The Convenient Mail Order Bride Page 8

  What was wrong with her? Did she really want this kind of life? Not only did she give up the conveniences she’d no doubt been used to in Ohio, but she’d been delegated to the same status as a half-breed. Her lot in life would be much easier if she took a white husband.

  Maybe it was the shock of the day’s events talking. Maybe she hadn’t had sufficient time to process everything. Even he had been prone to making foolish decisions when he hadn’t given enough time to consider all the possibilities before him. Yes. That had to be it. Give her a couple of days, and she’d understand leaving was in her and her mother’s best interest.

  Reassured by this logic, he didn’t argue with her. He didn’t know if it was a trait all white women shared, but she seemed particularly stubborn. He’d often wished his mother hadn’t been so eager to let his father have everything he’d wanted. It would have been better for all of them, especially her, if she’d learned to stand her ground. But she never had, and to this day, he blamed her death on her weakness.

  “Are you sure you want to spend the whole night here?” Phoebe asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. “It’d be warmer in the house.”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” he replied. “I’ve spent nights out here when it was chillier than this.”

  “Oh? When?”

  “When I was growing up.” It was better to be out here than in the house when his father came to spend the night with his mother. Before she could wiggle this information from him, he said, “I’ll walk you back to the cabin.”

  He made a move to get up, but she put her hand on his arm, stopping him. “Can I stay a little longer? It’s peaceful out here.”

  “But I thought you were cold.”

  “It doesn’t feel cold when I’m with you.”

  “Alright.” He settled back to where he’d been sitting before. He couldn’t blame her for wanting to linger out here. It was quiet. In many ways, it was soothing. “Let me know when you’re ready to go back.”

  “I will.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder again and snuggled against him. “This is a lot different from where I grew up.”

  “I’m sure it is.”

  “There were people everywhere. Even at night, you could hear someone talking on the streets beneath your apartment window. I didn’t know a place could be this quiet.”

  He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he decided to remain silent. If she wanted to say more, she could. But as it turned out, she grew silent, too. At first, he didn’t care much for the lack of conversation. As the minutes passed, however, he got used to it, and soon, he was thinking it was nice to be able to share a quiet moment with someone else where neither one felt the need to fill in the silence with idle chatter.

  Relaxing, he let out a slow breath. It was a shame there weren’t more moments like this in life. Too often, problems kept getting in the way, preventing him from receiving any enjoyment. He’d had to grow up fast, and he’d learned there was a lot of sorrow in the world. Pleasant moments, such as this, were rare. It was just like the times when his mother had held him and sang one of her songs when he was little. He closed his eyes and soaked in the experience.

  The minutes passed, one easing into another, and he lost all sense of time. He couldn’t recall a time when he felt more at peace. His mind wandered, not focusing on any one thing, except for maybe the sounds around him.

  There was no sense of danger. The pots and pans he’d set up along the property remained untouched. That was good. The longer the night passed without incident, the better. The last thought that drifted through his mind was how warm he was despite sleeping out in the barn.

  Chapter Ten

  The next morning when Phoebe woke up, she was snuggled up against someone warm with a solid frame. At first, she thought it was a dream, but then she became aware of the man’s chest rising and falling in a smooth and steady rhythm. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up.

  Abe slept on his back, his eyes closed and his hair loosened from his ponytail. She wanted to touch it, to find out if it was as soft as it looked. She’d get away with it much easier while he was sleeping. But even as her fingers itched to do so, she held back. No, it was best not to do it without him knowing.

  She looked at the barn entrance and saw it was just past dawn. Good. She might make it back to the cabin before her mother woke. This, of course, should have been her primary concern, not the whole matter of touching his hair. She had her reputation to protect, after all.

  Without waking Abe, she wrapped the blanket around him. Then she climbed down the ladder and hurried out of the barn, ignoring the impatient neighing and mooing from the animals. Abe would soon feed them. She’d do it herself if he’d shown her what to do.

  Oh, this was silly. She had more important matters to tend to. Her mother would be waking up soon. Repeating this to herself, she hurried through the process of relieving her bladder. By the time she made it to the cabin, it felt like an entire hour passed. Realistically, it was probably more like five minutes. But it was easy to lose the proper perspective of time when worried someone might catch her doing something improper.

  Her heart was pounding in her chest as she opened the door and peered into the quiet cabin. Good. Her mother wasn’t up yet. Breathing a sigh of relief, she went to the kitchen and got a pot of coffee started. She was ready to make oatmeal when she remembered Abe had taken the pots and pans out of the kitchen yesterday to set up his warning system.

  With a frown, she considered her other options. Pancakes were out of the question, too, but there was some bread, cheese, and butter. It wouldn’t be the best breakfast, but until she got her cooking supplies back, it’d have to do.

  She had just cut three slices of bread when she heard her mother’s familiar footsteps. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled. “Morning, Ma. Did you sleep well?”

  “I did, but I noticed you never made it to the bedroom,” her mother replied, amusement in her voice.

  Phoebe’s face grew warm.

