Forever Yours

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Mary hoped she could do that if the time ever came. Hopefully, they would be content to use their own recipes. She took a deep breath and released it. She’d just have to say no if they asked her anything else about her pies. She would just pretend she was standing in front of her kids when one of them asked her if they could do something dangerous. She had no trouble saying no in that situation.

  After she and Sally finished collecting the items on Mary’s list, Mary paid for them. Ralph and the young man he’d hired loaded the crates into the back of the wagon for them.

  Before Ralph helped Mary into the wagon, he asked, “Got any idea on when you’ll bring me more things to sell? I had a couple of women asking about those dish towels and potholders you make.”

  “I’m working on some more,” she replied. “I should be done with enough for you to sell in a month.”

  He frowned in disappointment. “A whole month?”

  “Maybe I can finish in two weeks.”

  “That’s more like it.” He gave her a wink. “You have a gift. That husband of yours should let you use it instead of making you cook meals all the time.”

  “Oh, don’t pester her,” Sally said as Ralph’s assistant helped her into the wagon. “She’s got three children on top of taking care of David.”

  Ralph waited until Sally settled into a comfortable spot before shooting her a pointed look. “You need to call him Dave. I swear, every time you call him David, it takes me a second to realize we’re talking about the same person.”

  “I won that race when we were children,” Sally began. “And—”

  “And because of that you get to call him David,” both Mary and Ralph finished in unison.

  Sally blinked in surprise.

  Mary chuckled. “You always say that.”

  “Well, it’s true,” Sally replied.

  “I’m afraid she’s stuck in her ways,” Mary told Ralph. “You’ll never get her to call him Dave.”

  Ralph sighed. “I suppose not.” He shrugged. “Just make sure you come by with those kitchen items. It’s profitable for both of us.”

  “I’ll be back in two weeks,” Mary promised then waited until he was away from the wagon before she released the brake.

  “You know you give Ralph an advantage the other mercantile owner doesn’t have, don’t you?” Sally asked while Mary led the horses down the street. “That’s why he’s eager to get those things you’re making.”

  “Yes, I know. Ralph is a likable person, but he’s also a businessman. His mind is always on how much money he can bring in. But, to be fair to him, he needs to make money in order to keep the place open. I’m not sure I want to go to another mercantile. I’m used to Ralph’s.”

  “In that case, you better keep up with those potholders and dish towels and whatever else you’re working on.”

  “I mostly do those, but I have done some blankets and bonnets for babies. Those are fun to work on.”

  “Seriously, Mary, how do you have time to do that and manage everything on the farm?”

  “I don’t do everything out there. Dave does a lot of the work.”

  Sally shook her head. “He doesn’t do most of the work. I used to be on a farm, and there’s no way men do as much as the women.”

  “We all work together. Everything goes along smoothly. No one person could do it all alone. We balance each other out.”

  “Will that be true now that David’s got a broken leg?”

  “The leg should heal in two months. Less if he’s careful. That’s what Joel said.”

  “I don’t know. Two months can seem like an awfully long time for a woman whose husband stays inside the house all day. It might feel more like two years before he’s ready to go back outside to work.”

  Mary turned down the street that would take her to Sally’s house. “I think Dave is more likely to go restless than I am. He’s only been in the house one day, and he’s already bored. I tried to encourage him to read a book, but he’s not interested in reading.”

  “He’s never liked reading. He rarely read anything the teacher gave us. He ended up with some low marks because of it, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Now, Rick is a reader. He always has his nose in a book. He likes to study up on the laws and different court cases. Sometimes I ask him to read to me at bedtime.”

  Mary glanced at her in surprise. “You like it when he reads those books to you?”

  “Heavens, no. The information is boring. It puts me right to sleep.” Sally giggled. “It works better than warm milk.”

  Mary shook her head in amusement. “You’re terrible, Sally. Does Rick know it bores you?”

  “I’m not sure. All I know is that he doesn’t mind that I end up falling asleep.”

  Mary reached the house and pulled the brake. She debated whether or not to say what had come to mind, but after a moment, she decided she couldn’t resist joking with her friend. “He’s probably relieved you’re not going to keep him awake by talking all night.”

  Sally let out a gasp, and Mary hurried down from the wagon before Sally could retaliate.

  Greg, Sally’s fourteen-year-old son, and Jeremy, Jenny’s twelve-year-old son, came out of the house. “Do you have anything you need us to bring in, Ma?” Greg called out to Sally.

  “No, today’s trip was all for Mary and her family,” Sally replied as she let Greg help her down from the wagon. “Though, after what your aunt just said, I’m not sure I should have helped.”

  Mary caught the teasing gleam in Sally’s eye and chuckled. “I was very glad to have your mother with me,” Mary told Greg, deciding she owed Sally a compliment. “I don’t care much for shopping, but she makes it an enjoyable experience. Time goes fast when she’s with me.”

  “I can say the same about cooking,” Sally replied. “Cooking is tedious unless you’re there.”

  Mary smiled at her. “Although I love to cook, I agree it’s more fun when we’re doing it together.” She turned to Jeremy. “How did your mother manage while we were gone?”

