Chapter Four
Agnes brought smoked salmon for their suppers that night. Josie stared at it for a moment, trying to remember if there was a receipt for cooked salmon in her new book.
Myrtle pulled Josie aside from the others and quietly explained how to warm the salmon in a pan with a bit of lard, flaking it into smaller pieces that would be easier to eat. “Fry some potatoes with it, and you’ll have a good meal.”
“High heat?” Josie asked.
“No, you want to do it over a low heat. It won’t be good if you fry it with high heat.”
Josie nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“At least if it doesn’t work, you’ll have bread,” Myrtle said with a wink. “But really, it should be easy.”
“Thank you! I feel like I’m never going to be a good cook.”
“You’ll get there. Your mother never taught you, but you’re a smart woman. Cooking will come easily.”
“I hope so!” Josie said as she started for her own cabin.
She was a few steps down the trail when she turned back, realizing she’d forgotten to talk to Belle about deer hide for the mukluks. She quickly explained what she needed to do.
“Come home with me. I have some cured hide that will be perfect. If your husband likes his mukluks, I may beg you to make some for Everett,” Belle said.
“You wouldn’t need to beg. You’re providing food for my husband and me. I’ll happily do anything I can to pay you back.”
Belle smiled. “You may end up making them for all of our husbands. We’ll see how these turn out.”
“Jack seemed a little shocked that I was willing to try, but I’ve always enjoyed craft projects. This will be a special one.”
“It certainly will!” Belle replied.
When they got to Belle’s cabin, she put her little boy onto the floor, and he immediately started crawling away. Josie smiled down at him. Oh, how she wanted a baby of her own, but she was afraid of how Jack would react if she had a girl. All men wanted sons, didn’t they?
Josie took the cured hide and tucked it under one arm. In her basket, she had the salmon for supper as well as her share of the forage of the day. And a jar of jam. She had no idea what kind of jam, but it would go on toast in the morning. “Thank you so much!”
“You’re very welcome!” Belle said. “If there’s anything else you need, just let me know.”
Josie hurried toward the cabin she shared with Jack, wanting to make certain supper was ready when he arrived home. Maybe if she kept the house spotless and had supper ready every night when he came home from work, he would forgive her if she had a girl. Maybe.
She immediately rekindled the fire when she arrived home, putting a cast iron skillet in the middle of it to warm the way Myrtle had told her.
She carefully flaked the salmon and added potatoes to the skillet to cook as well.
Then she carefully sliced and added one of the onions she’d found that afternoon.
She stood over the stove while their meal cooked, afraid to walk away lest it burn.
Jack walked in just as she finished the meal, and she served their plates while he washed his hands. “That smells delicious. Didn’t you tell me you don’t know how to cook?”
“I’m asking for advice on how to cook what I’m given for meals. My friend Myrtle is a genius, and she always knows what to do.” Josie poured each of them a cup of coffee before joining him at the table. “I hope you like salmon. It seems there’s a great deal of it waiting for us this winter.”
Jack chuckled. “It’s actually one of my favorite foods.”
“Well, good. Then we won’t go hungry this winter. I don’t think I’ve ever had it, but I’m excited to try.” She bowed her head as he prayed. “I hope I cooked it right.”
He cut into the salmon with the side of his fork and popped it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, and for a moment, Josie was afraid she’d done something to mess it up, but he nodded. “It’s good! A little less salt next time, and it will be perfect.”
For a moment, it felt as if her heart stopped. If there was too much salt, would he get angry with her? He seemed to be enjoying the meal, but men were temperamental, as she knew very well.
Josie took a bite of her own fish, and she had to agree with him. It was a bit too salty, but it was still good. Very good. She’d made two suppers in a row and hadn’t burned a thing.
“We have a great deal of potatoes coming as well. Do you like fried potatoes?” she asked, hoping it would help him forget about the salt.
He nodded. “I like potatoes anyway you’re willing to make it. Fried, baked, mashed, boiled, or creamed.”
“Creamed?” she asked. She’d never heard of creamed potatoes.