  “You’re also wearing Abe’s shirt,” her mother pointed out.

  Gasping, Phoebe looked down at the shirt. “It’s not what it looks like,” she quickly told her mother, unsure if her anxious tone made things worse. “After you went to sleep, I got bored and went to see what Abe was doing. I was cold, so he let me borrow his shirt. We talked for a while, and then I fell asleep. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I didn’t think I was that tired.”

  Her mother chuckled and held her hand up to stop her. “I know you wouldn’t do anything unless you were married. Besides, you’re not good at lying.”

  “I’m not?”

  “No. You won’t look me in the eyes if you’re trying to pull a fast one on me. Now, what are you making for breakfast?”

  Phoebe relaxed. “Just bread, cheese, and butter. Abe took the pots and pans. He only left this coffee pot.” She gestured to it. “Coffee should be ready in a few minutes.”

  “He doesn’t trust people easily.”

  “No, he doesn’t. But after yesterday, I can’t blame him. Some people really don’t treat him with the same respect they’d give someone who was fully white.”

  “I wish I’d gone with you to town. There’s power in numbers. I could have hit that Enoch and Benny for the way they treated you.”

  “Thankfully, Abe came just in time.”

  “Do you feel better this morning?”

  Phoebe nodded. “I still don’t like the idea of going to town, but yes, I feel better. Abe was there to protect me.”

  “I could tell he was angry about what happened. I don’t think he’ll leave you alone in town ever again.”

  “No, he probably won’t.”

  Once again, she decided not to tell her mother he was planning to send them back to Ohio. For one, it wasn’t going to happen. Despite what Abe thought, her mother didn’t have another long and tedious journey in her. Two, there was nothing to go back to. And three, having spent time alone with him, she thought they’d do well
together.

  Maybe he didn’t see it yet, but she did. Despite their shaky beginning, she saw a very promising future for them. She just hoped, in time, he would see it, too.

  Phoebe removed the shirt, figuring it best. She didn’t want Abe to come in for breakfast and worry her mother might be thinking something happened when it hadn’t. After glancing around for a suitable place to put it, she finally settled on setting it in the laundry hamper.

  “I know it’s not something we would normally do at breakfast,” her mother began when Phoebe returned to the kitchen, “but we can have some pie. Who says you can’t have it first thing in the morning?”

  Grinning at her mother’s question, she said, “No one. And if anyone disagrees, we don’t have to let them know we did it.”

  Satisfied, her mother hurried to get the pie.

  ***

  Abe had no idea when Phoebe returned to the cabin. She might have been foolish enough to do it while it was still dark. When he saw she and her mother were setting the table, he relented in reminding her how dangerous it was to be outside by herself before the sun rose.

  Phoebe glanced over at him and smiled, and something about the way she looked at him made him forget the admonition on his tongue.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” Phoebe began, “but we’re going to have bread with slices of cheese and butter for breakfast.”

  “And leftover pie for dessert,” her mother added.

  “Right,” Phoebe said. “That, too. The only pot we could find was the coffee pot. Otherwise, we would have made something more fitting for breakfast.”

  “Oh, the pots and pans.” Abe’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think to leave a couple here. I’m sorry. Those were the first things I thought of.”

  “No need to apologize,” her mother said. “We know why you took them, and it was nice of you to protect us.”

  “We were just wondering if there’s something else we can use in their place,” Phoebe added. “Are there any tools or any other objects you have that will clang together like those pots and pans do?”

  “I’d hate to use the tools,” he replied. “I need them.” Then, just so they understood he realized they were in a similar predicament, he amended, “Just as you need pots and pans.” He shifted from one foot to another as he thought over all the possible things he might have, but his mind came up blank. He opened his mouth, ready to tell them this when he recalled Travis Martin, the town recluse. “Well, there is someone who might have something I can use. He has a lot of junk no one has any use for.”

  “He collects junk on purpose?” Phoebe asked.

  Amused at the shocked tone in her voice, he grinned. “He takes old things and creates new things from them. He’s actually good at it.”

  Her mother waved him over to the table. “Do you have anything he made?”

  Obeying her silent invitation to the table, he sat in one of the chairs but waited for them to sit before he answered. “Actually, he fixed up a wagon and sold it to me for cheap. I also got a good trunk in the barn and that worktable,” he gestured to the table, “from him. He even sold me some of the tools I use and that coffee pot over there. He can make anything.”

  Her mother poured coffee into their cups. “Sounds like he has a gift.”

  He took the cup she handed him and thanked her before taking a sip. Every time he drank it, it reminded him of the white men who drank it so much, but, since Phoebe and her mother seemed to like it, he supposed it wasn’t so bad. Besides, they had a way of making it that made it taste better than anything his mother did when she’d make it for his father. It was probably the bitter connection to his father that bothered him the most when it came to coffee. Now, at least, he’d have something pleasant to connect it with.

  “I’ll go see Travis today,” he said as he spread some butter on his slice of bread. “You two will have to go along with me. I don’t like the thought of you staying here alone.”

