“There are some wild raspberries near here, and some wild cherries as well.”
“No strawberries? I was thinking of making a strawberry shortcake. I guess I’ll try to gather both. I can make a cherry pie and maybe a raspberry pie.”
“With homemade whipped cream?” he asked as he sat down at the table.
“Of course. What would pie be without homemade whipped cream.”
Doug smiled as she put the chicken on the table. “That looks wonderful. Have you ever burned anything in your life?”
She laughed. “I thought you wanted a wife who knew how to cook. Why are you acting like you’re disappointed that I’m good at it?” Trudie had always loved to cook, learning from her mother when her mother was not working, and from her older sisters when her mother was. Susan taught Trudie a great deal before she’d moved to Texas.
He shrugged. “I’m glad you can cook, of course, but I just wish you weren’t good at everything.”
“I’m not good at everything. I’m terrible at geography.” She had never been able to figure out her north from her south.
“You are?” he asked. “I find that difficult to believe.”
“Trust me, I’m bad at it. I have no sense of direction either. People would give me directions, and I’d get so turned around, I wouldn’t be able to find my way to save my life.” She put the last of the foods on the table and sat down beside him, bowing her head as she waited for the prayer.
While they ate, she talked to him about what she’d planted, and he talked a little about his day on the ranch. “My foreman was sick today, and I sent him home right after lunch, which meant I spent the entire day working on fences with only four men. The others were out helping with the calves.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I desperately want to make sure none of the calves are lost this year, but that’s really hard to do. Especially down one man.”
“How sick is he? I could make him some chicken soup.” Trudie had often fixed chicken soup for the ailing back in Massachusetts.
He grinned. “You think your cooking can fix anything, don’t you?”
She shrugged. “I think good food can fix anything. And if I’m the one cooking, then I know the food is good.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed meals as much as I have since you came here. Have I mentioned yet that I’m glad it was you and not the woman I was picturing in my mind?”
“My sister thought I would be perfect for you. She told me so when she handed me the letter.” Elizabeth was always right about those things, though none of her siblings wanted to admit it. She said she could feel who the right woman was for the letter in her hands.
“Your sister?” he asked.
“Yes, my sister Elizabeth. She owns the mail-order bride agency.”
Doug shook his head. “Did you tell me that?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important. Do you?” Why did it matter if it was her sister who sent her to be his wife?
“If you couldn’t cook and your sister sent you to marry me, I’d be pretty darned annoyed, but since you’re a great cook...I’ll let it slide.”
Trudie grinned. “I’m sure Elizabeth will be very relieved you’re not angry with her.” She wanted to roll her eyes, but she decided that would look childish.
Chapter 5
Trudie hurried as she did the dishes that night, happy that they would be going for a walk together. She grabbed a small pail for the raspberries and a basket for the cherries, handing Doug the pail to carry. “I haven’t really explored at all yet,” she said. “Normally, I would have wandered around the whole area, but since it’s already June, I needed to get my garden in quickly.”
“Let’s go away from the road,” he suggested. “It’s still my land, and I’ve seen both cherries and raspberries this way.” He was a little disappointed that their walk together was going to turn into fruit picking, but he was thrilled that he would have the opportunity to eat the cherries and raspberries, so he was going to not worry over it too much.
“How far out here do you own the land?” she asked.
“About a half mile this way. We won’t have to walk quite that far to get the fruit, though.”
“I wouldn’t mind walking the entire way,” she said. “I enjoy walks in the country. I walked into town every day that I could when I was back east. Sometimes when it was really cold, my father would take me, but I liked walking so much that I usually just bundled up extra good.”
“I’m happy to walk with you whenever you want to go out.”
“Would it be dangerous for me to walk by myself?” she asked. She would always take her slingshot of course, but she wasn’t sure if there would be predators that would prevent her from being able to use it.
He shook his head. “Not really. There are some bears in the area, but they don’t usually come this close to people.”
She frowned. “I could take a pistol if you wouldn’t mind that. I’m a crack shot.”
“Of course, you are. Who taught you to shoot?”
“Oh, my brothers. When I was so good with a slingshot, they decided that I needed to learn to shoot a gun. And then a bow and arrow. Then they regretted teaching me because I can outshoot all of them.” Trudie shrugged. Her brothers had been too prideful when it came to shooting practice.
“All right. I would not have a problem with you going alone if you took a gun with you. I think that’s a good idea, in fact.”
“Wonderful.” Trudie had always preferred to walk alone, and having to wait for her husband to finish work so she could enjoy nature would have really bothered her. She’d get
