“That’s not a problem for me, Glory. I know how to build pretty well, probably enough to make her a cabinet of some sort to store things in, and I can build a bed frame for her mattress to sit on.” And search every nook and cranny in that part of the house.
Glory shivered, a thrill of discovery running through her as she found new things about this man to admire. Cade McAllister was a man among men, as her pa would have said. He stood head and shoulders over anyone she’d met in the past three years, and not just in size, but in his demeanor and behavior.
“Wait till they come in the house and you tell them what you’re planning to do for them, Cade. They’ll be so happy.” She looked up at him and she knew her heart was in her eyes when her gaze met his. “You’ve let those children know from the very first that you cared about them, and you’ve treated them as you would your own kinfolk, Cade.”
He grinned down at her. “I guess I have, but I just never thought about it that way. They’re good young’uns.”
“I’ve just taught them the things my folks thought were important, about keeping clean and doing right, and being good to each other.”
He looked over her shoulder at the kettle on the stove. “Don’t let that pot roast burn, honey. By the time I get some work done in the barn, we’ll be ready to eat, and we’ve got a job telling those two about our plans.”
He looked like a kid himself, she thought as he headed out the door, slapping his hat in place, his strides long and purposeful as he crossed the yard to the barn. There was a swagger about his gait that had appealed to her from the start, and now that she knew the man, she admired it even more. He was handsome, with dark hair and eyes that held knowledge she could only wonder at.
Cade McAllister was a man with ideas aplenty for this house and her farm. And she watched him walk away, even as she wondered just how far his planning would go, what his intentions were for the farm Harvey Clark had left her.
Chapter Ten
“A bigger room of my own? You’re gonna knock out a wall?” Buddy was not only surprised but tickled pink, Glory decided, watching the boy as he digested the news Cade gave him.
“I’m going to put another window in it, Buddy, and Glory will make new curtains for you for both windows. We’ll build you a desk or table of sorts, where you can do your studying and reading if you like. And I’ll find a dresser or make one, maybe a set of shelves for your books and things.”
Essie tugged at his shirtsleeve and Cade bent to see her small face. “What is it, Essie?”
“Will I get a shelf, too, Cade?”
“You’re going to have a new bedroom, Essie. With the wall of Buddy’s old room knocked out, you’ll have plenty of space for your doll baby and your clothes and all your belongings.”
“I don’t have much ‘belongings,’ Cade. Just the stuff I wear and my dolly.”
“Well, maybe we’ll have to get you a few new things then. As soon as we sell one of the foals, we’ll go shopping for my two young’uns.”
“You mean me and Essie, Cade?” Buddy asked quietly, his eyes huge with wonder as he heard Cade’s plans revealed.
“You know of any other young’uns around here? Of course I mean you two. I thought when I married Glory, I kinda got the two of you in the bargain. Isn’t that how it works?”
“You think me and Buddy are your young’uns, Cade?” Essie stumbled over the words and clutched at Cade’s sleeve, as if she would not release him without an answer to her question.
Cade lifted her to his lap and his long arm surrounded Buddy, drawing him near as he spoke to both of them. “I don’t have any children of my own, so if Glory doesn’t mind, I’d like to pretend that the two of you belong to me. If you don’t like the idea, just say so.”
“I like it, Cade. I really like it. Me and Buddy will have a pa again, just like before.” Essie was eloquent in her desires and Buddy only grinned his acceptance of the state of affairs.
“I can’t be your real father, but I’ll be your stepfather. I had one of those when I was a boy growing up, for my own father died when I was young. When my mama got married again, her new husband was my stepfather and he took care of me.”
“Did you call him your pa?” Essie asked solemnly.
“I surely did, for he was a good father to me.”
“Well, I think maybe me and Essie should do that, too,” Buddy told him. “It sounds more polite than just calling you by your name, don’t you think?”
Cade grinned, hugging the two youngsters he held in his embrace. “I think it sounds just dandy.”
“All right, Pa,” Buddy said quietly, as if he sounded out the single syllable and tested the flavor on his tongue.
Cade looked up to where Glory stood, watching her family. “What do you think, honey? Is it all right with you?”
She fought tears, for she would not spoil their pleasure by crying on such an auspicious occasion. “I think it’s wonderful.” She could not speak another word without tears falling and she turned to the cupboard, seeking something to lift or move or shift around, lest the children see her tears.
“We gonna eat anytime soon?” Cade asked, his tone playfully cocky.
“In about half an hour. I’m going to make the gravy and put dumplings on top of the beef. Won’t be long now.” Speaking those words gave her reason to retreat to the pantry where the flour and lard awaited her. She tipped a good measure of each into her crock and went back to the kitchen.
In a matter of minutes, she’d stirred flour and water into the drippings from the roast and made a pan of gravy, adding the vegetables she’d cooked, and prepared the dumplings. In mere minutes they were floating atop the stew and Glory slapped the lid in place.
“Fifteen minutes,” she announced. “Remind me of the time, Cade.”
“Sure enough,” he said, glancing at his pocket watch.
“We need to learn about telling what time it is from looking at the clock,” Essie told him, peering at the silver watch he held. “Where did you get that clock?”
