Iris smiled. "They're nice people. Flo's mother died in October, and I worry about how they're making it. I'm glad they have you to help them."
"I don't know what it is about Flo, but she just pulls on my heart strings. I want to take her home with me and keep her forever."
"Be careful. That's how I ended up married to Francis Harvey!"
Opal laughed. "I'm not at all worried about Mr. Reid. He didn't take notice of me. I'll see you Monday!" she called. Thankfully Dr. Iris only worked five days per week, so she had the whole weekend to herself. Why, she was certain she could sew a new dress for Flo in that time.
She walked quickly to the house on the edge of town. When she knocked on the door, Flo opened it with a squeal, throwing her arms around Opal. "You came back!"
"I told you I would!" Opal hugged the little girl, and then walked over to set the bread on the table. "If we hurry, we can get your laundry on the line before we need to start supper."
"Oh, that would be lovely! I'll get it!" Flo rushed from the room.
Opal smiled as she set the huge pot onto boil again. The dishes were done, which surprised her, but she still needed to boil water for the laundry.
Flo came back into the room dragging a laundry basket that was heaped high. It looked like she'd stripped the beds as well as just bringing clothes. No matter. They had a few hours before sunset. Plenty of time to get it all done.
Opal helped her get the laundry washed, and then they put it all on the line. She felt odd handling the clothing a man she barely knew had worn, but she did it. She wanted to get as much done as she could before she had to head home.
"Okay, now let's go and fix supper," Opal said. "Do you have anything you're hungry for?"
"Papa bought a chicken in town today, and he said we could make chicken pie if you don't mind."
Opal had never made anything as fancy as chicken pie, but she'd made pies before, so she was certain she could figure it out. She mixed up the dough and looked up to a knock on the door.
Flo rushed to get it. "I came to help Opal for a little bit, if you don't mind," Sarah Jane announced.
Opal had always been slightly put off by Sarah Jane and her constant need to inflict her overly strict Christian views on others. She'd said some bad things about Ruby behind her back, because Ruby had kissed a man she wasn't married to. The good thing about Sarah Jane, though, was that she truly believed in Christian charity. She was there to help.
"Glad to see you, Sarah Jane," Opal said honestly. "My little friend here wants a chicken pie for supper, and I've never made one."
Sarah Jane pulled an apron from the pocket of her coat and pulled it over her head. The girl was always prepared for anything. "I'm happy to help. The hard part in making chicken pie is keeping the chicken moist." As she showed both Opal and Flo how to make the pie, she kept up a running commentary on the best way to do things. She set it on the work table when it was ready. "That needs to go into the oven about an hour before you want to eat."
"Thank you, Sarah Jane. I really appreciate it!" Opal realized she hadn't yet introduced the two. "Sarah Jane, this is my friend, Flo Reid. Flo, this is one of my friends who I grew up with, Sarah Jane."
Flo smiled at Sarah Jane. "It's nice to meet you. Thank you for helping us cook."
Sarah Jane grinned. "It's no problem at all." She looked at Opal. "Do they need butter? I can help you churn some butter if you have other things you need to do."
"Do you need butter?" Opal asked. She never would have thought of butter to go with the bread. Not until she was eating anyway.
Flo nodded. "We haven't had any in a long time. I'll get the butter churn!" She half carried and half dragged the churn into the house from where it had been out front. "I think we need to wash it."
Sarah Jane took it from her. "I can take care of all that. You two do whatever else needs to be done."
Opal looked at Flo. "Do you know what else needs to be done?"
"Papa needs some of his clothes mended," Flo offered. She looked down at her worn dress that had been patched inexpertly too many times, and was much too short. "I probably need a new dress."
"We can handle both of those things," Opal said. She'd brought some of the money she'd made at her job and had been saving for gifts for people special to her. "Do you want to go to town and get some fabric for a new dress?"