  “Fine,” Jeremy replied. “She’s changing Adam’s diaper.”

  “What are the others doing?” Sally asked.

  “They’re playing in the backyard,” he said.

  “Are they being good?” Sally asked.

  “They’re fine, Ma,” Greg answered for Jeremy. “They’re all taking turns riding the dog.”

  Sally’s eyes grew wide. “They’re what?”

  To Mary’s surprise, Sally ran into the house. Greg and Jeremy glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed her. Mary bit her tongue so she wouldn’t laugh. She was used to Isaac and Rachel trying to hop on Jasper’s back in an attempt to ride him, so news that the children were doing this didn’t shock her. She was, however, shocked that this had never happened to Sally before. Granted, Sally’s children were far apart in age, but it seemed that at some point, five-year-old Laura would have tried it. Even Greg probably tried it when he was younger.

  By the time Mary got to the backyard, Sally was giving the four children a lecture on how they were too big to try to ride the dog like he was a horse. Mary noticed that Greg and Jeremy had decided not to join the others in the backyard, and she couldn’t blame them. Not only did they want to stay out of Sally’s way since she wasn’t happy, but they were older than the other children.

  “I don’t want to see any of you doing this ever again,” Sally was telling the four children who looked appropriately contrite. “A dog is not a horse. You can’t treat them the same way.”

  Mary recalled the time Dave told her that one thing he had learned as a child was to never argue with Sally. She had a way of sounding like a strict school teacher who was ready to send someone to the corner of the room with a dunce cap on. He’d also added that Tom and Joel hadn’t been smart enough to stay out of her way, and because of it, they’d ended up getting in trouble when she told her parents about how they were misbehaving. “The best thing you can do is stay out of her way when she’s in a bad mood
,” Dave had finished.

  Laura must have been used to these lectures since she only stared at her mother as if she was patiently waiting for her to stop. Rachel, however, hurried over to Mary in alarm. Mary picked her up.

  Jenny’s second child, seven-year-old Carl, seemed to take the lecture well, but her youngest, four-year-old Emma, looked as if she was ready to burst into tears.

  “I just can’t believe it,” Sally continued. “When have I ever told any of you that riding the dog is acceptable?”

  Mary decided she better speak up. “I think the children now realize it’s wrong to do that. They won’t do it again.” She glanced at the children. “Will you?”

  All of the children shook their heads, and poor Emma wiped her eyes. Maybe Mary was softer than she should be, but she went over to Emma and rubbed her shoulders.

  Sally sighed. “I’m sorry, Emma. I didn’t want to make you cry. I only want you to understand what you can and can’t do with a dog, especially one that’s not so young anymore. You could hurt his back.”

  Jenny came out with Adam. When she noticed everyone, she frowned. “What happened? Did someone get hurt?”

  “No,” Mary replied. “They’re fine.”

  “They were trying to ride the dog,” Sally told her sister. “Did you tell them that was alright to do?”

  Jenny shook her head. “They were playing fetch with him when I went inside with Adam.” After a moment, she asked, “What’s wrong with them riding the dog?”

  Sally gave her an exasperated look, and this time, Mary couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s fine, Sally. Your dog is alright. Look at him.”

  Sally glanced down, and the dog was putting his head under Carl’s hand so Carl would pet him. The dog was panting and wagging his tail.

  “He’s happy,” Mary added. “He’s not in any pain.”

  Sally hesitated for a moment then relented. “I suppose the children didn’t do any harm.”

  Jenny rolled her eyes. “It’s just like you to jump to conclusions. You should take a moment to see what’s going on around you.” She turned her attention to the children. “Who wants some of Aunt Mary’s delicious cookies?”

  All of the children, including Rachel who wiggled out of Mary’s arms, ran into the house with Jenny.

  Sally shook her head, bewildered. “I didn’t jump to conclusions. Did I?”

  “I agree they shouldn’t be treating your dog like a horse,” Mary said. “If they were to all get on him at the same time, they could hurt him, but I think you could have used a softer tone when talking to them.”

  “Are you saying that I sounded mean?”

  “No, but you did use the big sister voice Dave tells me about.”

  “Big sister voice?”

  “He said you could strike terror into anyone when you used it. Well, everyone but Tom and Joel.”

  Sally put a hand on her hip. “Those two were impossible. They never did anything they were told to. They were too busy running around and playing pranks on each other. How else was I supposed to deal with them?”

  “Dave said you did that to him, too.”

  “I never once yelled at David. He was always a perfect gentleman.”

  “He was that way because you terrified him.” Sally didn’t seem to believe her, so Mary opted to say, “It doesn’t matter. That was a long time ago. Let’s go in and have some cookies with the others.”

  “Do Isaac, Rachel, and Adam like seeing me?” she asked before Mary could lead her into the house.

  “Of course, they do. Isaac wanted to come but stayed home to help Dave. Rachel and Adam ran to the wagon because they couldn’t wait to see you.”

  “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”

  “No. It’s true. Sally, you grew up having to help your mother with your brothers and sister. I don’t think you can get away from that. It’s a part of who you are. The children know you love them and that you mean well.”

