Once she’d made a little pile at the register, Mortimer rang it all up and pulled the money from his own pocket to pay for it. “I know it’s strange that I do it this way, but I’m worried that I’ll lose track and not be able to get my register to balance, and that makes me a little crazy at the end of the day.”
She laughed. “I completely agree. I was going to ask you to do it that way, or to ring it all up and make a note of what I should have paid if you didn’t have the cash. Then I would be able to balance it all better.” She was pleased that they did things the same way when it came to business. At first glance, they had so little in common…but the more time she spent with him, the more she realized they really were alike in many ways.
After she’d gone back up to their home, she thought more about the relationship she had with her new husband. They still had never kissed. They’d never really even held hands, except when she was trying to comfort him the night before. She hoped they weren’t doomed to a loveless marriage, but maybe things would change between them.
John was up a few minutes later with the things she’d chosen from the store. “Do you need help putting things away? Dad said I had to ask.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather arrange things myself. Are you coming for supper?”
John shrugged. “Why should I?”
“Because I’d like to get to know you a little better. I’m making pot roast for supper. I’m a very good cook, and you might just enjoy eating something that doesn’t come out of a bottle for a change.” There was no accusation in her words, but she hoped they’d get through to the young man.
“I’ll be here.” His words were begrudging, but she was still pleased. She knew it would mean a lot to Mortimer if he came to supper.
She arranged all of the ingredients in a way that would be easiest for her to use, and then she whipped up some cookie dough. She may not have time to make a lot of things for sale at the store the next day, but she’d bake six dozen cookies. A dozen for her and Mortimer, a dozen for John to take home with him, and four dozen for the store. She was pleased with the idea that she could accomplish some things even before Mortimer expected her to.
The men were there for supper shortly after six, which was when the store closed. Mortimer told her they usually did inventory on Saturday nights, and they sometimes found themselves working late. She didn’t mind, because she knew inventory was something that needed to be done weekly. She was very happy for her store background when it came to being married to Mortimer.
As they all sat down to eat, Mortimer led them in prayer. When she raised her head from being bowed, she noticed that John was watching her. “I hope everyone is hungry,” she said. “I cooked enough to feed half of Creede—or two very hungry men.”
Mortimer smiled. “It all looks and smells wonderful. Thank you for cooking for us, Toria.”
She noticed that her name flowed off his tongue much more easily than before. She was glad he no longer struggled not to call her Vicki, a name that had never really belonged to her. “Did anything interesting happen at the store today?” she asked.
Mortimer told a quick story about how Hannah had cleaned for days to earn her stethoscope, and he’d told her it would be in that day. When she’d come in that afternoon to claim the reward for her work, she had been very emotional when she’d actually seen it. “I loved my stethoscope. It was my prized possession, and someone stole it from me. It shouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did, but it was mine, and I’d earned it.”
“I told her I was glad she’d gotten a new one, but I’ve never seen such a happy woman in my life. She didn’t seem to be sure if she should laugh or cry, so she ended up doing both.”
“I think that’s wonderful. Thank you for making sure the house was clean when I arrived and helping her at the same time. I truly believe life is about little acts of love we show others. The acts of love can be for strangers or for people we know well. Either way, if you can make a difference in someone’s day, then yours wasn’t wasted.” Toria wasn’t sure where her philosophy had come from, but it was one she’d always had.
John studied her for a moment. “Mom used to believe that, but she practiced what she preached. What did you do for someone today?”
Toria didn’t mention that she’d cooked and invited him to supper. Instead, she stood up and walked over to find the plate of cookies that she’d covered with a towel. “I made these for you to take home. I hope you like sweets as much as your father does.”
John looked at the cookies, obviously surprised. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I know you don’t want me here, John, and I promise I’m not trying to take your mother’s place. I’m trying to be someone completely different, because from the things I’ve heard about her, there’s no way I could ever live up to her memory.”
“That’s right. You couldn’t.” John set the cookies beside his plate as he took another helping of everything on the table. “I guess having you here to cook for my dad and bake me cookies won’t be terrible.”
“Anytime you want cookies, you just let me know.” If the way to get her new stepson not to hate her was to feed him cookies at every opportunity, then so be it. She’d do whatever it took to fit in with this new family of hers.
“I might do that.”
After supper, the two men played checkers while she washed the dishes, and then she sat down with them and watched, pleased to see that John seemed to be enjoying himself with his father instead of going to the saloon. Maybe they could keep him out just for one night.
After John left for the evening, Mortimer took her hand and led her into the parlor, a room that she’d dusted, but never sat in. He sat on the sofa and pulled her down beside him. “I want to thank you for the effort you’re making with John. I know he’s not pleasant to be around with his constant talk of his mother and how she’s better at everything, but I really do appreciate it.”
Toria smiled. “When I decided to be a mail order bride, I knew that you had a grown son. I knew I’d have to do everything I could to make friends with him. I’m just doing what I’d planned all along.”
“And you’re doing it with a smile and a sunny disposition. I appreciate that.” Mortimer looked at her for a moment, for once not seeing how much she didn’t look like Grace, but this time seeing her for Toria. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
Toria blushed. “Not really. I just happen to be the only woman in the room, so you’ve forgotten how pretty others are.”
“And modest too. What did I do to deserve you, Toria?” His hand came up to cup her cheek, and he ran his thumb over her lips. “I didn’t kiss you at our wedding, knowing I’d want to kiss you for the first time with no audience. May I do that now, beautiful wife?”
Toria nodded slowly, her stomach all a-flutter. She raised her lips to his, surprised by the softness of his mouth on hers. When he pulled back, she felt warmth spreading through her formerly fluttery stomach. What was happening to her?