Flo shook her head. "We don't need to. Mama had some she purchased right before she got sick. Let me get it!" She rushed off into her father's bedroom and brought out a wooden box filled with fabric, buttons and thread. There was a pair of scissors on top of everything. "This was Mama's sewing box." She held up a pretty blue fabric with flowers on it. "This was for a new Sunday dress for me."
"Well, then we'll make a new Sunday dress out of it." She went to the basket she'd brought, and pulled out a small pouch. She had a tape measure she had brought for just this purpose.
She made notes on a small piece of paper as she measured her, and then she took out the fabric. "I'll take the fabric home with me tonight and cut the dress out. Is that all right?"
"Oh, yes ma'am!" Flo was obviously having a hard time containing her excitement at the prospect.
"Now bring me your papa's mending, and I'll get started on that."
Sarah Jane finished churning the butter and put some in a large crock that Flo brought her. "I'm going to head home now, but I'll come and help when you need me." She hugged Flo tightly. "You're in good hands with Opal. She's smart."
Sarah Jane left to make the walk to the house and help Edna Petunia with supper. Flo sat beside Opal, and Opal showed her how to patch a pair of pants. Flo's papa's clothes were almost as bad as Flo's.
She put the pie into the oven when she gauged that the time was right, and then she sat back down to do some more mending. She would come earlier the next day so she could bake bread for them. She wished she had more time to help the small family.
All the clothes were off the line, and the beds were made up when Mr. Reid came into the house. "I just need to get the pie out of the oven, and I'll be on my way," she told him.
"Are you sure you won't eat with us tonight? You've worked so hard, it's the least we could do."
Opal bit her lip, thinking about it. Sarah Jane would surely tell Edna Petunia that there was a lot of work to be done, so no one would worry about her if she stayed later. "All right. I can do that."
Flo jumped up and set another spot at the table, while Opal put the kettle on to warm the water for dishes. If she was staying for supper, she was going to help with the dishes.
Opal put a ball of butter onto the table, and one of the loaves of bread she'd brought from home beside it. Once they were all sitting, Opal cut the pie and served a piece to everyone.
Flo jabbered on about her day, thrilled to have her father home. They were obviously very close. "Opal's friend came and she helped us make the chicken pie, because Opal had never made one before."
"Your friend?" Mr. Reid asked her.
Opal nodded. "I grew up in an orphanage in New York, and they sent fifteen girls from our orphanage here. We were adopted by Cletus and Edna Petunia Sanders."
Mr. Reid nodded. "They're good people."
"They are. I still live with them, but I'm done with school now. I work for Dr. Iris Harvey. I'm a nanny and general housekeeper for them."
"I see. I appreciate you taking some time the last two days to help us catch up on our housework. And the meals have been superb. It's hard for us to figure out who should be doing the cooking, because neither of us know how to do much more than slice bread."
"I'm happy to help. Flo is delightful, and I'm enjoying our time together."
Mr. Reid eyed her all through the meal, as if he was thinking about something. After supper, he kept watching her as Opal and Flo did the dishes together.
When she was done, he got to his feet. "We'll walk you home."
"Oh, that's all right, Mr. Reid. It isn't far, and I feel perfectly safe."
/> He shook his head. "You shouldn't. There are too many cowboys around here for a beautiful young lady to feel safe." He took his hat from a hook by the door. "Come along, Flo. We're walking Opal home."
"Yes, Papa." Opal grabbed her shawl, and the three of them set out toward the Sanders' house.
Chapter Three
As they walked, Mr. Reid asked her questions about her life. "So why do you have enough time on your hands to do all this work for us? No beaux?"
Opal shook her head. "No. My twin sister married a short time ago, and I feel alone. So I've been at odds."
"You have a twin? Identical?"
"Actually no. We look very different. She's the pretty one."
He looked at her with surprise. If her sister was the pretty one, she must be one of the most beautiful women in the world. "Really? I find that hard to believe."
"Why? Am I so ugly I couldn't have a pretty sister?"
For just a moment, Nathaniel thought she was fishing for compliments, but then he realized she was serious. "You don't think you're pretty?"
