by Linda Bridey
Tessa turned and was instantly charmed by the house. It was a wooden two story structure with quite a few windows. A nice porch wrapped around it and several wooden rocking chairs sat behind the railing. A swing hung from the porch rafters. The house was a rustic brown color. Tessa didn’t know a whole lot about construction, but it looked sturdy and well put together.
Dean watched her closely as she looked the place over. He was nervous about what she’d think of it because he knew her family was rich and lived in a large mansion. He knew their place couldn’t compare to the kind of home Tessa was used to. Her eyes moved quickly, he noticed.
As he looked at her profile, Dean was struck again by how beautiful Tessa was. She had a pretty, straight nose and a graceful neck. Her dark hair shone with good health. He had a sudden urge to touch it to see if it felt as soft as it looked. Dean’s hands tightened imperceptibly on the reins as he fought the impulse.
Tessa turned to him with her eyes shining. “It’s lovely! I can see the care that went into building it and you certainly keep it well maintained.”
Dean grinned as relief flowed through him. “Thanks. I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”
“No need to worry,” Tessa said.
“Good.” Dean stepped down from the wagon. “I’ll help you down.”
“All right,” Tessa said.
Dean grasped her by the waist and helped her down. The physical contact sent a jolt of awareness through Tessa. Her hands rested on his large biceps and his scent reached her nostrils. He smelled of hay and horses and a little sweat. The combination was far from repulsive. It was a little primal and she felt a stirring of desire.
Dean was having much the same feelings. He hadn’t touched another woman since Sarah and her waist and lower back felt soft, yet firm. It scared him a little that he could desire another woman. He cleared his throat and stepped back quickly.
“There. Ready for the tour?” he asked.
Tessa had sensed the change in him and frowned a little. Then she chastised herself for being so silly. Of course he was not going to engage in anything physical in front of the children or Marcus. Besides, they didn’t know each other nearly well enough for anything like that.
She brightened. “Of course.”
As they moved through the house, the kids told her a lot of things about it. She found the interior of the house as charming as the exterior. The kitchen was clean and orderly. The cupboards were carved with intricate flowered patterns. Tessa ran her fingertips over them.
“Wherever did you get these beautiful doors?”
“Uncle Marcus made them,” Sadie said.
Tessa turned to him. “You did these?”
Marcus nodded.
“You are an expert craftsman, Marcus. I have to say I’ve never seen any finer work. In Pittsburgh, your services would by highly sought after,” she said.
Marcus was a little bashful, which wasn’t like him. “Really? Thank you.”
“He’s always doing something with wood. People around here get him to carve and whittle a lot of stuff,” Dean said.
“I can see why.”
They moved to the front parlor and Tessa fell in love with it. The light coming in the windows made it a bright, cheery room. Pretty white eyelet curtains dressed the windows. The furniture was of good quality. A large braided rug of browns and pinks covered much of the shiny wooden floor. Tessa saw a woman’s touch all over the room.
“Your wife was very talented in furnishing a home. It’s lovely. Did she make the curtains?” Tessa asked.
Dean nodded. “She could make almost anything that way; clothes, quilts, baby blankets, curtains. You name it.” It made him feel good to see Tessa appreciating Sarah’s handiwork.
Tessa saw a picture on the mantel of the fireplace and crossed the room to it. It was of Dean, Sarah, and younger versions of Jack and Sadie. They were all dressed in their finest clothes and they were all smiling. Tessa focused on Sarah. She was a beautiful woman with brown eyes and light brown hair.
They all looked so happy. It was such a shame that her life had been cut short and that their baby had perished. Those thoughts brought tears to Tessa’s eyes. Dean saw her lips tremble and wondered at the cause.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
Tessa looked up at him and he saw that her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful woman and I know that she will always be missed.”
Dean felt a lump form in his throat and he found it difficult to speak. “She was beautiful and Sadie looks just like her. It’s been hard.”
