by Joannie Kay
The girls giggled and pointed him toward a chair as Bridget poured coffee for him and for her husband and herself. The girls already had tall glasses of milk. “Sheriff, isn’t it early to be out riding?” Bridget asked with a smile.
“It sure is. I spent the night here on your land, Seth, but it’s best we talk after breakfast. We wouldn’t want this food that Mrs. Masterson cooked to go to waste after she worked so hard to make it.”
Seth took the subtle hint for what it was and waited until breakfast was over before telling the girls to get to their morning chores and gather the eggs and check the garden. Once they were outside, he turned to Bill and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Indians, Seth. There are a couple of renegade braves making trouble for folks, and I’m trying to find them and bring them in.”
“They were here yesterday, Bill. Gave my wife and girls a fright. Bridget hit one of them on the side of the head with a bucket full of berries, and he died from it. I shot the other one; buried both of them.”
Bill nodded. “No one has seen any others, just them two, but they have caused a ruckus around here for sure. Killed Joe Ferguson and shamed Mrs. Ferguson before killing her, too. I’m thankful that you’re all fine.”
“Seth saved us, Sheriff,” Bridget said softly as she poured more coffee for all of them. “That Indian hated us, but I think his hatred was because I killed the other man.”
“Could be they were related, Mrs. Masterson…? I’m just glad to know that they won’t be botherin’ folks anymore.” He sipped his coffee, but once it was gone he got to his feet and thanked Bridget for breakfast. “I have to be gettin’ back to town and reassure folks they’re safe. You two need to come in more often and spend the day.”
“There’s always something that needs doing here, Bill, but we’ll be in real soon to stock up on supplies and such. I’m thinking of adding on a couple of bedrooms.”
“That’ll be real nice. If I can help, just let me know.”
“I might take you up on that,” Seth said with a grin. Susie and Sally came to the house with a bunch of eggs and Susie was fuming. “What’s the matter, daughter?”
“Ronald pecked me again! I told him I was going to wring his neck!”
“Let me see, darlin’,” Bridget was instantly sympathetic.
“Now while Papa is here,” Susie said, her face beet red with embarrassment.
“He got you on the backside?” Seth demanded. “We might be having a stewed rooster if he keeps this up.”
“You go on, Seth. I’ll take care of our daughter.” Bridget waited to see how he would react to that, and he just nodded and said once again to stay close to the house today. He wanted to make sure and certain it was safe for them to wander the property without fear before he allowed them to do so. “We plan to do just that, Seth. Do we no’, girls?” They agreed, and once he was gone, Susie raised her skirts and lowered her drawers to show Bridget an angry red mark on her right butt cheek. Bridge found some salve and warned the child that she might need a soft cushion for a wee bit.
They hurried to get the household chores done. There were always dishes to do after a good meal, and eggs to wash and sort, and milk from the cow to separate and butter to make from the cream. Bridget insisted that they dust and sweep every morning, too. She was even more of a stickler than Seth when it came to keeping a house company ready at all times. The girls kept making guesses about the project they were going to do, but Bridget merely smiled and kept shaking her head no.
“I hope this is something fun!” Susie finally declared, getting tired of guessing.
“I hope you think ‘tis fun,” Bridget said. Finally, everything was done to her satisfaction, and she said, “We are going to work on a very special quilt. Your Mama started it, but did no’ finish.”
“We don’t know how to quilt, Mam.” Sally was a bit frightened of touching her Mama’s quilt.
“I know how and I am going to teach ye both. Come with me.” She led them over to a trunk that was shoved into the back of a storage area in a corner of the cabin. “I did no’ know what was in here and I took a peek the other day. I found all sorts of things, most of them things ye’ll want when ye are much older, but there was a quilt your Mama started piecing, and all sorts of pieces cut for the top. I think it would be nice for you to finish it and you can share it this winter.”
“Will it make Papa sad? He did not want us getting into this trunk of Mama’s things and that is why he pushed it back in here.” Susie’s face was so serious.
