Page 28 of Colorado Bride

ChapterFive

Morning came way too early.It was still dark outside, for gosh sake.

“Are you awake?”

Ben’s voice was gravelly from sleep.

“Yes, but I don’t want to be.”

He chuckled.

“I know.Me, either.I’d rather be able to spend the day in bed with you…but the work on a ranch won’t wait.The animals need taking care of, and the people fed.Get up and I’ll show you what you need to do every morning.”

“All right.I’ll have to unpack sometime today.”

Ben sat up on the edge of the bed.

“After breakfast, you can unpack.Then you can help Mother with the house work.”

“That’s liable to be hard…on me.You know she’ll give me the worst things to do.”She’ll make the day as tough for me as she possibly can hoping I’ll go away, but she’s wrong.I didn’t live with stubborn nuns for eighteen years for nothing.

“I know but try to get along with her.”

“I won’t be abused by her.You should know that now.I will simply come up here if she starts anything.”

Ben stood, walked to the dresser and got clean clothes.By the time he’d finished dressing, she’d put on everything but her boots.She was glad she had them as they would definitely be more practical for the work she was to do.

She opened the trunk and found a clean dress.Tonight she would have a bath but today clean clothes.

“I’m ready.Ben, I’d like to take a bath tonight.With the travel, I haven’t had a decent bath in more than a week.Can you arrange for that?”

“Sure.We bathe in the kitchen, but I’ll see you get privacy…except from me.I’ll wash your back.”

She smiled.It was nice having someone who appreciated her and wanted her.It had been her dream while she was at the orphanage, that someday, someone, hopefully a husband would realize what a gem he had in her and take care of her.Maybe someday would even love her.

“I’m ready to go.”

When they got to the kitchen, Doris Logan, Emily simply couldn’t call her Mother, was already up.Coffee was on the stove and she was putting bacon into two large cast iron skillets.

“I assumed that you’d be teaching the woman how to do the morning chores.”

“That’s right, Mother and good morning to you, too.”

His mother flushed a little.

“Good morning.”

“And Mother, her name is Emily.”

“Hmpft.”

He walked over to his mother and turned her to face him.

“You will treat Emily with respect or I’ll build you a small house and you can live by yourself.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I would.Now greet Emily as you should.”