Tessa nodded. “How could it not be? As I said in my letters, I am not here to take her place, but to make my own in your lives. Please don’t feel that you cannot talk about her around me. I would like to know all about such a wonderful woman.”
“We have all kinds of stories to tell you about her,” Sadie said. “She was so much fun and made great cookies.”
“I’m sure she was. Do you have the recipe?” Tessa said.
Sadie nodded.
“Maybe we could make them together sometime.”
“I would love that!” Sadie said.
“Me, too,” Jack piped up. “I really like cookies.”
Tessa laughed. “I have a feeling that you like almost any kind of food.”
“Yup,” the little boy said.
Dean was glad the children had lightened the moment. It gave him a chance to compose himself. “Well, why don’t I show you your room? Follow me.”
It went against societal norms for a single woman to stay in the same house as a single man, but there was no other place for her. Marcus’ house would not accommodate a guest and it was the same type of situation as at Dean’s house. Their close friends, the Bensons, also had no room and, without a hotel present, Dean’s house was the only choice. Tessa had no qualms about it. She sensed that Dean was an honorable man and she didn’t fear for her virtue.
Tessa followed Dean up the staircase. The boards under her feet creaked a little, but they were sturdy and she had no fear that they would fall through. The stairs opened into a wide hallway. There were two doors on the right and one on the left. A window at the end of the hallway let in light. Dean opened the door on the left.
“This is the wash room.”
Tessa walked into the room. It was equipped with a large metal tub, wash stand with a porcelain basin and pitcher. The stand itself was elegantly crafted. “Marcus did this as well?”
“No. I made it for Sarah’s birthday five years ago. I wanted her to have a nice place to bathe. I know how important that kind of thing is to women,” Dean replied.
Tessa raised her eyebrows. “Craftsmanship seems to run in the family.”
“Our mother was really skilled at it. Her pa taught her,” Dean said.
“Really? How unusual,” Tessa marveled.
Dean shook his head. “Tessa, you’re gonna find that, out here, women often work right along with the men doing things like growing crops, carpentry, and taking care of the livestock. When the men are off on a cattle drive, it’s the women who are left to keep things going.”
“I never thought of that,” Tessa confessed.
Dean smiled at her. “I have a feeling we’re gonna learn a lot from each other.”
“Me, too.”
“Well, c’mon. I’ll show you your room,” Dean said.
She followed him again. He opened the first door on the right and motioned her through. Tessa saw a large four-poster bed standing sentinel in the room. A quilt done in bright greens and blues covered it. There was a dresser and a small chest at the foot of the bed. Tessa saw that there was no closet, but there was a long row of pegs on one wall.
“It’s probably not as big or pretty as yours back home, but it’s homey,” Dean said.
“Yes, it is and I’ll be quite comfortable here, I’m sure.”
“Sadie’s room is the other one u
p here. Jack’s room is downstairs. He likes the little one off the kitchen. Mine is the one beyond the parlor,” he told her.
“All right.”
Marcus arrived with a couple of Tessa’s bags then. “There’s only a couple more. You travel light for a woman,” he teased.
Tessa chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I’ll just put them on the bed for now,” Marcus said.
“Thank you,” Tessa said.
The two men left her and retrieved her other bags. Dean was a very strong man, but by the time he reached the top of the stairs with one of them, he was huffing.
“What the hell is in that thing?” he asked. “Pardon the language.”
Tessa laughed. “A lady is allowed to have her little mysteries, gentlemen.”
Dean smiled back. “If you say so. Well, we’ll leave you to get settled in. We’ll get some supper going. I imagine you’re pretty hungry.”
“Yes, very. All of the fresh air has given me quite an appetite,” Tessa said.
They left and Tessa stood still for a few moments, getting her bearings. She looked around the unfamiliar room and felt a pang of homesickness. She also felt guilty about leaving the way she had but knew that it had been the only way. Her father especially would have never allowed her to leave and would have had her watched to make sure she didn’t. It would have been out of love, but Tessa knew that, eventually, it would have made her bitter to be trapped in a life she didn’t want.
