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Authors: Kirsten Osbourne
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but the warmth spread through her body quickly.
Andy pulled back and plopped his hat onto his head. “Have a good day.”
He was gone before Tracy could find the words to respond. Mattie grinned up at her. “He likes you,” she whispered.
Tracy giggled softly. “He is certainly starting to make me think that.”
*****
With the day’s chores finally finished, Tracy sat down with Mattie and showed her how to make simple stitches. She gave her two scraps of the fabric they’d used for her new dress with the instructions to sew them together so they could make a purse out of them.
Andy found them that way at the end of the day. He and his brothers had put in a long day of work, and they were all three exhausted. Walking into the house, smelling dinner cooking, and seeing even the windows shining as if they were brand new rejuvenated him. He glanced over and saw Tracy sitting with Mattie, both of their heads bowed over their sewing. He didn’t know what Mattie was making, but Tracy had told him the day before she was going to make Mattie a new dress and have it done as soon as she could. The girl needed dresse s that fit for church.
He washed his hands and walked over to where they sat, smiling down at them. “My two ladies, hard at work.”
Tracy looked up and rolled her neck. “Let me put dinner on the table.” They were later than she’d expected, so she’d shoved everything into the cooling oven to keep it warm while she and Mattie sewed.
Andy caught her around the waist before she could walk away, kissing her softly. She looked up at him with wide round eyes. Would he grab her and kiss her every chance he got? It certainly seemed that way. And she definitely didn’t have it in her to complain.
She rushed to pull dinner from the oven and put it on the table. Everything was set. Mattie got the milk and poured it for everyone, while Tracy put the big bowl with pot roast, carrots and potatoes onto the center of the table. She’d baked some fresh dinner rolls and they were cooling on the work table. She piled them into a bread basket, and put them out as well.
Once she’d taken her seat, she bowed her head, waiting for Andy to pray. The family ate more slowly this time, obviously getting used to the fact that there would be good foods to sustain them for a while.
After his first bite, Andy looked at Tracy, his eyes twinkling. “This is delicious. I never would have thought Francis would be so good at picking out a wife.”
Tracy blushed. “He’s a smart young man. Polite, too. We’ll find him a wife soon.”
Francis choked on his pot roast. “I’m not quite ready to marry yet. I’m only sixteen.”
Tracy smiled, winking at Andy. “I have just the girl in mind. She was one of the girls in the orphanage. You don’t mind an older woman, do you?” She was teasing him, of course, because there had been no girls even close to her age at the orphanage. Most girls were adopted as soon as they were old enough to be considered helpful around someone’s home. She hadn’t been up for adoption because of the letter left in her basket.
Francis’s eyes were wide with panic as he shook his head. “I need to wait until I’m at least twenty-five to marry.”
Andy looked at Francis. “You didn’t think I should wait that long.” Andy could tell that Tracy was teasing his brother, so he decided to help.
“But that was different! I was about to start clubbing you over the head with beef jerky if we didn’t get a decent meal.” Francis took another bite of his potatoes as he talked.
Andy chuckled. “We did eat a lot of beef jerky.”
“Yes, we did. Way too much!” Arthur said, making a face. “If I’d had to eat beef jerky one more time, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Killed me?” Andy asked with a smile. He knew his family had been sick of beef jerky, but they’d
Andy pulled back and plopped his hat onto his head. “Have a good day.”
He was gone before Tracy could find the words to respond. Mattie grinned up at her. “He likes you,” she whispered.
Tracy giggled softly. “He is certainly starting to make me think that.”
*****
With the day’s chores finally finished, Tracy sat down with Mattie and showed her how to make simple stitches. She gave her two scraps of the fabric they’d used for her new dress with the instructions to sew them together so they could make a purse out of them.
Andy found them that way at the end of the day. He and his brothers had put in a long day of work, and they were all three exhausted. Walking into the house, smelling dinner cooking, and seeing even the windows shining as if they were brand new rejuvenated him. He glanced over and saw Tracy sitting with Mattie, both of their heads bowed over their sewing. He didn’t know what Mattie was making, but Tracy had told him the day before she was going to make Mattie a new dress and have it done as soon as she could. The girl needed dresse s that fit for church.
He washed his hands and walked over to where they sat, smiling down at them. “My two ladies, hard at work.”
Tracy looked up and rolled her neck. “Let me put dinner on the table.” They were later than she’d expected, so she’d shoved everything into the cooling oven to keep it warm while she and Mattie sewed.
Andy caught her around the waist before she could walk away, kissing her softly. She looked up at him with wide round eyes. Would he grab her and kiss her every chance he got? It certainly seemed that way. And she definitely didn’t have it in her to complain.
She rushed to pull dinner from the oven and put it on the table. Everything was set. Mattie got the milk and poured it for everyone, while Tracy put the big bowl with pot roast, carrots and potatoes onto the center of the table. She’d baked some fresh dinner rolls and they were cooling on the work table. She piled them into a bread basket, and put them out as well.
Once she’d taken her seat, she bowed her head, waiting for Andy to pray. The family ate more slowly this time, obviously getting used to the fact that there would be good foods to sustain them for a while.
After his first bite, Andy looked at Tracy, his eyes twinkling. “This is delicious. I never would have thought Francis would be so good at picking out a wife.”
Tracy blushed. “He’s a smart young man. Polite, too. We’ll find him a wife soon.”
Francis choked on his pot roast. “I’m not quite ready to marry yet. I’m only sixteen.”
Tracy smiled, winking at Andy. “I have just the girl in mind. She was one of the girls in the orphanage. You don’t mind an older woman, do you?” She was teasing him, of course, because there had been no girls even close to her age at the orphanage. Most girls were adopted as soon as they were old enough to be considered helpful around someone’s home. She hadn’t been up for adoption because of the letter left in her basket.
Francis’s eyes were wide with panic as he shook his head. “I need to wait until I’m at least twenty-five to marry.”
Andy looked at Francis. “You didn’t think I should wait that long.” Andy could tell that Tracy was teasing his brother, so he decided to help.
“But that was different! I was about to start clubbing you over the head with beef jerky if we didn’t get a decent meal.” Francis took another bite of his potatoes as he talked.
Andy chuckled. “We did eat a lot of beef jerky.”
“Yes, we did. Way too much!” Arthur said, making a face. “If I’d had to eat beef jerky one more time, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Killed me?” Andy asked with a smile. He knew his family had been sick of beef jerky, but they’d
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