Chapter Eight
Even as she worked to build her baking business, it was always in the back of Myrtle’s mind that she’d done something wrong by bringing her friends.
At the time, it had seemed logical. Only one man would need to miss work to make the journey to Skagway and back.
But in retrospect, she knew she should have gotten Aaron’s permission before doing something like that.
She’d been in Yeti for four weeks when her stove was delivered.
Mr. Johnson brought it himself, and he took care of setting it up.
It was the same as the one she’d been using, so it was going to be easy to double her production.
At least she hoped it would. Soon she’d be baking forty loaves of bread per day, as well as double the number of sweet treats.
She wasn’t certain if she wanted to make two different types of treats per day so people would have a choice to make, or if she would stick to making one thing, but just make more of it.
She decided she’d ask the other ladies when she went to lunch.
Mr. Johnson made quick work of getting her second oven ready to use, so she was on time for lunch. The others were still trickling in when she announced she had another oven. “Do you think I should make two types of treats per day now, or just make more of the one kind?”
Belle shrugged. “I think you’ll make the men happy whichever way you decide.” She looked around. “Would you ladies like to have a selection?”
Agnes wrinkled her nose. “I think I’d like choices if it were me. Perhaps a cookie and a cake? Or a cookie and a pie? Or a cookie and muffins?” She laughed. “I think I’m hungry for cookies!”
“It sure sounds like it,” Myrtle responded, a grin on her face.
The women were split on what they would do, so she decided to ask her little market of men who grew bigger every day. They would give her their opinions on how many things to make per day and what those things should be.
So, after lunch, Myrtle set off for town with her wagon pulling behind her. She’d had to switch from wheels to the runners, but it wasn’t so terribly cold she felt the need to stay indoors. The snow was picturesque in the beautiful valley where Yeti was located.
There were at least ten men waiting for her that day, and when she stopped, she said, “No one is allowed to buy anything today unless they answer my survey.”
One of her regulars who never missed a day nodded. “What’s the survey?”
“I got a second stove today. Would you like me to just double up on the dessert I make every day, or would you like me to make two so there would be choices?”
The man who had asked about the survey shrugged. “I want your sugar cookies with the icing every day. I don’t care what else you do.”
Myrtle grinned and nodded. “Noted.”
He took his usual loaf of bread and bought the cookies he’d just requested from her, grinning. “I could eat these things every day.”
“I will try my best to make them often,” she said.
Each man told her his preference as he purchased the food he wanted from her. When all was said and done, it seemed like they didn’t care if they had choices, as long as there were sweets. So, she would ask Katie and Aaron, and whatever they told her, she would agree to.
When she got to the store, she handed off her baked goods to Katie. “Now that the new stove is ready to go, I’m trying to decide if I should make two different treats in the same amount I already do, or if I should just double the amount I make?”
Katie pursed her lips, thinking about it. “You’ll double the bread regardless, right?”
Myrtle nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Then I think I would stick to one treat per day. The men are all happy to buy whatever you make. Perhaps you could take special orders. Whoever got their requests in first, you would make what they ask for.”
“I could. I think a lot of the men will feel slighted, though.” She reached into the wagon to remove the cookies. “I did sugar cookies with icing today.”
“Oh, the men love those. I’ll have no trouble selling them at all.”
“Is there anything they’ve said they don’t like?”
Katie shook her head. “No, not at all. They just get all excited if there are treats left when they get here.”
“The line of men on my way here is getting bigger.”
“That’s fine. You have a right to sell directly to the men!
Just try to have some left for us to sell.
” Katie smiled. “I really think you should try to open a bakery in the spring. I know that’s a lot to think about, but you are so consistent with the quality of your baking.
And if you made a soup every day as well.
..well, I don’t think my store would sell much, but that would be all right. ”
Myrtle smiled. “I’m glad you don’t mind.” She handed the last of the cookies to Katie. “What do I still owe on the stove?”
“It’s half paid for,” Katie said. “Another few weeks, and you won’t have to worry about it at all.”
“That will help ease Aaron’s mind. He doesn’t like being in debt at all.”
Katie shook her head. “It’s a business expense. You can’t make money without spending some.”
“I’ve heard that before.” Myrtle looked down at the empty wagon. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and will have more to sell, unless there are more men on the path here and they buy me out. I keep worrying that’s going to happen.”
Katie smiled. “If it does, it does. Just save a loaf of bread and a dessert for Mr. Johnson and me.”
“I will.”
As she walked home, Myrtle thought about how the spot on the path where the men met her would be a perfect spot to build her bakery. The men already met her there and were used to it. Perhaps she should look into who owned the land!
She made fried whitefish for supper that night, being sure to make enough that Aaron could take some for lunch the following day. When he walked in the door, he sniffed deeply. “I can already taste it. How long til supper?”
Myrtle smiled. “Another five minutes. By the time you get washed up, it’ll be on the table.”
He washed his hands in the basin of water she’d already set up for washing the dishes after supper. He was already sitting at the table when he realized the new stove was there. “Oh! It came!”
She nodded. “I’m so excited to be able to bake double tomorrow!”
“Don’t wear yourself out. Remember you’re here to feed me and not the whole town.”