Then she brushed off the negative feelings and let all of the excitement return. She looked down at her clothing and decided to change. She was disheveled and it would feel good to be in fresh clothing and wash up a little.
She opened the valise that contained her new clothes and pulled out the necessary items. She was excited to wear a little less clothing, as the women in these parts did. All of the undergarments were binding and it was hotter here, so it would feel good to wear something cooler.
Tessa chose a pretty calico print dress, gathered her toiletries, and went next door to the wash room. She used the cool water in the bucket on the floor to wash up in and then put on her new clothes. Tessa checked her appearance and was pleased with the way she looked. It was a more relaxed fashion, yet still attractive. Her hair was still in the more formal style, so she took it down and brushed it out. She then French braided it. Again, Tessa was happy with the way it looked. She dabbed a little bit of rosewater behind her ears and her toilet was complete.
She hurriedly put away her things and headed downstairs. As she reached the landing, Sadie and Jack met her there. Sadie took her hand and led her to the kitchen.
“Aunt Lydia is here to meet you. She helped make supper, too,” the girl said.
“Splendid!” Tessa was happy to have another woman to talk to.
As Lydia watched Tessa walk into the kitchen hand in hand with Sadie, she thought that some kind of an angel was coming her way. The girl was certainly beautiful and Dean and Marcus and the children seemed to like her, but Lydia was going to test her right away. She was protective of these people who had quickly become her family and she wasn’t going to put up with any funny business.
“Hello, Theresa. I’m Lydia Benson, neighbor to the Samuels, and adopted family. It’s good to finally meet you,” Lydia said formally.
“Please, Lydia, you must call me Tessa. All of my close family and friends do, and I certainly hope we quickly become friends. It’s so good to meet you, as well. Dean has told me many good things about you and your husband, Charlie,” Tessa said. She understood that Lydia’s words were meant as a warning and wanted to put the older woman at ease.
Tessa extended her hand and gave Lydia a warm smile. Lydia looked closely at Tessa, searching for any sign of falsity or malice. Finding none, she took Tessa’s hand and shook it.
“Likewise. I like your dress and you have beautiful hair,” Lydia said.
“Thank you. Something smells good,” Tessa said.
“Aunt Lydia made fried chicken and mashed potatoes,” Jack told her. “That’s my favorite.”
Dean laughed. “Almost everything is his favorite.”
He had finally been able to speak again after watching Tessa come into the room. While she’d been very pretty in her refined clothing, he thought her infinitely more beautiful in the simple clothing she now wore. It had been a long time since he’d felt the stirrings of desire and it was disconcerting. Dean shoved those thoughts aside.
“C’mon and sit down. We’re almost ready to eat,” Lydia said. To Jack, she said, “Go find your Uncle Seth and let him know to get his rear to supper.”
Jack tore out the door, intent on his mission.
“Is there something I can do to help?” Tessa asked.
“No, no, dear. Please sit. You traveled a long way and need to rest yourself,” Lydia replied.
Tessa smiled. “All right, but I intend to earn my keep, you know.”
Lydia laughed. “Don’t worry, you will.”
Jack soon returned with Seth, who was a slightly larger version of Dean. Seth’s eyes were a slightly flintier blue than Dean’s. He grinned disarmingly at Tessa.
“Well, ain’t you a fine lookin’ thing,” he said.
Tessa blushed at his direct compliment and returned his smile. “Thank you, Seth,” she said with a little laugh.
“Welcome to our crazy life,” Seth said. “We’ll try not to scare you away right away.”
“Behave yourself, Seth,” Lydia said in a motherly fashion.
Seth said, “Yes, ma’am,” but his eyes said otherwise.
Dean didn’t like Seth’s forward behavior and he decided he was going to talk to his brother about it.
