Chapter Six
The following afternoon, after her lunch with her friends, Myrtle walked toward town, ready to deliver her wares to Katie. She was surprised when there were two men in her path.
“We missed getting bread and dessert yesterday. Mrs. Johnson was sold out by the time we got there,” the taller man said. “Can we buy directly from you?”
Myrtle thought about it for a moment, unsure what to do. Finally, she nodded. “Yes, of course.” She named a price for the bread. “I’m not sure about the jelly rolls. I don’t know what Mrs. Johnson would charge.”
“I’ll give you a dollar for one,” the man said.
Myrtle’s eyes widened. In Massachusetts, a jelly roll would only be a quarter or less. “That sounds fair.”
The man grinned and pressed the money into her hand before choosing a loaf of bread and a jelly roll. The second man had the money in his hand and did the same. He’d never spoken, but he was obviously as eager for the baked goods as his friend.
The men ate the jelly rolls before they were out of sight, and after watching them stroll away in bemusement, Myrtle resumed her walk to the store.
She was surprised to see the store completely full of men.
Instead of engaging one of them in conversation, she walked straight to Katie and showed her what she’d brought.
She didn’t even have time to unload the wagon.
Men would give Katie money, and they would choose bread and jelly rolls.
Most of the rolls were consumed right there before the men hurried out the door to get back to work.
Within minutes, everything Myrtle had baked disappeared, and Katie laughed at Myrtle’s bemused expression. “You’ll get used to it. Do you have anything left?”
Myrtle looked into the wagon. “One loaf of bread and some crumbs.”
“I’ll take the bread for my own supper, but you may keep the crumbs,” Katie said, a grin on her face.
“Some men stopped me on the way here, saying they didn’t get anything yesterday.”
“I’m not surprised at all. I told them you would be coming in early afternoon.”
“Did I make a mistake selling to them before coming here?”
Katie laughed. “The only mistake is for me. I don’t get my share, but I didn’t sell anything, so I don’t deserve a share. You may want to double up on that bread order. Have you thought about buying a second stove?”
“I have. I just don’t have the money yet. I’ll get there.”
“It would help us both if you bought one on credit, and you would pay it off much faster than you could earn a new one.” Katie shrugged. “The credit is available, as I know you’ll bring me baked goods to pay it off.”
Myrtle bit her lip. “I’ve thought and thought about it. I hate going into debt...”
“It’s a business expense. You’ve heard you can’t make money without spending money?”
Myrtle had never been impulsive where shopping was concerned. But she knew Katie was right. “All right. Let’s do it.”
“I ordered one yesterday. It’ll be here in a few weeks.”
“You were that sure of me?”
Katie nodded, her eyes filled with mirth. “I was. You’re determined to make money for your family, and this is how you want to do it. I just wish you could build a bakery. That would make things easier for you.”
“I wish I could too. Maybe in a few years.” Myrtle sighed. “Did you order the same stove I already have?”
“I did. It’s a good one. I know because I ordered it for you a couple of months ago. Aaron was so excited to have a gift waiting for you when you arrived.”
“He was?” Myrtle smiled. Her husband was one in a million.
Katie nodded. “All of the men who have sent for wives have done something special for them before they got here. They’re ready to give up the long, lonely Alaska nights and have someone beside them.”
As Myrtle walked home, she thought about what Katie had said. It had been very sweet of Aaron to buy her a stove...and here she was getting another. She hoped she could keep up with the demand for baked goods in Yeti.
When she got home, she spotted fresh fish on the table, already cleaned and ready to cook. She smiled to herself. It must be the whitefish Aaron had told her he loved.
She’d dredge it in flour and fry it up with some potatoes and serve it with the loaf of bread she’d set aside for their supper.
When Aaron got home that afternoon, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Something smells wonderful!”
“When I got home from taking my baked goods to the store, there were a few pieces of cleaned fish on the table. I’m guessing Agnes caught some whitefish, and she knew I wanted to make some for you, so she delivered.
” She turned in his arms and raised her lips for his kiss.