  “I hope so.”

  Mary put an arm around Sally’s shoulders and urged her toward the house. “They do. We’re all different in our mothering styles, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If I had two troublemakers like Tom and Joel for little brothers, I’d be the same way you are.”

  “You would?”

  Mary nodded. “Those two would test anyone’s patience. Even I get frustrated with them from time to time when they keep fighting over a single piece of pie. If you ask me, they made you this way. I don’t know how you managed all those years living under the same roof with them. I’m glad I ended up with Dave.”

  “If all brothers were like David, I would be more like you. He was easy to deal with.”

  “I have a feeling that was partly because of you.” Mary squeezed her shoulders then let her go. “Dave’s the perfect husband. And Greg and Laura are two very well-behaved children. That’s because of you.”

  “Thanks, Mary. That makes me feel better.”

  Mary returned Sally’s smile and entered the house.

  Chapter Five

  “We heard you broke your leg.”

  Dave opened his eyes and turned his attention to his parents who stood in front of him on the porch. He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep.

  He cleared his throat and straightened up in the chair, making sure he didn’t irritate his leg as he did so. “Did Joel tell you about it?”

  “Nope,” his pa said as he sat in the chair next to him. “Sally did. She said she saw Mary yesterday.”

  Had Mary only gone into town yesterday? Dave could have sworn that was a good week ago. It’d sure felt like a whole week had passed while he stayed here with Isaac to wait for her to return.

  Dave’s ma offered him a sympathetic smile. “How long will you be stuck in the chair?”

  “One and a half to two months,” Dave replied.

  She winced. “That long?”

  Dave nodded. “And this all happened because I took the horse too close to the river. I knew better. That section of land right around it isn’t level.”

  “We all make mistakes,” his ma replied. “You can’t be too hard on yourself.”

  “Just be glad it happened now instead of at harvest. Harvest is when you need to do the hard work. Right now, you’re in the season where Mary, your ma, and I can help out.”

  “You and Ma have your own farm, and I know you planted crops this year.”

  “Yes, but the planting’s done. Without a house full of children, we have nothing better to do than come out here when we finish up with morning chores. Then we can get back home in the afternoon and do the evening ones.”

  “You’re planning to come out here every day to help us out?” Dave asked in surprise.

  “Of course, we are,” his pa replied. “We’re family, and family sticks together.”

  “That’s right,” his ma agreed. “I told Sally not to worry about you two. Your pa and I have everything under control. She was ready to round up your brothers to pitch in and help, but everyone has their own children and work to manage. Your pa and I only have each other, and that can get boring.”

  His father glanced at his mother. “Thanks a lot,” he told her.

  She giggled and kissed him. “I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant that there’s not a lot to do besides sit and read for most of the day.”

  “If you’re trying to make me feel better it’s not working,” his pa replied.

  “Well, you have to admit we never once got bored when the children were living with us.”

  He seemed to consider her words and relented. “That’s true. It’s hard to get bored when someone is breaking something, making a mess somewhere, or getting into an argument.”

  “Exactly. Things are too quiet. Once you have children, it’s hard to adjust to living without them.”

  “You have grandchildren who come over a lot.”

  “But then they go home.”

  Dave’s pa looked at him, and he whispered, “They go home after they
break something, make a mess somewhere, or get into fights with each other. I don’t know why she complains that nothing’s the same ever since you all grew up and left the house.”

  “What was that?” she asked.

  He turned his attention back to her and winked. “I love you more today than the day we married.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could respond, Isaac and Rachel came running out of the barn, calling out to their grandparents. Forgetting all about their conversation, she hurried down the porch steps and ran to them.

  Dave’s father laughed. “If it weren’t for grandchildren, the poor woman would die of boredom. I, on the other hand, have no trouble keeping entertained.” He pulled out a deck of cards. “Want to play some games?”

  Relieved, Dave nodded. “There’s a small table over there we can use.” He gestured further down the porch where the swing was.

  “Good.” His pa went over to get the table.

  Dave’s gaze went to the barn where Mary came out with a pail of fresh milk. Adam was walking beside her, but he stopped to inspect something in the grass. Mary continued on and went over to Dave’s mother who was hugging Isaac and Rachel. His mother looked up and saw Mary. Picking up Rachel and holding Isaac’s hand, his mother stood up, and the two women began talking.

  His father returned to him and set the table down between them. “Don’t tell your mother this, but she was up half the night because she was trying to come up with things to do with Isaac, Rachel, and Adam. You’d swear she had died and gone to heaven. You getting injured was good for her, even if it was bad for you.”

  Though Dave rolled his eyes, he laughed. “At least my broken leg is serving a useful purpose.”

  His pa chuckled. “You can’t blame her too much. I’m the one who’s outside doing the chores. She’s stuck inside the house. I’m sure there’s not much to do if there aren’t any children running around.” He shuffled his cards. “What do you want to play first?”

  “Cribbage.”

  “In that case, I’ll get a pencil and paper.” He set the cards down.

  “We have some in the kitchen.”

  His pa headed into the house.