Chapter 4
Chapter Four
While Ben unloaded the grain from the wagon, Emily walked over to one of the stalls. Inside were a beautiful golden horse and a pure white baby one.
“They’re so beautiful. The mama with her yellow coat and white hair on her neck is striking. Will the baby stay white or change color?”
“The mare is a palomino and, yes, more than likely, the colt will gain the same coloring as he gets older. But he could possibly stay white, which is what I’m hoping for.”
She turned to face him where he stood at the end of the wagon.
“Will you teach me how to ride? I don’t know anything about horses, but I believe that I should learn in case I need to go somewhere.”
He shrugged. “Sure I’ll teach you. I’m surprised you don’t know anything about ranching. I was pretty specific about it as one of my requirements.”
“You said you wanted someone with farming or ranching experience, I know how to milk cows and gather eggs which qualifies, and I’m willing to learn whatever else I need to. I’m a fast learner.”
The mare came up to the stall gate where Emily stood. She turned and reached over to pet the horse. Her nose and mouth felt like velvet.
“Oh, she’s so soft. I never imagined…”
Ben came up behind her.
“Her name is Champagne, because of her coloring. She doesn’t belong to anyone yet. Would you like her?”
“Oh, yes. Can she really be my horse?”
He must at least like me or he wouldn’t gift me with my own horse, and such a beautiful one to boot.
“Yes.”
She turned and Ben was standing right there.
Emily reached up, snaked her hand behind his neck and brought his head down to hers.
Remembering the kiss he’d given her at their wedding, she mimicked that kiss.
She meshed her lips with his and opened just enough to put her tongue out and touch his lips.
She felt him smile and open for her exploration.
He let her take what she needed, let her control the kiss and she was pleased. When she finally pulled back she was breathless and her body hummed with awareness of him.
He held her with his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.
“Well, that was some kiss, wife.”
“Just following your lead…husband.”
She liked the sound of that. Husband. She’d begun to believe that she’d never marry and certainly never to anyone like Ben.
His arms were strong with muscle, she felt them through his shirt.
His stomach was flat and hard. She felt that, too.
And she could tell his manhood was primed for her as well and knew she blushed.
“Now, look at what you’ve done to me. I can’t go to the house like this. You better stop kissing me.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Nope. You can ask a lot of things of me, but that isn’t one of them. I’ll always kiss you. Even when we fight, I’ll kiss you because no fight is worth my marriage. And kissing reminds us that we are married.”
“All right, I agree. Besides, I like kissing you.”
She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. “You should. I only know what you taught me.”
He tightened his hold on her. “And that pleases me.”
“Why? You’ve kissed other girls and that doesn’t bother me. Why should it bother you if I’d kissed another man?”
“Because I want to know that I’m the only man in your life, at least until we have sons.”
The thought of having babies and how babies are begot made her blush. At this rate she’d be colored pink all the time.
He grinned.
She jutted her chin toward the sacks of grain.
“Are you finished?”
“No, I need to um…relax. I’ll unhitch the horses and then take you in to meet my mother.”
Emily watched as he cared for the horses.
When he was done he held out a hand to her.
She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Don’t worry. She doesn’t bite.”
He lifted an eyebrow and smiled.
“At least not that I’m aware of.”
“It’s not funny. I really want your mother to like me, but it sounds like she won’t no matter what I do.”
He sobered.
“That’s about the size of it. So, are you ready?”
“I guess so.”
They walked in the side door which opened into a small room for coats and boots. Ben took off his coat and hung it on a peg, then turned to Emily, and helped her off with her coat.
“Benjamin? Is that you?”
The scratchy voice came from the kitchen.
“Yes, it’s me, Mother. I have a surprise for you.”
Oh yes, quite a surprise, thought Emily.
Ben took her hand and led her into the kitchen.
“Mother, I’d like you to meet Emily…my wife.”
“Your what?”
Emily had thought the woman’s voice couldn’t get any more irritating. She was wrong.
Mrs. Logan practically screeched.
“Your wife? What about Melissa?”
Ben’s voice deepened as he spoke to his mother and Emily heard anger behind each word.
“I’ve told you, not to mention her name. I wouldn’t marry her even if she was the last woman on earth. Emily is my wife and you will show her the respect that position deserves. Have I made myself clear, Mother?”