Cade grinned widely at her words. “It’s not a clock, Essie, but a watch. A pocket watch that my father had all his life, till the day he died. My mama gave it to me after his funeral, and I’ve carried it ever since.”
He looked up at Buddy. “One day, years from now, maybe it could be yours, Buddy, if you want it.”
“Really, Cade? You’d really give the watch to me, just like your pa gave it to you?”
“It’ll be yours, Buddy. I promise you.”
The boy was silent as he absorbed the words Cade had spoken.
“You know what? When I’m old and I have a son, I’ll pass it on to him, just like your father did for you. Will that be all right … Pa?”
Glory watched Cade blink rapidly as if there were something in his eye, and his look at her was filled with a tenderness she hadn’t seen before. His arm tightened around the boy and he dropped a quick kiss on his head, as if such a gesture was one he was not familiar with.
“You all right?” Buddy asked, peering at Cade’s face.
“Got something in my eye and it’s all watery.” Cade drew his handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose noisily, and Buddy rested his head on the man’s broad shoulder for a moment. Cade sat in his chair, Essie on his lap, Buddy beside him, and Glory wished fervently she could have a picture painted of them, just as they were this very minute.
Cade looked down at the watch he held and then put Essie down on the floor. “You two have five minutes to wash up and get the milk out for supper. Glory’s dumplings will be done then and anyone not at the table can’t have any.”
“I’ll be there, Pa,” Buddy sang out, hurrying to the sink to wash. Essie made her way to where he stood and he motioned to her to put her hands over the sink. Then with a flourish, he poured a bit of soap on her palms and watched as she followed his lead, washing her hands and then using her fingers to spread the soap on her cheeks, lest they not be clean before she rinsed with clear water.
The big kettle of stew sat on the table now, a ladle stuck between the dumplings, ready for Cade to serve their plates. He sat quietly waiting for Glory to be ready, watching as she reached into the oven for her corn bread.
When she sat down in her chair across the table from him, he couldn’t resist a wink in her direction, and she flushed nicely at his flirting behavior. “Just tend to business, Mr. McAllister. It’s your turn to ask the blessing.”
Without delay, he reached for Essie’s and Buddy’s hands and nodded at Glory to do the same. “My folks always held hands when they prayed, and I thought if we’re going to be a real family here, we might want to do the same.”
“I like that idea, Pa,” Buddy said eagerly, as if using the term was to his liking.
“Me, too,” Essie said, her small fingers clamped around Glory’s index finger.
Cade spoke familiar phrases and then as he said the final word, he reached for the ladle and looked at Glory.
“Can I help you to some dumplings, ma’am? And maybe some of this tasty roast beef our wonderful cook prepared for our supper?”
“Wonderful cook? That’s a new one. Maybe your cook needs a raise in pay to go along with her title.” Glory grinned at him.
“Do you suppose she’d settle for a new wrapper to wear in the mornings when she gets up, in case she doesn’t want to get dressed right away?” Cade served the two children as he spoke, and then looked back at Glory.
“A new wrapper? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.”
“They have them at the general store. One of the ladies picked one out the last time I was in there. It kinda wrapped around her and tied with a couple of belt-string things in front. Real pretty, it was, all flowered and bright. I was thinking it would look good on you, Glory. I’ll bet they’d have one in your size.”
“Can we look when we take in the butter and eggs first of the week? I’d like to see one of those.”
“I’d like to see one of those on you.” Cade’s voice was a low growl, and Glory recognized the tone. She’d heard it several times after the lights were out at night, when he approached the bed where she lay waiting for him.
“Do they have wrappers for little girls, too?” Essie asked politely, her eyes hopeful.
“I don’t know, but we can surely find out,” Cade told her, and the child fairly bounced in her chair.
“You need a new nightgown worse than you do a wrapper, Essie. Maybe Cade will let us buy enough material for a nightie for you and a bit more for me to make you a wrapper to wear over it.”
“Oh, could we, Pa?” Essie’s heart was in her eyes as she begged the favor.
“If Glory says so,” he said, clearing his throat and making a fuss over the pan of stew before him. He took another dumpling onto his plate, for the first one had done a disappearing act in mere minutes. “What do you think, Glory?”
“I think I can figure out how to make one for her if I can get a good look at the ones they have at the general store.”
“You’ll get yours store-bought, Glory. You can use it for a sort of pattern for Essie. It’ll be easier if you have it here to look at, I’d think.”
The beef roast was fast disappearing by the time supper was over, and Glory served the corn bread. The children liked it with butter and syrup on it, and Cade was agreeable to trying it for his dessert, too.
Glory had made it numerous times for just such a reason, and Cade made his opinion known quickly.
“This is good stuff, Glory. Never heard of syrup on it before. We only ate it like bread with a meal when I was growin’ up. I’ll bet my father would like it this way.”
“We like it, too,” Buddy said, “and our first pa said it was better than pie.”
“Your first pa? You can call him your real father if you want, Buddy. It won’t make me feel a bit bad being the second father for you and your sister.”