She shrugged. "I don't think I make small children run away in fear, but I've never really been anything more than passable."
He blinked a few times. "I think you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met."
Opal flushed. "Wait until you meet my sister. Then you'll understand."
"I'd like to meet her." His mind was whirling as they walked. He had an idea, and he didn't want to frighten her away, but he knew it was the best thing for him and his daughter. "If you're lonely, and you don't have a beau, and you like my daughter so much, why don't you marry me? I need a wife, and she needs a mother. I'm sure you've noticed that by now."
Flo stopped walking. She'd been running ahead, but when she heard her father's words, she stopped short, staring at Opal. "Oh yes, please. I would love to have you for a new mama! Please, Opal!"
Opal looked between the two as if they'd lost their minds. Didn't they know you were supposed to marry for love? "I—I barely know you."
"I realize that, and I'll give you some time to think about it. We'd love to have you complete our family, though. You're a special woman, and we need someone like you in our lives."
"I—I don't even know what to say to that, Mr. Reid."
"Once a man proposes marriage, you have to use his first name. It's Nathaniel."
"All right, Nathaniel. I still don't know what to say!"
Flo hurried to Opal's side, taking her hand in hers. "Say yes. Oh, please say yes. You could teach me to clean and cook, and be my mama."
"I can do those things without being your mama," Opal told her. How she wished he would have asked when Flo wasn't there. It would have been so much easier to say no. He wasn't an unattractive man. Quite the contrary. He made her heart flutter when he looked at her. At first she'd thought it was because she was in his house, but no, she was attracted to him.
"You could do them better as her mother," Nathaniel countered. "Are you coming back over tomorrow?"
Opal nodded. "I am. I want to get you completely caught up on housework."
"Whatever your answer to my question is, I appreciate everything you've done."
When they reached the house, Flo gaped at it in shock. "You live there, Opal?"
Opal laughed. "I do. I live there with Sarah Jane and twelve other girls. And this crazy old lady. Do you want to meet them?"
"Oh, yes, please!"
Opal opened the front door, calling out, "We have company!"
Edna Petunia came from the back of the house and smiled at the little girl. "Do you want a piece of pie? I baked cherry pie for dessert. You must be Flo. Opal has told me wonderful things about you."
When Opal saw that Flo was in good hands, she shut the door, turning to face Nathaniel in the darkness. "I can't marry a man I don't even know. I wish you wouldn't have asked me that in front of Flo."
"I knew if I asked in front of Florence, you'd have a harder time saying no," he told her honestly. He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. "Before you say no, may I kiss you? I'm hoping that I can persuade you to at least think about it." He knew he shouldn't be quite so honest about his intentions, but there had been enough lies between him and his first wife, that he wanted to make sure everything was open with Opal.
Opal nodded slowly. She'd never been kissed, and she was sure he'd realize it as soon as he touched her, but she couldn't say no to him. She was too curious about what it would feel like to be so intimate with a man.
He took a step closer, all too aware that someone could look outside at any moment and see them together. He cupped her face in his hands, vowing to himself he would touch her nowhere else unless she agreed to it.
He lowered his head to hers, his tongue reaching out to touch her upper lip softly, before his mouth brushed hers.
Opal sucked in a breath, surprised he'd touched her with his tongue. Were men supposed to do that? His lips felt so soft against hers. She moved her hands up and put them on his shoulders, stroking them through his jacket. It was early April, and there was still a chill in the air at night in Central Texas.
Nathaniel poured all of his emotion into his lips, toying with hers. He wanted her to know that touching a man, him in particular, could only bring pleasure to her.
After a moment, Opal pulled away from him, feeling dazed. What had just happened? "I—" She put her hands to her lips, startled.
"Give me an answer when you're ready," he said, stroking her cheek with his fingertips. "I could make you feel good. My daughter already adores you. Why not?" He took a step back. "Let's go see what shenanigans my daughter is up to, shall we?"
Opal opened the door, leading the way into the house. She found Edna Petunia with Flo at the table, and they were both eating a piece of pie.