The woman with steel gray hair and Ben’s blue eyes stood at the stove. She wore a crisp white apron over her flowered cotton dress and held a large wooden spoon that now dripped something akin to gravy onto the floor.
Clearly, she’d been stirring whatever was in the pot on the stove behind her.
Emily’s first impression of her new mother-in-law was not a good one, but she was determined to try and get along with her.
The woman looked mutinous, and her shoulders slumped a little, but she nodded.
“Yes, you’ve made yourself quite clear.”
“Now,” said Ben, with an arm around Emily’s waist. “Emily is my wife. We got married today, just after she arrived. Emily this is my mother, Doris Logan.”
“I’m pleased to meet you Mrs. Logan.” Emily stepped forward with her hand outstretched.
Doris Logan looked down at Emily’s hand, sniffed, turned back to the stove and began stirring the contents of the pot.
Emily lowered her hand and looked at Ben.
“Mother.”
The woman turned to Emily, gave her a malevolent smile.
“Pleased to meet you.”
Then she turned back to her pot on the stove.
Ben took Emily’s hand.
“Let me show you the house.”
Emily was pleased to see that the kitchen was a working kitchen, set up for easy access to everything. The stove was probably the largest she’d ever seen. It had six burners, with two ovens, a warming shelf and fire box that all had blue ceramic doors. It was actually quite beautiful.
A table of rough hewn wood had two long matching benches and a chair at either end. It would seat about twenty people.
“How many people do you have working here? How many should I plan on feeding?”
“We have fifteen men right now. During round up and branding the number rises to twenty. That is in addition to you, me and Mother.”
Doris scowled.
“Going to take the cooking away from me now, too?”
“No, Mother. Emily is here to help you plan and prepare the meals. And help with the cleaning and other chores, too. She’s my wife, Mother, please try to make her feel at home.”
“Hmpft,” said Mrs. Logan.
Ben shook his head.
“Come with me.”
He led Emily out of the kitchen and down the hall.
“This is the dining room, but we don’t use it anymore. Since my father died, ten years ago, Mother and I take all our meals with the men in the kitchen.”
“The dining room is lovely with the cherrywood table and chairs. It’s also big enough for meals. Why not use it instead of eating in the kitchen?”
“Because it’s too formal for every day and I don’t want the men to be uncomfortable.”
“That makes sense.”
They entered a parlor or living room. Here was an upright piano and a sofa flanked by two arm-chairs.
The sofa and chairs were upholstered in a flowered damask material with a blue background.
A coffee table of light wood sat in front of the sofa and two taller tables in the same wood stood between the sofa and the chairs.
The room would be brightly lit during the day due to the three windows, one on either side of the front door and one on the side wall. All the windows were covered in curtains made from calico in shades of blue.
“The room is lovely. Do you play the piano?”
“No. Actually no one does anymore. My father and sister were the ones who played. He was a man of many talents and infinite patience. To this day I don’t know how or why he put up with my mother.”
“Would you mind if I played the piano? I haven’t been able to play for many years. Not since I left the orphanage.”
“Of course, you can. Having music in the house again will be nice. To continue with our tour…” He put her arm through the crook of his elbow.
“Across the hall from here is my study. The only time I’m in there is when I’m doing the books for the ranch or trying to avoid my mother. Let’s head upstairs.”
“All right.” The house is bigger than I thought it would be, though it’s still smaller than the homes I was a governess in. I think I’ll like it here very much.
At the top of the stairs was a long hall with two doors on each side and one at the end.
He waved his hand to take in all the rooms along the hall.
“Most of these rooms are empty. My mother moved out of the master bedroom when I was supposed to marry Melissa. She said it was only right that the master of the house have the master bedroom. She’s now in the room here at the top of the stairs on the right.
Our bedroom is the one at the other end of the hall.
These other three rooms we hopefully will fill with children. ”
She lowered her gaze. “I hope so, too.”
He opened the door to their bedroom and before she could step in he scooped her into his arms.
“The husband is supposed to carry the wife over the threshold.”
She pushed against his hold.
“Put me down. I’m too heavy for you to be picking up like this.”
“Did you hear me complain? Or strain? You’re not too heavy. You’re just the way I like you. Soft and curvy, like a woman should be.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck feeling happier than she had for some time. He liked her just the way she was.