Teddy walked Amanda to the waiting wagon as Dan handed him Pepper’s reins. He still couldn’t believe, after what he had done upon Amanda’s arrival, that she had consented to marry him. Perhaps he was just the best pick of what was available, but he knew if he worked hard, he could indeed win her heart.
Chapter 9
Monday morning broke, cool and misty as the first watery glint of light touched the window of the tiny cabin and Teddy rolled out of bed.
“Is it time to get up?” Amanda blinked, bleary-eyed into the darkness.
“You go on and sleep if you want to,” Teddy leaned over, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ve got to get to the house and start chores.”
Amanda sat up, squinting at the faint line of light along the horizon through the blank window. “It’s still dark.”
Teddy grinned. “That’s life on a ranch, darlin’. Up at the crack of dawn, long days in the saddle, and plenty to do.”
“What am I to do while you’re gone?” Amanda felt her stomach knot.
“Whatever you’d like. You just trundle on up to the house when you’re ready. I’ll ask Rosa to hold a plate for ya, and you two can get to know each other.”
Amanda nodded, wondering what she and the lovely Mexican woman would ever find to talk about. Rosa was bold, confident, and full of spunk, while Amanda was timid, fretful, and confused.
“I’ll come with you,” she said, throwing the blankets off and climbing from the depths of the warm bed. “I don’t think I’d like to be here alone in the dark. What if one of those horrid cows turns up?”
Teddy pulled Amanda into his arms, kissing her sweetly. He loved the way she felt tucked up next to him, but he was trying to take his time and let her adjust to married life. “Suit yourself,” he grinned. “Maybe Dan should think about putting up a fence around the main property to keep the cattle from wandering through the place, not that they tend to,” he added quickly at Amanda’s horrified expression.
The noise and bustle of the main house washed over Amanda upon entry, in a disorienting wave as voices mingled in a cacophony. Men she had never seen before straddled chairs as the old cook and Rosa placed stacks of food before them.
“Mornin’,” Teddy offered, striding to the table and pulling out a chair for Amanda as she reluctantly followed. “What’s on the schedule for the day?”
“The usual,” Cookie grumbled. “Eat up so’s we can get it done before the cows come home.”
The whole table erupted in laughter, making Amanda flinch. She suddenly felt completely out of place with the rowdy cowhands.
Rosa brought a tray of biscuits, taking her seat at the end of the long table and smiling at Amanda. “You eat,” she grinned. “You are too skinny for a rancher’s wife.”
Amanda ducked her head, taking the biscuits and passing them toward Theo, trying to make herself as small as possible as she dodged the scrutiny of the other men.
“Do not listen to these men,” Rosa said, eyeing Amanda’s fresh floral print dress. “They will talk too much. Today you will stay with Christina and me. I will like having another woman around to help with the work.”
Amanda blanched. What could she do to help Rosa? She was singularly ill-equipped to work on a ranch. Perhaps she had married too quickly, and Teddy had not been the best choice. How could a girl from Virginia, who had barely even lifted a finger to serve herself, fit in on a hard-working ranch?
Teddy looked up, trying to catch Rosa’s eye, but Dan’s wife was busy fixing a plate for her little girl. He wanted to let Rosa know that Amanda might need some time to settle into life on a ranch. He didn’t care if Amanda did all of the usual wifely things, he liked her just the way she was.
In a matter of minutes, the food was finished and the men rose to their feet, preparing for the start of a long day.
“I’ll try to get back to the ranch for lunch,” Teddy whispered, pecking Amanda on the cheek. “Just tell Rosa if you need anything.”
Amanda looked up, her luminous blue eyes huge, but she didn’t say anything. Finishing her breakfast, the young woman looked toward Rosa feeling completely useless. “Can I help?” The words were a bare whisper.
Rosa wiped Christina’s little face, leaning in and kissing the dark-eyed child. “Come, we will clean.”
Amanda pulled her chair back from the table, looking down at the dirty plates and wondering where to start. “What do I do?” she asked, hanging her head in shame.
Rosa lifted Christina from her chair, placing the girl on the floor and smoothing her dress.
“You have never washed dishes?” Rosa asked, starting to gather the dirty plates and cups. “You take,” she nodded toward the rest of the dishes on the table.
Amanda gathered a few dishes together, following Rosa to the kitchen and watching as the other woman scraped any leavings into a bucket.
“You will learn,” Rosa grinned. “You are not the first Needful bride who is new to this life.”
Amanda looked up, relieved at the smile on Rosa’s lips. Had other women come to Needful without any skills?
***
Amanda helped Rosa lay out sliced bread, cheese, and meat on a sideboard for lunch, then washed her hands and stepped out the door. She would take some of the offerings to the cabin and hope that Theo would join her. At the moment, she was too tired to think further than that, and her hands were raw from washing dishes.
She had never worked so hard in her life as she had helping Rosa clear the remains of breakfast from the table.
Cringing as the sun blasted down on her head, Amanda realized she had forgotten her bonnet but pressed on to her new home wanting nothing more than to sit down and put her feet up.
The