“My dad used to cream potatoes. Basically, it was potatoes in a white sauce. It became one of my favorite ways to eat them.”
“You should write him and get the receipt,” Josie said. “I’d learn to make them.”
“I’ll do that,” he said.
“Oh, I got hide for the mukluks from Belle today. She said if yours turn out well, she will have me make some for Everett.” She stopped and bit her lip.
“I should have said Mr. Thompson. I’m so sorry.
I didn’t mean to speak so familiarly about another man.
” She shrank away from him, worried his fist would soon connect with her.
“I’m sure you called him that because Belle did.” He watched as she moved away from him. “You don’t think I’m going to hit you for using another man’s first name, do you?”
Josie blushed. “It’s what my stepfather would have done.”
“I’m not your stepfather.” He covered her hand with his own. “I firmly believe that men who hurt women deserve to be drawn and quartered.”
She blinked a few times. “Really?”
“Really. I don’t know what you saw with your mother’s second marriage, but I assure you, I am not like your stepfather.” He frowned. “Is that why you start the nights so far away from me?”
She nodded slowly. “I’ve been waiting for you to get angry with me and hit me.”
“It’s not going to happen. I promise.”
She’d heard her stepfather promise to never hit her mother again, only to hit her again a few hours later. She would reserve judgment.
She spent the evening working on the mukluks, realizing they were more work than she’d expected.
The hide couldn’t be sewn easily, so she had to make each hole individually, and then she was able to sew the pieces together.
She was thankful she’d had her sewing scissors sharpened shortly before leaving Massachusetts.
She wasn’t certain she could have cut the hide otherwise.
While she worked, Jack read her the chapters from the Bible they would be studying with the group on Sunday. She was thankful he did so, because she wouldn’t have felt she could take the time to read otherwise.
When he was finished, he watched her work on the boots for a moment. “Those are going to be a lot of work, aren’t they?”
She shrugged. “At least we won’t be spending a lot of money on boots.”
“Very true.” He stood. “I’m ready for bed.”
Josie nodded. “I think I am too.”
When they got into bed, he pulled her toward him, and he kissed her. “No more clinging to that side of the bed. You’re going to end up sleeping in my arms, so why don’t we start out that way?”
“I...”
“I won’t hurt you.” He wrapped both arms around her, holding her close. “Goodnight, Josie.”
She yawned. “Goodnight, Jack.”
*****
Within a few weeks, there was too much snow on the ground to forage, and other than lunches, Josie spent her time in the cabin. She made four pairs of mukluks for her friends’ husbands after she finished Jack’s.
She made him a red scarf, hat, and gloves, thinking people would be able to see him easier, and he would be less likely to have something happen in the cold. He could be spotted if he fell.
After all of those projects were finished, she started knitting for the store. Each time she finished a set of hat, scarf, and gloves, she would show them to her friends, and if no one wanted it for their husband, she took it to the store.
The nights grew longer, and she spent more time alone than she ever had in her life. She became sad as she stared out the window at the darkness.
Finally, she decided she had to stop being alone, or she wouldn’t be able to continue on with a smile on her face. So, after lunch one day, she walked with Myrtle to the store and told her friend how she was feeling.
Myrtle immediately invited her to spend mornings in her cabin with her. “You can knit or sew while I bake,” Myrtle said, smiling. “You’ll have a chance to suggest desserts.”
The following morning, Josie went to Myrtle’s cabin as soon as Jack had left for work. She was still nervous around Jack, but it had gotten much better as time went by.
Josie happily knitted and chatted with Myrtle as her friend made many loaves of bread and some sugar-cookie dough cobblers.
When Myrtle was finished with her baking, Josie stood and washed dishes with her friend.
“I’m still trying to decide what I should do.
I didn’t mind foraging, but it didn’t excite me either.
You’re so happy baking and cooking, but I don’t feel that either. ”
“What about making mukluks and knitting?” Myrtle asked.
“I get bored. I like to clean. I wonder if I could maybe take in laundry?”
