Sally blinked in surprise.
Mary chuckled. “You always say that.”
“Well, it’s true,” Sally replied.
“I’m afraid she’s stuck in her ways,” Mary told Ralph. “You’ll never get her to call him Dave.”
Ralph sighed. “I suppose not.” He shrugged. “Just make sure you come by with those kitchen items. It’s profitable for both of us.”
“I’ll be back in two weeks,” Mary promised then waited until he was away from the wagon before she released the brake.
“You know you give Ralph an advantage the other mercantile owner doesn’t have, don’t you?” Sally asked while Mary led the horses down the street. “That’s why he’s eager to get those things you’re making.”
“Yes, I know. Ralph is a likable person, but he’s also a businessman. His mind is always on how much money he can bring in. But, to be fair to him, he needs to make money in order to keep the place open. I’m not sure I want to go to another mercantile. I’m used to Ralph’s.”
“In that case, you better keep up with those potholders and dish towels and whatever else you’re working on.”
“I mostly do those, but I have done some blankets and bonnets for babies. Those are fun to work on.”
“Seriously, Mary, how do you have time to do that and manage everything on the farm?”
“I don’t do everything out there. Dave does a lot of the work.”
Sally shook her head. “He doesn’t do most of the work. I used to be on a farm, and there’s no way men do as much as the women.”
“We all work together. Everything goes along smoothly. No one person could do it all alone. We balance each other out.”
“Will that be true now that David’s got a broken leg?”
“The leg should heal in two months. Less if he’s careful. That’s what Joel said.”
“I don’t know. Two months can seem like an awfully long time for a woman whose husband stays inside the house all day. It might feel more like two years before he’s ready to go back outside to work.”
Mary turned down the street that would take her to Sally’s house. “I think Dave is more likely to go restless than I am. He’s only been in the house one day, and he’s already bored. I tried to encourage him to read a book, but he’s not interested in reading.”
“He’s never liked reading. He rarely read anything the teacher gave us. He ended up with some low marks because of it, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Now, Rick is a reader. He always has his nose in a book. He likes to study up on the laws and different court cases. Sometimes I ask him to read to me at bedtime.”
Mary glanced at her in surprise. “You like it when he reads those books to you?”
“Heavens, no. The information is boring. It puts me right to sleep.” Sally giggled. “It works better than warm milk.”
Mary shook her head in amusement. “You’re terrible, Sally. Does Rick know it bores you?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is that he doesn’t mind that I end up falling asleep.”
Mary reached the house and pulled the brake. She debated whether or not to say what had come to mind, but after a moment, she decided she couldn’t resist joking with her friend. “He’s probably relieved you’re not going to keep him awake by talking all night.”
Sally let out a gasp, and Mary hurried down from the wagon before Sally could retaliate.
Greg, Sally’s fourteen-year-old son, and Jeremy, Jenny’s twelve-year-old son, came out of the house. “Do you have anything you need us to bring in, Ma?” Greg called out to Sally.
“No, today’s trip was all for Mary and her family,” Sally replied as she let Greg help her down from the wagon. “Though, after what your aunt just said, I’m not sure I should have helped.”
Mary caught the teasing gleam in Sally’s eye and chuckled. “I was very glad to have your mother with me,” Mary told Greg, deciding she owed Sally a compliment. “I don’t care much for shopping, but she makes it an enjoyable experience. Time goes fast when she’s with me.”
“I can say the same about cooking,” Sally replied. “Cooking is tedious unless you’re there.”
Mary smiled at her. “Although I love to cook, I agree it’s more fun when we’re doing it together.” She turned to Jeremy. “How did your mother manage while we were gone?”
“Fine,” Jeremy replied. “She’s changing Adam’s diaper.”
“What are the others doing?” Sally asked.
“They’re playing in the backyard,” he said.
“Are they being good?” Sally asked.
“They’re fine, Ma,” Greg answered for Jeremy. “They’re all taking turns riding the dog.”
Sally’s eyes grew wide. “They’re what?”
To Mary’s surprise, Sally ran into the house. Greg and Jeremy glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed her. Mary bit her tongue so she wouldn’t laugh. She was used to Isaac and Rachel trying to hop on Jasper’s back in an attempt to ride him, so news that the children were doing this didn’t shock her. She was, however, shocked that this had never happened to Sally before. Granted, Sally’s children were far apart in age, but it seemed that at some point, five-year-old Laura would have tried it. Even Greg probably tried it when he was younger.
By the time Mary got to the backyard, Sally was giving the four children a lecture on how they were too big to try to ride the dog like he was a horse. Mary noticed that Greg and Jeremy had decided not to join the others in the backyard, and she couldn’t blame them. Not only did they want to stay out of Sally’s way since she wasn’t happy, but they were older than the other children.
“I don’t want to see any of you
