Bran (Prairie Grooms, Book Six) (5 page)

She pointed to the two disastrous looking black loaves, and one semi-burnt one. “You be the judge.”

He picked up the semi-burnt one. “Fried egg sandwiches it is then! Success is yours!” He exclaimed and waved one hand in the air. He set the loaf back down. “Does it taste okay?”

“Yes,” Fina assured him. “We both had a slice. You thought it was okay, didn't you Apple?”

Apple nodded. “Quite so, it was very good, even if it was a little burnt.”

“Perfect!” Levi said with a smile. “I shall leave lunch in your capable hands, wife. I've still got a couple more chores to do, but they'll only take a minute.” With that he spun on his heel and strode out the door again.

Apple watched him go and sighed. “What's it like being married?”

Fina put a frying pan on the stove, and then reached for the crock of butter. “It's the most wonderful thing in the world.”

Apple now watched as Fina put some butter in the pan and waited for it to melt. “Oh.”

“Oh? That's all you have to say? Would you like me to elaborate?”

“No!” Apple said as she waved her hands in front of her. “I don't want to know what makes it wonderful.”

“You mean, you don't want to know what you have to look forward to?”

“No, I don't.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm… well you know me, I'm just silly.”

Fina cracked the eggs and put them in the pan. “It's only natural you would be curious. I know a part of me was. How can a woman not wonder what it's like?”

Apple cocked her head to one side. “It was easy enough to know what it was like. All we had to do was watch mother and father.”

Fina rolled her eyes. “I'm not talking about just being married, Apple. I'm talking about the… well…the
marriage
part.”

“What?” Apple asked, her head cocked to one side.

“You know, what happens between a man and a woman after they’re married?”

Apple blanched. “Fina!”

“And I'll tell you something, sister, it's beyond wonderful!”

“No! Not listening! No, no, no! Don't talk about such things to me!”

Fina laughed and turned the eggs. “Slice the rest of that bread up, will you” And don't worry, once you're married, you'll find out what I'm talking about. And I promise, you'll love it!”

Apple reached for the knife and bread plate. Without saying another word, she started to slice the loaf up for the sandwiches. Seems she forgot about that one particular aspect of marriage and all that went along with it. Namely, children. If she wasn't gong to marry, then she would never have children.
A high price to pay to keep a man alive.
She grimaced at the thought, and continued to slice.

Five

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, a fact for which Apple was thankful. She'd had enough excitement yesterday to last her the rest of her life, and didn't want any more added to it during her stay at Levi and Fina's. But when a distraction did come, it was a happy one.

A knock sounded on the front door right before supper. “I wonder who that could be?” Fina said as she went to answer it. She stopped at a window and peeked through the lace curtains. “It's Penelope!”

Apple, who’d been sitting at the kitchen table spreading jam on a biscuit (one that was
not
burned.) stood and smiled as Penelope walked into the house. “Fina! Apple, it's so good to see you both here!”

Fina grabbed her cousin and pulled her into a fierce hug. “At last you came to visit! Where's August?”

“He's out in the barn with Levi talking about chickens.”

“Chickens?” asked Apple. “How much talk can there be about a chicken?”

Penelope laughed. “I'm not sure, but I do hope August isn't trying to talk Levi into taking Clyde from us. I’ve grown quite fond of that rooster.”

“The crazy one?” asked Fina. “The one that attacked your… well, attacker?”

“That's the one,” affirmed Penelope. “He is an ornery thing, so I suppose I can’t blame August if he did try to wheedle Levi into taking him off our hands.”

“You have a crazy rooster?” asked Apple.

“I 'm afraid Apple hasn't been filled in on Clyde’s heroics,” explained Fina.

“Oh, I suppose not. I believe I’ve told you but haven't had a chance to tell Apple and Lena about Clyde,” said Penelope. “Suffice to say, even though he's ornery and drives my husband crazy, I still love him. He saved my life.”

“Your life was saved by a chicken?” asked Apple with a shake of her head.

“What can I say?” said Penelope. “Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. But he has a nasty habit of pecking at the bedroom window at the most in opportune times.”

Fina laughed. “So I've heard. Sadie told me!”

“Why have
I
never heard about this?” asked Apple, feeling a bit put out. But that was okay, at least their talk of a life-saving chicken would keep her mind off of her own troubles.

“Probably because you've been out at the Triple C so much,” suggested Fina.

“Far too much,” sighed Apple. “But I'm glad I get to visit you, and now Penelope!” She sat back down and took a bite of her biscuit.

“Have you eaten supper?” Fina asked Penelope.

“No, have you had yours?”