“That’s an idea. Do you think that would make you happy?”
Josie shrugged. “Maybe? Although, with as seldom as these men wash their clothes, I’m not sure I want to touch them.”
Myrtle laughed. “You could also clean people’s homes, I would think.
There are so many bachelors around here.
I’m sure some would pay for a once-a-month cleaning.
Or you could work with me. I want to open that bakery so badly I can taste it, but Aaron won’t let me do it without a partner to wait tables and do dishes.
How would you like to work with me waiting tables and doing dishes? ”
“That’s what I did at the hotel...” Josie thought about it. “But I wouldn’t have to deal with men pinching my bottom or making rude comments if I worked for you.”
“Very true. Think about it. I would do all the baking and make soups every day.”
“I’ll talk to Jack about it. He may not want me serving other men.
” Josie knew her stepfather would have gotten angry at the mere thought of his wife serving other men.
But she was slowly learning that Jack was absolutely nothing like her stepfather.
Why, he hadn’t even tried to consummate their marriage yet.
He seemed to truly respect her feelings.
“Are you getting more comfortable with Jack?” Myrtle asked.
Josie nodded. “Everything is a little easier. I’m still nervous around him. I don’t know if that will ever change, but he’s very kind to me. I just hope it continues that way.”
Myrtle nodded. “Aaron wouldn’t hurt me for anything, and I have a feeling your Jack feels the same way about you. We’re in a better place here. There aren’t enough women. If Jack hit you, you could go outside and choose another husband in an instant.”
Josie shook her head. “I think if Jack ever hit me, I wouldn’t have the courage to ever look at another man. Not after seeing my mother all black and blue with broken arms. I think he broke her arms eight different times.”
“Just remember that you can’t blame Jack for what your stepfather did. I know it was very hard for you to join us and become a mail-order bride, but I’m so glad you did. I need my friend.”
Once the cabin was tidy, they left for lunch at Maggie’s, with Myrtle pulling her wagon behind her. Josie wasn’t certain it could be called a wagon because it was on runners for the winter, but she couldn’t really call it a sled, could she?
Josie felt a little more eager to join in the conversation at Maggie’s that day. She wasn’t certain what had happened to her, but between being alone and the darkness, she had stopped feeling like herself or caring about what was happening around her.
Simply spending the morning with Myrtle helped tremendously.
Myrtle passed out bread and desserts, and Belle shared meat with everyone. “I think we’re actually going to have more meat than we need this winter,” Belle said. “Thanks to Lula getting that bear!”
Lula grinned. “There’s no feeling like it. I mean, I grieve for the animal I killed, but it’s meat for the winter, and that makes it all worth it.”
“I think we’re doing bear at my house tonight,” Belle said. “I know Agnes brought whitefish for Myrtle. What would everyone else like? Salmon, whitefish, bear, venison, or elk?”
“Rabbit?” Josie asked. Myrtle had taught her to make a rabbit stew that was absolutely perfect.
“Sure. There’s rabbit,” Belle said. “Follow me home after lunch, and I’ll get you some.”
“Thank you!” Josie realized that just days before, she would have told Belle to give her whatever no one else wanted, but she was feeling more like herself again.
She went with Belle to get the meat, but then she hurried to catch up with Myrtle. Oddly enough, many of the men had started meeting Myrtle on her way to the store so they could get first pick of whatever treats Myrtle made.
Josie watched as she sold many of her baked goods to men who then went back to work and then sold the rest to Katie for the store. Josie watched as Katie slipped some of the goodies to one side for her own use.
As she and Myrtle left the store and walked toward their cabins, Josie said, “You really have made your own business already. It’s a good thing I love you so much or I would be extremely jealous.”
Myrtle laughed. “You’re finding where you fit in. Half the men who work for the lumber operation wear your hats, scarves, and gloves.”
“But they don’t get the same look on their faces they get when they see your sweets.”
“Maybe not, but they’re much warmer thanks to you.”
Josie grinned. “I never thought of it that way.”
“You should.”