"Don't look at me like that, Opal," Edna insisted. "This may be my second piece of pie, but I couldn't let this sweet girl eat alone!"
Opal shook her head, chuckling. "I would never get onto you for too many pieces of pie."
"Sarah Jane would say it's gluttony," Edna mumbled.
"Sarah Jane doesn't need to inflict her standards on the rest of us," Opal responded. "In fact, I'm going to have a piece of pie as well. Would you like some pie, Nathaniel?"
"I believe I would," he answered, taking a seat at the table with his daughter and Edna Petunia. He watched her leave to get the pie and looked at Flo. "Is the pie any good?"
Flo nodded. "Did she say she'd marry you?"
He shook his head. "No, but she's thinking about it."
Edna Petunia looked between the father and daughter. "You're trying to talk Opal into marrying you?"
"Yup. I think she'd make me a good wife. And I know she'd be a wonderful mother to Florence."
"She's a good girl. I'm not sure I'm ready to give her up, though. Her twin just got married!" Edna Petunia looked sad at the prospect.
"She told me you adopted her and fourteen other orphans. How long has she lived with you?"
"Oh not long. Only about a year. That doesn't mean I love her any less, though. I've spent my life wanting a whole mess of bastard children to love. Now that I have them, they all think they need to run off and marry and leave me!"
"Bastard children? They're all bastards? That's surprising. I thought most orphans were from parents who had died for one reason or another." He didn't care whether or not Opal was a bastard, of course. She was obviously a decent young lady, and he needed a wife who didn't mind that he had a daughter.
Opal stepped into the room. "Only a couple of us are really bastards. Edna Petunia likes to think we all are, though. She loves bastards."
"I see," Nathaniel said, not really seeing at all. Why would anyone want to pretend children were bastards when they weren't?
Opal put a piece of pie on the table in front of Nathaniel and sat down next to him with her own piece.
Nathaniel took one bite of the pie, and looked at Edna Petunia, love in his eyes. "If Opal won't marry me, I'd be h
onored if you would."
Edna Petunia cackled. "I'm a good cook. What's surprising is no one really knew that until I married last year. I hid my light under a bushel. Why I probably could have married much earlier in life if I'd cooked for men. I tell my girls all the time that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I wish they'd just listen to me!"
"I believe you. I think I'm falling a little more in love with you with every bite."
Opal rolled her eyes, enjoying her pie. "I don't believe I could marry such a fickle man. Why, he already has his eye on another man's wife in case I say no!"
Nathaniel sighed. "I guess I am fickle, but did you taste this pie? The chicken pie at supper was just as good though."
"That's because Sarah Jane made it," Opal said. "You won't be getting a wonderful cook by marrying me. I'm a fair cook, don't get me wrong, but I can't hold a candle to Edna Petunia or Sarah Jane."
"You didn't make the chicken pie we ate for supper?" he asked. "Where's Sarah Jane? I can ask her to marry me!" He squeezed Opal's free hand under the table, trying to let her know that he was joking.
Opal shook her head at him, before looking at Flo. "He wants to marry Sarah Jane, not me."
"Oh, no. Papa's smarter than that! He'll marry you." Flo kept eating her pie as if the interruption hadn't happened. She obviously knew her father well. They seemed to be a good team.
Opal watched the two of them, surprised by how close they seemed to be. She had not been impressed with him when Flo had first talked about him, but perhaps he was a better man than she realized. He was certainly a good kisser.
She blushed as the thought popped into her head.
Nathaniel grinned at her. "What were you thinking that has you blushing that way?" he asked.
She started to not answer, but really? Who would she offend? Edna Petunia wouldn't care, and Flo was too young to care. "I was thinking about what a good kisser you are."
Nathaniel blushed at that. "Your—Edna Petunia is here!" He had no idea how he was supposed to refer to the old woman.
Opal shrugged. "Edna Petunia doesn't care if I talk about kissing you in front of her. Do you?"
Opal (Orlan Orphans Book 3) Page 2