“No we haven't. I'm sure Levi and August will come into the house soon. I'm trying my hand at soup today.”

“She hasn't burned it yet,” said Apple with a smile. “And her biscuits aren't burnt either!”

“You stopped burning your biscuits?” asked Penelope, her tone envious.

“Yes, at long last! What about you?”

“I've got mine to a dark brown-not-quite-black on the bottom,” Penelope told her with a smile. “But clearly, you’ve already mastered yours.”

Fina sighed as she took Penelope's hand and led her to the kitchen table. “Yes, but I'm still working on my bread.”

“Good Heavens!” Penelope exclaimed. “That's not all you've been working on! Look at that table!”

“Yes, it's a start,” said Fina with pride.

Penelope laughed. “What does Levi think of your painting?”

“He's… adjusting.”

Penelope laughed then took in the rest of her surroundings. “I love it, Fina. Your home is lovely.”

“Thank you. Lena’s is nice too, I finally got to see it the other day.”

“Do like being so close to your sister?” asked Penelope.

“Yes, I love it. There's a trail that connects the two properties and we can see each other whenever we want.”

“How wonderful! I do wish I could say the same, especially when it comes to Constance, but she's happy with Ryder and where they live.” She turned to Apple. “And what about you Apple? Are you hoping to marry someone who lives close to town?”

Apple gaped at them, then slowly shook her head. “I don't think it's going to matter.”

Penelope and Fina exchanged a quick look. “It will once you're finally married,” said Fina. “Personally, I hope it's someone who lives close by, and we can see each other whenever we want just as Lena and I are able to. Wouldn't that be wonderful?”

Apple smiled then looked away and feigned interest in another biscuit. “Yes, of course it would.”

Fina went to the stove and stirred a pot of soup. “Any thing new with you and August?” she asked her cousin.

Penelope sat at the table. “No news of anything other than a cranky rooster.”

Fina laughed. “Of course you heard about what happened yesterday?” She turned and looked at Apple. “Penelope is going to find out anyway, we might as well tell her.”

Apple cringed and nodded. She then looked at her cousin across the table. “Did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

Apple grimaced. “I accidentally shoved Deputy O'Hare into the safe at the bank, and locked him inside.”

Penelope gasped. “You did what?!”

“I almost killed him,” Apple said with a shrug.

“Killed him?” Penelope screeched. “Apple, what you talking about?”

Apple let out a sigh. Did she really want to talk about this? No, but now that it was out of the bag, her cousin would want to know everything. She might as well get used to it. “I was in the bank… er… when I really shouldn't have been… and Deputy O'Hare came in to put money in the safe for some folks. I mistook him for an outlaw.”

“Oh dear,” said Penelope. “Then what happened?”

Apple studied her fingernails. “I thought the best way to take care of the situation would be to push him into the safe and shut it.”

“Why was the safe open in the first place?” asked Penelope.

“Mr. Van Cleet locks the bank, but he hardly locks the safe,” explained Fina. “Levi had been there earlier and left, but dropped his key in the street out front. Apple found it, went into the bank looking for Mr. Van Cleet, and, well, that's when Deputy O'Hare came along.”

“I hid under a desk and couldn't see him, only his boots and part of his legs. When I saw him bend down to look into the safe, I thought he was robbing it. Not only that, I didn't fancy getting shot. So you see, I had several reasons for doing what I did.”

Penelope stared at her a moment before she spoke. “What a brave thing to do.”

“It was a stupid thing to do,” Apple said, her face downcast. “He almost died because of me.”

Penelope reached across the table and took her hand. “But he didn't, did he?”

“No, but he sure is mad at me,” Apple said with a pout. “And probably will be for the rest of his life.”

Fina studied her sister. “Let's not talk about this anymore,” she said then turned to Penelope. “It upsets Apple and she needs to not think about it for a while.”

“I agree,” said Penelope. “It must've been horrible for you, not knowing if the man was going to live or die, not to mention the time it took to find Mr. Van Cleet so he could open the safe.”

“That's just it,” said Apple. “Mr. Van Cleet wasn't in town, he stayed home sick that day.”

“And Levi had gone out to help Colin and Harrison at the Triple C,” added Fina.

Penelope gasped. “Then how did you get the safe opened?”

“Dr. Drake opened it,” said Apple.

“The doctor?” asked Penelope, perplexed.

“He wasn't always a doctor,” explained Apple as she stood up from the table. “Should I go tell Levi it's time for supper?”

Fina gave the soup pot another stir as she peered into it and smiled. “Yes, I think it's done, and the subject of Deputy O’Hare is closed, all right?”

Apple looked at Penelope. “I'll not say another word if you don't want me to,” said her cousin.