“You’ll be our real father, too. We’ll have you here longer than our first father, but we won’t ever forget him, Pa. He’ll always be kinda with us.”
“As long as you remember your father, and keep him alive in your mind, he’ll be with you, Buddy,” Cade said quietly. “He was a good father and taught you a lot of good things, like how to behave and how to treat your sister and Glory. Things that are important.”
“Yeah, I learned how to milk a cow from him and all about cutting hay and bringing it in for the animals. He wasn’t much for gardening stuff, said that was women’s work, but Glory didn’t mind doing it, so it was all right.”
“So long as she doesn’t lift things that are too heavy for her,” Cade said.
“You mean like the wash basket you carry out for her?” Essie asked.
“Like the wash basket, and the bushels of fruit from the trees when it ripens. Glory can help pick the peaches and apples, but she’s not going to tote the baskets full of fruit.”
“She did before, when our pa was busy in the field or in the barn.”
“Maybe so, but not anymore. I’m here now and you and I are going to be in charge of taking care of our womenfolk. That means both Glory and Essie.”
Cade leaned closer to Buddy and his voice lowered as he spoke to the boy. “Females are special people, Buddy. They were made to take care of their children and their husbands and to have babies sometimes. They weren’t meant to do men’s work. That’s gonna be our job, son.”
Glory rose from the table, her eyes blurry as she picked up the plates and silverware and carried them to the sink. She put them into the dishpan and added soap, then watched as Cade toted a kettle of water from the reservoir for her.
“Thanks, Mr. McAllister.” She looked up at him and thought anew how strong and handsome this man was. He had the right words for the children, knew the way to teach them without sounding as if he was giving a lesson on life to them.
And now she saw the gleam in his eyes that sent a message she especially held dear. Cade was ready to put the children to bed and then take his wife to bed. His mouth was near and she lifted on tiptoe to touch her lips to his.
“Kinda sassy there, lady,” he said in a whisper, returning her caress with a brush of his lips over her cheek and then her mouth, where he lingered a bit.
“Are you complaining?” she asked, leaning close to speak into his ear.
Her words were quick, and his eyes sparkled as he answered. “Are you kidding? Me? Complain? Not on your life, sweetheart. Not on your life.”
Chapter Eleven
The sound of hammering was with her constantly, it seemed. For Cade was as good as his word, tearing down a wall to enlarge the back bedroom, and this morning, he’d determined to replace the window in Buddy’s new room. To that end, they’d all piled into the wagon for a trip to town, where the window could be purchased at the lumberyard.
The mood was joyous, the children chattering and Cade was his usual cocky self. And so the trip to town went quickly. The general store was the first stop, where they delivered Glory’s eggs and butter to the storekeeper. The credit she received would cover her grocery list and then some. As she did her shopping, Cade had taken the children with him to the lumberyard. They would purchase the window, along with various items needed for the work he was doing, such as wood for shelves.
But Glory’s thoughts now were on her food supplies, and she listed her needs aloud to Mr. Nelson. “Coffee, baking powder, sugar, a pail of lard …” She hesitated, trying to read a scribbled note. “Oh, yes, I’d like to see one of your wrappers for ladies.”
The glass bin from the wall was lowered to the counter and the storekeeper’s wife approached, lifting a garment from within and holding it up for Glory’s inspection. “This is the latest thing from back East. A nice wraparound garment made especially for wear in th
e house. Very popular with the ladies,” she said, holding up the garment she’d described.
Glory undid the fastenings, first the four buttons and then the belt that wrapped around a lady’s waist and tied at the front, holding the garment in place. She laid it out on the counter, inspecting the seams and the way it was constructed, then admired the brightly flowered fabric.
The woman folded the garment neatly and placed it in the proper bin, then looked back at Glory. “Pretty woman like you should be wearing bright colors.”
“He likes me in whatever I wear, it seems,” Glory announced quietly.
The woman grinned widely and bent close. “I’ll just bet he does, honey. He’s a looker, all right. A fine figure of a man. Just the right fella for you. Even if it did take a tragedy to bring you together.”
“Well, we’re doing well. The children have adjusted to having Cade as their stepfather. And the farm is thriving.”
The bell on the door rang, announcing another customer and Glory hastened to finish her shopping, lest she deter the proprietor from new business. But it was Cade who appeared at her side, Essie and Buddy fast on his heels.
“We got a window, Glory. Pa bought it for my new room.” Buddy’s words were confident as he looked up at the man beside him. “We’re gonna work on it later today.”
“And I’m gonna have shelves and a dresser for my clothes,” Essie added quickly, tugging on Glory’s skirt to gain her attention.
“Won’t that be grand?” Glory cast a quick look at the woman behind the counter, as if to put proof to her earlier words about Cade’s prowess.
“Anything else for you today, ma’am?” Properly impressed by the four in front of her, Mrs. Nelson was pleased to help Glory out with her needs.
“Maybe a couple of dill pickles from the barrel. I didn’t put up any pickles yet this year and my dills from last year are all gone. And a ring of pickled bologna, please. Maybe brown sugar if you have any. Mr. McAllister likes it on his oatmeal in the mornings.”
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