“I asked your Papa’s permission first, girls. I do no’ want him to be sad, either.” She patiently showed them how to add the scraps of fabric to the top, and the girls caught on quickly. Bridget had to ask them to set the quilt aside to help her prepare a noon meal, but all they wanted to talk about was their project, and which pieces they loved most. Bridget thought it great fun that Susie’s favorite pieces were the blue ones while Sally loved the pinks. There were ample of each, and soon the girls were seeing progress. They couldn’t wait to show their Papa when he came in from working all day. Bridget was pleased with her husband when he paid proper attention to the colors and the shapes and showed great interest in the quilt they were working on together.
Seth was impressed at how much his girls had changed since Bridget came into their lives. They were truly happy and smiling and giggling, and he owed it all to his lovely redhead. He vowed to thank her properly after the girls were sound asleep for the night, and he did. Bridget accepted him with open arms, and Seth was happy to be alive.
Oh, Bridget wasn’t perfect and she had the devil’s own temper at times, and Seth found that a good spanking tended to settle her down and help her listen to what he had to say. She had a pretty backside, and he enjoyed finding excuses to spank it playfully. Bridget seemed to enjoy his games, and he was assured of that when she came to him one evening after the girls were in bed to say, “My Lord, I must report that I broke an expensive crystal goblet today, and must be punished.” She handed him a piece of kindling that she’d sanded until it was nice and smooth, and then, to his delight, she’d pulled up her skirts to reveal that she wasn’t wearing drawers, and then she bent over and placed her hands flat on the seat of a chair and wiggled her bottom at him. Seth instantly became the Lord of the Manor, and scolded her for being so clumsy and inept, and then he took the nicely shaped paddle she’d made and gave her right cheek a firm whack. It left a pink mark on her bottom, and he quickly treated the other side to the same type of swat.
“Does it sting?” he asked of her.
“Oh, yes, M’Lord.”
Since she was staying in character, Seth decided that she must be enjoying the sting. He gave her a few more, and then rubbed the sting from her bottom cheeks. Bridget was moaning in delight, and when his fingers dipped lower, she opened her legs so that he could have access to whatever he wanted from her. She was soaking wet, a sure sign that the little spanking was making her want more. Seth gave her what she wanted, and when they fell asleep, both of them were content.
The day finally came when Bridget was positive she was with child, and she couldn’t help but wonder how her husband would feel about another child. She didn’t have long to ponder the question, because Seth was very tuned to her, and her morning sickness was a reliable giveaway. He asked her if it was possible, and she told him that yes, she was with child. Seth was excited and happy and Bridget was delighted, even though she could have done without the morning sickness.
As the weeks passed, Seth and Bridget could tell that something was bothering the girls. Bridget finally decided it was time to ask what was wrong and deal with it. “Do no’ tell me nothin’ is wrong. I know ye both better than that. Are ye no’ happy about the wee baby comin’?”
“We are happy about the baby, but we don’t know how you will feel about us then,” Susie admitted. “Once the baby is born, it will be your own.”
“And we will be stepchildren.” Sally looked so sad when
she said this.
“I could spank ye both!” Bridget told them in exasperation. “I’ve no’ heard something so foolish before! I am your Mam; I love ye both as much as the wee one I’m carryin’, do ye no’ know that? I love ye and that is no’ goin’ to change, no matter how many other children I give your Da!” She opened her arms and pulled them both close and hugged them tightly. “You are my little girls as much as any other babies I might have. Do ye hear me?” she asked, giving them each a gentle swat on the bottom
“We hear you, Mam.” They both replied.
When the baby was born, Bridget called the girls into the new bedroom that was finished just a couple of weeks earlier to meet their brother. “Sit here beside me,” she invited them. “Welcome David Seth Masterson to our family. Davy, these are your big sisters, Sally and Susie. They will be helping your Da and me take care of you.”
“What will the baby call you, Mam?” Susie asked.
“The same thing that you and Sally call me… Mam. It is the Irish way to say Mother, and I like being a mam to my children.”
Seth watched as the girls looked at each other in silent communication. Something as simple as what the new child would call Bridget was all it took to let them know how much they were loved.
The End.
Happy Mother’s Day to all Mam’s everywhere…