“I'd appreciate it,” said Apple. “I really don't want to think about it anymore.”

“Very well, we shant speak of it further,” said Penelope. “And I'm sure by the next meeting of the ladies sewing circle, folks will have forgotten all about it.”

Apple blanched. “Sewing circle?”

“Of course, cousin,” said Penelope. “It meets every week, and we are in dire need of practice.”

Apple closed her eyes and cringed. “Do I have to go?”

“I think it would be good for you if you did,” answered Penelope.

Apple stared at her them a moment before giving in. “Very well, I'll be there.” With that, she left the house like a woman walking to the gallows, and let the men know it was time for supper.

* * *

Over the next week, Apple did her best to avoid any and all conversations regarding what happened with Deputy Brandon O'Hare. Thankfully, her family was sensitive to her need not to talk about it, and so let the matter lie.

The ladies sewing circle, on the other hand, wasn't quite so compliant. Especially Fanny Fig, who gobbled up the news with relish, chewed on it, and then spit out her own version of the whole affair. “I heard that when they finally got poor Deputy O’Hare out of the safe, he was dark blue!”

“Tarnation Fanny!” snapped Grandma. “If the man was that blue, he'd be dead!”

“He was blue, just the same,” countered Fanny. “I heard Doc had to hit him on the head just to get him breathing again.”

Grandma rolled her eyes and put her sewing in her lap. “You do not hit a man on the head to get him breathing!”

“How should I know these things?” huffed Fanny. “I'm not a doctor!”

“Well I'm married to one and live with another, and I'm telling you, you do not hit a man over the head to get him to take air into his lungs!”

“I'm only saying what I heard,” countered Fanny.

“Maybe if you held your breath, we could watch you turn blue and see how long it takes before you pass out,” suggested Mrs. Dunnigan with a wry smile.

“Irene!” gasped Fanny. “How could you even suggest such a thing?”

“The same way you can spout out a pack of lies,” put in Mary Mulligan.

“Ladies, please,” said Mable Turner. “The Cookes and their cousins will be here any moment, and I'm sure they're not going to want to hear this.”

“I, for one, will be glad when they’re here,” said Fanny. “Then maybe we'll get the
real
story of how hard the doctor had to hit poor Deputy O'Hare to get him breathing again!”

Grandma groaned just as the door of the mercantile opened. The Cooke women had arrived. Sadie entered first, little Honoria in her arms, followed by Belle and Apple. “Where is everybody?” asked Belle.

“Ain’t here yet,” said Grandma then turned to Apple. “I don't know if Constance is coming to town today, but I'm sure the rest of your cousins will be here.”

Apple looked at the many chairs placed in a circle near the front windows. Most of them were empty. “Goodness,” she said. “Does our family take up most of the circle now?”

Mrs. Dunnigan glanced around. “Well, what do ya know, she's right. The English have taken over!”

Everyone laughed. “If our circle gets any bigger, we may have to move it again,” said Mrs. Mulligan.

Annie King came in at that point with Susara Kincaid and Elsie Drake. “Good morning ladies!” she greeted.

“The church would work,” suggested Belle.

“Work for what?” asked Annie.

“Who would've ever thought we’d have to discuss moving our sewing circle because it's getting too big?” Sadie said then looked at Annie. “Do you think we could have it at the church if we need to?”

“Well, I don’t see why not. Especially when it comes time for the Christmas play. We’ll be making the costumes for it anyway.”

Apple took a seat next to Mrs. Dunnigan. “Lena is looking forward to your Christmas play. She loves the stage.”

“I'm sure we can hold out for the next month or so, then let's talk about moving into the church,” suggested Annie.

Everyone nodded their agreement. The door opened again and this time Lena, Fina, Eloise, and Constance entered.

“Who wants coffee?” barked Mrs. Dunnigan.

“I’ll help you Irene,” said Grandma and she got up from her chair.

Belle shook her head and giggled. “What's so funny?” asked Apple.

“My aunt loves to play hostess,” said Belle. “She can't wait for the baby to come, probably so she can cook for him or her.”

Apple watched with envy as Belle ran a hand over her belly. Her pregnancy wasn't evident yet as far as anyone could see, but soon would be. “Are you hoping for a boy, or a girl?”

“We both hope it's a boy,” said Belle. “But will be happy with whatever the Lord gives us.”

“Have you thought of any names yet?” asked Eloise as she took a seat next to Mrs. Mulligan. The rest of the women followed suit and found a chair.

“Well, if it's a boy, we'd like to name him Jefferson.”

“Yes, then we'll have a new set of Jefferson and Honoria running around,” laughed Sadie.