Page 13 of Mail-Order Brides Wishes
Both of his passengers leaned forward as if they could make the wagon get them home faster. A home they’d never before been to. As they drove on, he pointed out the various buildings. “Easy to tell the barn. Jayce and Adele’s house is past that. That low building to the left of their house is Addie’s chicken house.” He wondered if Bryn heard a word he said. Her attention had not left off the cabin they were to share.
“It was built by the original owners of the ranch.” She already knew that, but he didn’t know what else to say. He stopped in front of the house and didn’t move.
Both Bryn and Susie tore their attention from the house to him.
“Are we going in?” Bryn’s voice was full of excitement.
“Any time yer ready.” He had to hold Susie back or she would have jumped down on her own. “Wait a minute. I’ll help ya.” His feet on solid ground, he offered his hand to Bryn. “Yer aunt first.”
The three of them stood on the ground facing their home. The doorknob in his hand was cool as he turned it to open the door and stepped aside to let them enter.
“Oh, Flint. It’s lovely. And even flowers.” A jar on the table held a large bouquet.
“That would be Addie’s doin’.”
Bryn touched the flowers then circled the table to look out the window which allowed her to see the trail leading to the ranch and gave her a good view of the barn and pens.
Flint grinned. There was a time that Mr. Roe had liked to keep an eye on his barn and animals; before he lost interest, and the place began to fall to pieces. His heart was no longer in it, and he’d willingly sold it to Flint and Jayce.
Bryn continued to the living room area with its dark green couch and matching chair and stopped to look out the window. “Flint, the view! The mountains in all their majesty.” She returned to his side. Again, she pressed her hand to his forearm.
Again, he felt distant lightning. Though maybe not so distant.
The clock forgot to tick off the minutes as she smiled up into his eyes. “Flint, I can’t wait to get settled.” She spun away.
Susie trotted from room to room. “I could have a pet here. Lotsa room.”
The two adults looked at each other and laughed. He couldn’t say if it was Susie’s talk of a pet that made Bryn laugh. It was all that and so much more for him.
“Can we bring our things in?” Bryn waited at the door for him.
Between the two of them, they brought in her trunk and carried it to the bigger of the two bedrooms.
With her hands on her hips, she took in the room. The window allowed her to see Jayce and Addie’s house.
The bedroom might be the bigger one, but it barely had room for a bed, a chest of drawers, and a narrow wardrobe. Several hooks hung on the wall. Some held his clothes. He scratched at his chin. She’d come from the city. He’d only twice been in a city and had been amazed at the size of the houses. This suddenly seemed small and inferior.
“It ain’t fancy and it ain’t big.”
“Flint! How can you say that? It’s perfect. It has everything I need… we need. A table and chairs, a stove and cupboards, a wide sofa, and a—” She swallowed hard enough for him to hear. “A bed and someplace to hang my clothes.”
He didn’t look directly at her, but still, he saw the way pink washed her cheeks.
Tonight would be their first night together. He didn’t know what to expect. If having her touching his arm felt like lightning struck, would anything more set him on fire?
He swallowed hard and backed from the room.
A knock rattled the outer door. He hurried across the floor and opened the entrance to see Jayce.
“I know I said I’d leave you alone for a few days, but we got a problem that can’t wait. And I can’t manage on my own.” He explained the situation.
Flint knew they couldn’t ignore this, or it would only get worse. “Be right with ya.”
Jayce left without meeting Bryn or Susie.
Flint found them in the second room with Susie going from bed to dresser to window in a never-ending circle.
“Bryn, I planned ta be here, but somethin’s come up and I need ta help sort it out. I should be back by nightfall, but don’t wait up for me.”