Supper was delicious. Tessa had never eaten fried chicken before and marveled at how tasty it was. The mashed potatoes were creamy and flavored well with butter. There was also canned corn from the last season. Between her empty stomach and the stress of meeting Dean and his family, Tessa’s appetite was great and she cleaned her plate quickly.
She’d always eaten with decorum but wasn’t shy about eating her fill, even at social events. Women had remarked how jealous they were that she could eat like that and still retain her figure. Tessa told them it was due to all the horseback riding and a lot of walking, both of which were true.
Finally, she put her fork on her plate and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. She leaned back with a contented sigh. “That was incredible.”
Dean smiled at her. “It’s always nice to see a woman eat well and I’m glad you enjoyed it. Not surprised, though. Lydia’s a wonderful cook.”
“Yes, she is,” Tessa agreed.
“Now go on with you both,” Lydia said, but Tessa could tell she was pleased by the praise.
Seth said, “Quit acting so shy about it, Lydia. If your cooking stunk, we wouldn’t want you to make stuff.” He winked at Lydia.
Tessa smiled. Seth and Dean looked a lot alike but had different personalities. Marcus and Seth had similar attitudes. Dean was more serious than the two of them and Tessa wondered if it had always been that way or if it was only since Sarah and their baby had passed. She became lost in her musings for a few moments.
“Tessa?”
It was Sadie who brought her back. “Yes?”
“Will you show me how to braid my hair like that? I can braid, but yours is different,” the girl said.
“Of course. I’ll show you tomorrow,” Tessa promised.
“Thank you.”
Tessa looked down into her eager little face and felt something inside her tilt a little. She had a sudden feeling that it would be hard for her to deny Sadie anything. “You’re welcome.”
“I don’t need my hair braided,” Jack stated. “What do I get?”
“Jack!” Dean said. “Mind your manners.”
“Yes, Pa,” Jack said, but didn’t seem very sorry.
Tessa had a hard time not smiling. She looked at Lydia to
distract herself but the other woman seemed to be having the same problem. “Well, actually, I have a little something for each of you. I’ll be right back.”
She rose from the table and hurried upstairs.
Dean watched her go, her skirts swishing as she went. He couldn’t help appreciating her fine figure. He turned back to the table and saw that both of his brothers were watching her as well. “Knock it off,” he said.
“C’mon, Dean. You can’t blame us,” Seth said with a smile. “You say she has sisters?”
“Don’t get any bright ideas,” Dean warned. “Not unless you’re suddenly serious about settling down?”
Seth snorted and finished his iced tea.
“Didn’t think so.”
Marcus chuckled. “Let’s see; she’s beautiful, cultured, educated, and brings presents? If you don’t take her, I will.”
Lydia smacked his arm. “Be serious for once, Marcus. This isn’t a game.”
“Sheesh! I was just kidding,” Marcus rubbed his arm but sobered.
Dean silently applauded Lydia’s reprimand of his little brother. It surprised him how possessive he felt of Tessa already.
Tessa came back into the room carrying one of her suitcases. Dean rose and took it from her. “You should have told me what you were up to. I’d have carried it for you.”
She laid a hand on his arm briefly. “You are quite the gentleman, but I was quite capable.”
“All right.” Her touch was pleasant and Dean could have stood for longer contact with her.
Tessa pulled her chair out a little more and then sat down with the suitcase in front of her.
“I didn’t wrap them in fancy paper because I was afraid it would get ripped, so I hope you’ll pardon the wrapping. Sadie, this is for you.”
She handed a package to her. Sadie took it carefully and opened it. It was a little white jewelry box done in white satin with a pink bow on the top. She opened it and inside stood a tiny ballerina. Tessa showed her the winding key on the bottom and, soon, the ballerina began to spin, dancing to pretty music.
“It’s beautiful!” Sadie said. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” Tessa turned to Jack. “And now for the young master.” She reached into her suitcase and pulled out another package.