to like each other.” He took a bite of pie and savored the sweet flavors that coated his tongue. He’d never tell her, but Ma’s apple pie didn’t hold a candle to Hazel’s.
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