“Since the fish was already clean, I’m just guessing it was whitefish. ”
He kissed her slowly and thoroughly, making her tingle all the way down to her toes. “Yep, that’s definitely whitefish.” He planted one more kiss on her lips. “I can’t wait to try it.”
“I just hope there’s more where this comes from. Do you like it smoked as well?”
“I like it any way I can get it. Fresh fried is my favorite, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way I’ll eat it. You cook it, and I will eat it.”
“I’m excited for the bacon that will be coming in the spring. Can you imagine bacon with our breakfast every day?”
“Bacon? Where are we getting bacon from?” he asked.
“Didn’t I tell you? Sally is raising pigs. We’ll get a share, just like she gets desserts and bread from us. I love bacon.”
Aaron smiled. “I should have known one of you would raise pigs.”
“We’re all trying to make our own lives and each other’s lives easier. I hope it works.”
“If we get bacon out of it, then I say it works!” He moved to the table and sat in a chair to pull his boots off. “It’s starting to get too cold to work without gloves. I don’t suppose you knit? I have holes in both of mine.”
“I do. I’ll make new gloves this weekend if that works for you.”
He nodded. “I can get by with the holy ones until then.” He stretched.
“I’ll be working in the lumber mill tomorrow.
I prefer it to felling trees, but I only get a turn every few weeks.
The three men whose wives I brought back from Skagway are all giving me their turns to repay me.
And they’ve also each given me a little money to pay for expenses. ”
“Oh, that’s good. Then me bringing three friends wasn’t too much of a burden.”
“I think it will help us in the end. I’m thankful not to have to work so many days outside.”
She scooped the fish from the frying pan and filled two plates with the fish and potatoes before cutting the bread she’d made that morning. She carried the plates and the bread to the table, along with a small amount of butter. “I wish we had a cow.”
He shook his head. “They don’t survive well in Alaska’s interior. I know some people near the ocean raise them without a problem, but we really can’t.”
“Agnes has goats, but she said it’s really hard to make butter from their cream. She is sharing goat cheese, though.”
“I like goat cheese,” he said as he buttered his bread.
She poured two cups of coffee and set them on the table before taking her seat. “I don’t think I’ve ever had whitefish. I hope I love it as much as you do.”
“So, do I. If you love it too, then you’ll make it more often.”
She laughed. “I’ll make it as often as I can, whether I like it or not. I’m not a horribly picky eater.”
“That’s a good thing. I’ve survived for years on mostly jerky and hardtack. You ladies are making it so we have a variety in our diets again. I have to say, I like it.”
“I hope you like dessert tonight. I made a blueberry cobbler. Maggie found wild blueberries in the summer, and she dried and canned them. This cobbler is from dried, so I’m not sure how it turned out. I’m experimenting, so I can decide whether I can sell them or not.”
“I’ll be happy to give my opinion. So far, I haven’t had a single complaint about anything you’ve cooked.” He cut into his fish and took a small bite, closing his eyes as the flavors rolled around in his mouth. “I would love it if you’d make this every night for the rest of our lives.”
“I’m glad I did a good job with that. I just guessed at how to fix it.”
“It’s wonderful. I love it with the fried potatoes.”
When she served the blueberry cobbler, she watched his face carefully. He took a bite and nodded. “I think it’s good. Just sweet enough. You can serve this every night as well.”
“Then I won’t be afraid to sell it. Thank you!” She cut into her own piece. “Maybe a tad bit more sugar...”
“I don’t think you should change it at all.”
“Then I won’t.” Myrtle smiled at him. “You’re a good man to experiment with cooking on.”
He chuckled. “You cook it, and I’ll eat it.”
She took a deep breath. “Katie talked me into buying a second stove on credit today. She’d actually ordered it before talking to me. I’ll pay for it myself, of course, but I wanted you to know that I’d done it.”
He frowned for a moment. “I hate being in debt, but if you think it will work out well for us, then that’s fine.”
“More than anything, Katie wants more baked goods to sell.” She briefly told him of how two men had met her before she’d reached town to buy from her.
He smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens more and more. We’ll see how the winter goes, but that bakery may be a necessity by spring.”
“That would make me so happy. I could make a soup of the day, and baked goods, and have a small eating area...”
He chuckled. “You may be getting just a little bit ahead of yourself.”
“I’m not so sure. It helps to have a plan. Something I can look forward to.”
Aaron finished his cobbler and pushed the plate away. “I wish I’d saved a little more room for cobbler, but that whitefish was too good.”
She smiled. “I’ll make cobblers to sell tomorrow. And we’ll have plenty left for tomorrow night.”
“I won’t say no to leftovers.” He rubbed his stomach. “I haven’t eaten this well since I was a little boy...No, that’s not true. I’ve never eaten this well, but don’t tell my grandma!”
“I won’t. I’m just happy you enjoy my cooking.” She stood to clear the table. “Would you like another cup of coffee?”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t even have another drop of water, I’m so full.”
“Well, good. That tells me you really did enjoy supper. I’ll pack some of the whitefish, potatoes, and cobbler for your lunch tomorrow.”
“If you want to marry off more friends from Massachusetts, that’s the way to do it. All of the men watch those of us who have married at lunchtime, and we can see their envy. I used to hate it, but then I got married, and now...I kind of love it.”
She laughed. “Don’t be mean about it.”
By the time they were ready for bed, Myrtle had planned out the next few days of baking. She wanted to keep making a good impression. The more she baked, the more money she made. It was amazing.
Back in Beckham, it didn’t matter how hard she worked. She made the same amount of money. Here...it seemed the sky was the limit, and she was reaching for the stars.
*****
There were four men waiting on the trail to town the following day. Each of them had a tin plate in their hand. They all paid for a loaf of bread and a piece of her blueberry cobbler.
“Thank you,” the last man said as he paid her.
“You’re welcome! I’ll be walking this way around this time Mondays through Saturdays. If you want to make sure you get some baked goods, feel free to wait here for me, and I’ll sell them.”
One of the other men grinned at her. “I watched Aaron eat this cobbler for dessert a few minutes ago. When he told me that’s what you were taking to the store, I made sure to get some.”
A tall, dark-haired man nodded. “What do you think you’ll be making tomorrow? I missed out on your jelly rolls.”
“Katie gave me the receipt for Eskimo fry bread. I thought I’d try that tomorrow. I have some icing sugar that I’ll be dusting over it.” Myrtle felt strange finding customers for her baked goods on the way to town, but she wasn’t complaining.
The man who had asked what she’d be making smiled. “Sounds delicious. I’ll be waiting.”
“Me too!” the other three men echoed.
Myrtle smiled. “I’ll see you all tomorrow then.”
She had a skip in her step the rest of the way into town. Her baked goods were a hit, and that put her one step closer to having her own bakery.
Katie happily took all the baked goods. “I don’t know what I’ll do when you start that bakery of yours. I’ll miss getting bread for my own supper delivered.”
Myrtle laughed softly. “I have a feeling we could make sure you still get a loaf delivered every day.”
“That would please me a great deal. What are you making tomorrow? The men have been asking.”
“I’m going to try the receipt you gave me for Eskimo fry bread. I thought I’d dust it with confectioners' sugar.”
“That sounds lovely! I’ll tell Mr. Johnson. He loves fry bread.”
Myrtle nodded. “Aaron told me it’s one of his favorite desserts as well. I’ll try it and probably tweak the receipt some to suit myself.”
Katie nodded. “I’m not a creative cook. I follow receipts exactly. I think it’s great you’re not afraid to do what you want with a receipt.”
“Oh, I never make anything exactly the same way twice. I love to bake, but my favorite part is making a receipt my own.”
“I look forward to trying yours.” Katie shook her head. “I love chatting with you, Myrtle, but you need to go. The men are going to swarm the register for your bread and cobbler otherwise.”
Myrtle turned around to see that the store was suddenly full of men to the point it would be hard to get back out. She couldn’t describe how happy that made her.