Read Online Montana Morning by Sharon Flesch - Free Book Online Page B

the afternoon, and Adrianna finished her inventory, making a
complete list of all the things she wanted to bring back from town.  Jack
had told her they wouldn’t be coming back up until they brought Scotty home. 
She had decided to spend the evening getting her room ready. Many of Emily and
Will’s things she put into boxes and carried into the cubbies under the
eave.  Some special mementos, however, she chose to put into a box for a
later time.  She dropped into bed, late that night, long after the others
retired.  She set the alarm for six o’clock. She was not about to sleep in
two mornings in a row!
    ***
    Will was the first
man in the kitchen.  The coffee was perking and the table was set. 
Bacon was cut from a slab and eggs were on the counter next to the wood
stove.  Just then he turned, hearing the door open.  Chester came
bouncing in, followed by Adrianna carrying an arm full of wood.  “Good
grief, girl.  What time did you get up?”  He took the wood from her
arms and lowered it into the wood box.
    “A while ago,” she
offered.  “I couldn’t find your recipe for finishing the pancakes though.”
    “Now looky here,
Gal,” Will said sternly.  “No one expects you to do all the cooking and
cleaning around here.”  He took over at the stove and handed her a cup of
coffee, motioning for her to sit down at the table.  “You’ll have your
hands full taking care of Scotty, at least for a while.”  He joined her at
the table.
    “I’m sorry,
Will.  I didn’t mean to step on any toes,” she apologized.
    Will was clearly
frustrated. “First of all, Adrianna, you didn’t step on my toes; I just don’t
want you working so hard.”  He paused to make sure she was
listening.  “Next, but most importantly, you need to understand that if
you’re going to be a part of this family you will need to ‘COWBOY UP’!
 Don’t you let me or anyone else around here give you a hard time, ever.”
    She grinned across
the kitchen at him.  “Cowboy up . . . is that anything like pack a big
stick?”
    “And don’t walk
too darned soft; we’ll think you’re sneaking up on us.” He laughed and headed
for the stove.  “You cook the eggs and I’ll cook the cakes; if those lazy
bones sleep in, we’ll eat it all ourselves.”
    “Not a chance,
Pops.”  Jack walked through the kitchen, turned and pounded on Andy’s
door. “Soup’s on.”
    Andy opened the
door, tucking in his shirt and grinning shyly.  “Soup?  Man, I must
have REALLY slept in!”
    “Adrianna,” Jack
said, taking his third egg, “Pops and Andy need some help with one of the
feeders.  Do you think it would hurt to wait until after lunch to head
back to town?”
    Will watched Andy
and Jack and shook his head.  “It seems to me the eggs are a bit better
than usual.  Must be the new way I cooked them.”
    “Yeah, handed the
pan to Adrianna,” Andy said under his breath, loud enough for everyone to hear.
    Adrianna told them
to go ahead and fix the feeder, and she would do some more ‘arranging’ before
lunch.  After they left, she started a large batch of bread then dashed
upstairs to her room.
    She brought the
box down to the kitchen, sat it on the table, and went down the hall to Will’s
room. After giving the room a thorough cleaning, she brought the box in from
the kitchen.  ‘Emily’s memory needs to be with Will, not in some box,’ she hoped and prayed he would agree.
    ***
    “My word, I’ve
died and gone to heaven.  I smell homemade bread,” Will exclaimed, as he
came in the back door with an armful of wood.  “Did you get your room like
you want it?”
    “Actually,” she
hesitated.  “Will, I . . .” she wasn’t sure now she’d done the right
thing.
    “Spit it out,
Adrianna.”  Will stooped to put the wood down.
    “I hope you’re not
going to be angry with me.” She led him down the hall and opened the door to
his room.
    He gave her a
questioning look and stepped through the door.