She laughed. “I’ll do my best.” She put both plates on the table and poured two cups of coffee before sitting down across from him.
After they prayed, she asked the question she’d asked everyone all day.
“Do you think I should make double of whatever dessert I decide on for a day, or should I make two different desserts?”
He looked pensive for a moment before asking, “If you make two different desserts, will I get one of each?”
Myrtle shook her head. “You would narrow it down to something so simple. Yes, you would get two desserts.”
“Then I’ll need you to start making two different desserts.” He applied himself to the fish. “We’ll have smoked whitefish this winter, right?”
“We will. I’m even trading part of our share of salmon for more whitefish. Belle doesn’t much care for whitefish, so she’s taking some of our salmon, and we’re taking all of her whitefish.”
“I hope Everett doesn’t mind.”
Myrtle shrugged. “I asked Belle if he would mind not having it, and she said he’d be glad not to have it, so she wouldn’t feel the need to cook it for him because he knows she doesn’t like it.”
“Works for me then.” He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for making my favorite.”
“I’m always happy to make it. I only wish I could serve it fresh all winter.” She looked at her plate for a moment. “Katie told me today that she thinks I should open a bakery in the spring.”
He sighed. “Is that still something you’re thinking about?”
“Unless you really don’t want me to do it,” she said, watching him.
“Would it be more or less work for you?”
“Probably more. Right now, the men bring me their dishes they’ve cleaned, and I put their portion of dessert on them. In a bakery, I’d be washing my own dishes. I really hope to partner with someone, though. Then they could wash dishes and serve customers while I bake and cook.”
He was quiet for a moment. “How about we agree to this? If you find someone to partner with you, and you won’t be doing all the work alone, I think it would be fine. I don’t like the idea of you working even harder than you already do.”
She nodded, pulling something from the pocket she’d sewn onto her apron. “Here’s the extra money it cost you to bring the other women back from Skagway. All four of us pitched in with our own earnings.”
He blinked. “I didn’t expect this.”
“It’s the right thing to do.” She took a bite of her fish.
“Oh! Katie told me the stove was already half paid for. And we have a good balance at the store.” She briefly explained that the money she made on the way to the store was put toward the cost of the stove, but the money she made at the store was just added to their account for future purchases.
“So you can’t get the money you’ve earned? We can only have it in store credit?” Aaron asked, not liking that idea at all.
“No. I can request the money I’ve made at any time.”
“Oh, good.” He resumed eating. “What’s for dessert?”
She laughed, not surprised he was back to thinking about his sweet tooth. The man seemed to be ravenous for anything she was willing to bake. “I made sugar cookies with icing.”
“Oh, good. I love those.” He stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth.
“Do you know what would be amazing? If you used your sugar cookies as a crust for cobbler. I think you should try that just for me, and if it turns out well, which I know it will, you could make it for the other men. As long as I got a huge share.”
“I can try that. Do you have a special fruit in mind?” Myrtle had never tried to make something like that, but it wouldn’t be difficult. Not with all the pie filling her friends had canned earlier in the year.
“Blueberry. No, salmonberry...no, raspberry.”
“Why don’t I do a mixed berry the first time? Then you can decide which flavors you want the next time, if it doesn’t turn out to be a disaster.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think it would even be possible for you to bake something that didn’t turn out perfectly. Are you saying that you’re not perfect in every way?”
She laughed heartily at the question. “I’m the woman who showed up with three friends for what was supposed to be a honeymoon trip.”
He chuckled. “You did, didn’t you?”
While she washed the dishes that night, he ate all the cookies she had left at home for his meal. When she turned from the stove, she shook her head. “Now you won’t have cookies with your lunch tomorrow.”
He frowned. “But...I like cookies.”
She sighed. “Maybe I could take you some dessert to the lumberyard. Are you still working at the sawmill?”
He nodded. “Sure am.”
“Then I’ll try. If I have time, I’ll bring them before lunch. If I wait until after, I will be too busy.”
“If you can. It’s my fault for eating everything you left for dessert for tonight and lunch tomorrow.”
“I could get up a little early and have something ready for you to take. That would make my day easier.” She tilted her head to one side and thought about it. “That’s what I’ll do.”
“You need your rest!”
“That’s not what you said when you woke me up in the middle of the night last night...”
He chuckled. “I needed you more than you needed rest...”
“Apparently.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine getting up a little early. I’ll just go to bed a little earlier than usual tonight.”
Aaron stood and took her hand. “Right now would be good. Then you could still fall asleep a little early.”
“You’re something else, Aaron Fielding. Have I told you that before?”
He tugged her toward their bed. “You get undressed while I turn down the lamps.”
She did as she was told, knowing it would please them both. Making love with Aaron was one of the great joys of her life.
By the time the lamps were put out, she was undressed and sliding under the covers of the bed.
She’d learned that he preferred she not sleep in a nightgown.
The colder it got, the more worried she got that he’d be disappointed when winter set in hard.
She wasn’t going to freeze to death so she could be naked for him.
He quickly stripped and joined her in the bed, pulling her toward him immediately, his hands roaming over her body. “Ahh. Naked Myrtle. Just how I like her.”
Myrtle giggled and moved to kiss him. Married life was better than she’d imagined it could be.