  He glanced at them to see if they would argue with him, but Phoebe smoothed the napkin on her lap and smiled. “Since you had nice things to say about Travis, we have no doubt he’s a good man. It’ll be nice to meet a good person while in town.”

  “Well, he doesn’t live in town. He keeps out of the way, and I don’t know if he’ll let you actually meet him.” When he noticed their frowns, he quickly added, “He’s terribly shy, especially around women, and the prettier they are, the worse it gets for him.” He motioned to them. “You two will intimidate him.”

  “Oh, Abe,” her mother said with a laugh, “I wouldn’t have taken you for a flirt.” She waved her hand at him, her cheeks pink.

  Not sure what she meant by “a flirt”, he replied, “Granted, you’re older. You’re Phoebe’s mother, after all, but it’s easy to see where Phoebe got her good looks.”

  This time it was Phoebe who blushed.

  For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why they should react this way. He glanced at one and then the other. “I only speak the truth. Don’t any of the white men remark on your beauty?”

  “Not in such a pleasant way,” her mother replied.

  Her mother gave Phoebe a look that implied something, but he couldn’t be sure what it was. All he knew was that they were happy with him. He supposed that was good enough. He turned his attention back to buttering the bread, deciding to put their secret look aside. Who knew what women were thinking?

  The important thing was, they’d all go to Travis’ together, and with any luck, the trip would be uneventful and boring. After everything that happened yesterday, he’d welcome uneventful and boring.

  Chapter Eleven

  Phoebe couldn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach as Abe led the wagon through the small town. Though she sat between Abe and her mother, she couldn’t help feeling vulnerable, especially when they passed the general store. She caught sight of a movement from within and saw that a different man was managing the place in Benny’s absence.

  Maybe that should have made her feel better. It meant Benny and Enoch were still in jail. But it didn’t make her feel better. It only reminded her of how quickly she’d gone from feeling safe to realizing she’d been in danger.

  More than that, she caught sight of a woman, who made it a point to tell her young son not to make eye contact with “that sort” before she picked him up and hurried away from them.

  Phoebe frowned. Just what did the woman think she, her mother, and Abe were going to do to them?

  Her gaze went from the woman to a couple of men on the other side of the street. One nudged his friend in the side and nodded in Abe’s direction. The other shook his head, and she read his lips as he told his friend, “Half breed and his whore.”

  Whore? She thought Eric had taken her and her mother to Abe to protect them so she wouldn’t get that kind of reputation. Was that why Enoch felt he had every right to treat her the way he did? Was it why Benny didn’t do anything about it? They really and truly saw her as no better than a prostitute at the saloon?

  She didn’t notice she was squeezing both Abe’s and her mother’s arms until Abe whispered, “Focus on the path in front of you. Don’t let any of them know they can upset you. If you let them know they can bother you, you give them power.”

  Clasping her hands in her lap, she directed her gaze forward. This technique of ignoring people wasn’t an easy one. Her mother had raised her to be polite, always smiling and greeting those they passed by, but in this town, the rules were different.

  As they passed one of the houses, she noticed her mother waving to someone and turned her attention to an elderly woman sitting on her front porch. The woman was smiling and waving. Surprised, Phoebe followed her mother’s lead and returned the gesture. At least there was one kind person in town besides Eric.

  In short time, Abe led the wagon out of town and up a winding path lined with trees. The path had several sharp turns in it. Phoebe had to hold onto Abe’s arm in order to avoid bumping into her mother. If she hadn’t done so,
her poor mother would have ended up falling off the wagon.

  “I think Travis made the road up to his house this way to dissuade anyone from coming here,” he told Phoebe and her mother.

  It was on the tip of Phoebe’s tongue to ask him if he wished he’d thought to do the same thing to his property, but then thought better of it. From the sound of it, he hadn’t had any control over that.

  When the path came to an end, there was a small cottage tucked among a group of trees. In a larger area was a large building, and next to that was a barn. Weeds and vines had popped up along both the building and the barn. Paint was chipping on the barn and building, and it looked like there were some repairs needed on them. For all she knew, the same was true for the cottage. It was just too hard to tell with all the trees in the way. Had it not been for the garden by the cottage and the few animals surrounding the barn, she would have believed the place had been abandoned.

  Abe set the brake and turned to her and her mother. “I’ll be back. You better wait here. If he sees you two, he’ll probably take off running and hide.”

  “Women really do intimidate him?” Phoebe asked, still unable to believe it.

  “They do when they’re pretty.”

  He said it so matter-of-factly, he couldn’t have realized he was paying them a compliment. He just hopped off the wagon and went to the large building as if he’d said nothing out of the ordinary.

  “That’s the second time he’s called you pretty,” her mother whispered.

  Heat rose up into her face. “He included you in that comment.”

  “Yes, and I know he meant it, but it has a special meaning for you. You’re the one he’s going to marry.”

  Phoebe’s gaze went to Abe as he knocked on the door to the building. “I don’t know, Ma,” she softly said.

  “You’re not sure you want to marry him?” her mother asked.