She put the cookies on a cooling rack and sat at the table to sip her coffee. All morning she’d been thinking about the neighbor ladies. How could they be so mean? Yes, children were noisy, yes, they cried, and, yes, the twins’ voices did carry on the night breezes, but that was still no reason to wish them gone. A smile teased her lips as she thought about how they would have reacted if they’d lived near her family. Her five brothers and six sisters were far from quiet.
Living out in the middle of nowhere pretty much explained why she and her sisters Sarah and Elsie had never married. There were no boys nearby to marry. Anxiety spurted through her. Had twenty-two-year-old Sarah and twenty-one-year-old Elsie been forced to answer mail-order-bride ads, too? Emily Jane hoped not, but then again, if it worked out as well for them as it had for her, maybe it would be the best thing for her sisters.
She thought over her own experience as a mail-order bride. Thanks to her father’s decision to lessen the mouths he had to feed, Emily Jane had answered an ad. She’d arrived in Granite, Texas, expecting to be courted by Levi Westland. His mother had written to Emily Jane and two other women telling them to come to Granite. She’d promised Emily Jane that if Levi didn’t choose her as his bride, then she’d help her find a husband.
Emily Jane shook her head as memories flooded her mind. She hadn’t wanted a husband then but wanted to be obedient to her father’s wishes and had come to Granite. It had been a relief when Levi had chosen Millie Hamilton as his new wife.
After Levi and Millie’s wedding, Bonnie Westland had offered to make good on her promise of a husband, but Emily Jane had assured her she was happy without one right now. Thankfully, Bonnie had understood but still assured Emily Jane that, should she change her mind, she’d be willing to help her find the perfect man. As if there were such a thing as a perfect man.
Emily Jane walked to the sink and placed her coffee cup in the hot soapy water. She hadn’t written her family since she’d arrived in Granite. The last thing she wanted was for Pa to tell her to come home and start the husband hunt all over again.
Still, she often thought about her siblings. Her sense of loss was beyond tears. She missed their laughter; she missed her sisters whispering in bed at night so as not to wake their parents. She found herself listening sometimes for their voices. And the little ones—tears welled within her eyes—how she missed cuddling their bodies close, burying her nose in their necks and smelling the powdery softness. Her lips pressed shut, so no sound would burst out. It had been a long time since she’d felt such a strong urge to cry. She straightened her shoulders and dared the tears to fall. Yes, Ruby and Rose made her homesick to see her family again, but her time of grieving the loss of her siblings was over. She’d proved adept at handling herself without any help from others and couldn’t afford to be distracted by homesickness.
Emily Jane placed the cooled cookies into the metal cookie bin and decided to work on a new batch. Cookies that were different, plus a new recipe would take her mind off family. She’d wanted to try her hand at making lemon cookies and had gotten the ingredients to try them.
A knock at the front door pulled her away from the bowl of flour. Emily Jane wiped her hands on her apron. She’d had more company in the past two days than she’d had in a month. A chuckle escaped her as she realized that that really wasn’t much company, just Mr. Barns and his nieces. Very seldom did anyone come calling during the day.
She pulled the door open and found them standing on the porch as if just by thinking their names they’d appeared. “Hello, Mr. Barns. Please come in.”
He stepped inside and inhaled. “Something sure smells good in here.”
Emily Jane grinned at the two girls looking over their uncle’s shoulder. “I just baked a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. Would you like to try them?” Heat filled the room, making it warmer than it had been a few moments earlier, so Emily Jane left the front door open.
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, we’d love to try them. Wouldn’t we, girls?” He followed Emily Jane into the kitchen.
“No trouble at all. I’ve been experimenting, so you’ll be the first to taste my new creation.” She took Rose from him and set her on the floor.
He set Ruby down beside her sister and frowned. “Experimenting?” William placed the girls’ bag on the floor at his feet.
Emily Jane saw the worry on his face and laughed. “Yes, experimenting. I do it all the time with cookies, cakes, bread and different kinds of pastries.” She picked up a cookie and handed it to him.
She scooped two sugar cookies from a plate on the sideboard and handed one to each of the girls. “Here you go,” Emily Jane said as their chubby little hands wrapped around the sweet treats.
Emily Jane watched William take a big bite and then close his eyes. “Well, what do you think?” The lines of concentration deepened along his brows. She waited for his reply, surprised at her feelings of uncertainty.
He swallowed and then opened eyes that brimmed with appreciation. “I think you can test your cookies out on me anytime. These are delicious.” William popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth and looked to the sideboard, where more cookies rested on various plates.
“How about some coffee to go with a small plate of cookies?” Emily Jane moved to the coffeepot and poured him a generous cup.
“Both sound wonderful.” He sat down at the table.
Emily Jane’s gaze moved to the girls, who happily nibbled at their sugar cookies. She should have set them at the table but no matter; the crumbs could be swept up after they left.
“Did you leave a couple of cookies on my door this morning for the girls?” William asked.
She nodded. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I just wanted to make sure it was you before I let them have them.” His grin brightened his face.
Emily Jane decided not to focus on his good looks and placed several cookies onto a dessert plate. She carried them to the table and set them in front of William. “So, what brings you over? Surely it wasn’t the cookies I left for the girls.” She sat down across from him.
“Straight to the point. I like that in a woman.” He set his coffee cup down. “This morning I had a chat with the neighbor ladies.”
She looked down at the angelic faces covered in cookie crumbs. Oh, please, Lord, don’t let him be here to ask me to marry him and take care of the girls.
“And they suggested you might be interested in watching the girls while I work.” He searched her face, his eyes curiously observing. She wondered briefly what he expected her face to reveal. Emily Jane had no idea. His voice was calm and steady and gave nothing away. “This morning Mr. Moore offered me a job working in his store from ten to four every day. He suggested I find someone to watch the girls and start work this afternoon. I sort of hoped you’d be able to watch them today.”
She wanted to help him, she really did, but the thought of growing attached to the girls worried her. And how much time would they take from her experimental cooking?
“What hours did you say you would have to work?” Something in his eyes beseeched her to help.
“From ten to four.”
She found herself nodding. “I’ll help, but only until you can find someone else.”
A sweet grin split his lips, revealing straight white teeth.
“That’s all I’m asking. Thank you. I’ll be back a few minutes after four to pick them up. Thank you again.”
William hurried from the house as if he suspected she might change her mind at any moment.
As the door closed behind him, Emily Jane asked herself the hard questions. Had she done the right thing by agreeing to help