Toria smiled at him. “The only thing I knew when I got off that train is that I was going to be the best possible wife I could. I still feel like that’s my primary responsibility.”
He leaned down and kissed her softly. “If you want me to wait a little longer before we…become husband and wife in the true sense, then I’ll wait.”
Toria bit her lip as she looked up at him. “I think I do want another week or two. I feel like I’m developing feelings for you, but I’m just not ready for that. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“I don’t mind at all. It will be strange for me to even share my bed again after so long. We’ll get used to it together, though.”
“Thank you, Mortimer. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband.” She hurried away to gather her things and carry them into his room.
It took her some time, but before John returned, Mortimer’s bedroom looked like they’d shared it since her arrival. She scattered her brush and a few other personal items on his dresser, and carefully folded her clothes and put them in the drawers. She even made sure both pillows had head imprints so it looked as if two people had slept there.
“All right. I think we’re ready for John to come back.” Toria looked at her handiwork with a smile. “I’m going to start frying the chicken. John and the Jamesons should all be here within an hour and a half, and they all expect to be fed.”
While she worked, she smiled, content. She was in the right place, and she knew it. She may not be madly in love with her husband, but sometimes love had to build, and she knew her feelings were building quickly.
She was just taking the chicken off the stove when John came in with Arthur, Beatrice, and Sally. Sally was walking on her own, and she seemed determined to get away from her mother. Beatrice had her by the hand, but she was having trouble keeping her under control.
Toria grinned at the picture they made. “Why don’t you set her at the table, and I’ll get her a piece of bread with butter.”
Beatrice looked down at Sally. “Are you hungry? Do you want some bread?”
Sally didn’t say anything, but she got very excited and hurried to the table. Toria laughed as Beatrice put her on a chair. “Does she talk yet?”
“Just a little. Her only words are Mama, Dada, and no. No is her favorite at the moment, right, Sally?”
“No!” Sally responded.
Both women laughed, and Toria buttered a piece of bread and put it in front of the toddler, who promptly picked it up and started gnawing on it.
Beatrice moved over closer to Toria. “How can I help?”
“Just sit with Sally. I’ve got everything under control. I’m so glad you joined us tonight. Mortimer said you’ve had him over for supper several times, so he was glad I invited you to come over here.”
“We were neighbors to him, just as the Bible says we should be.” Beatrice did sit down beside Sally, watching the little girl make a mess with her bread. “Do you have a tin cup? I don’t want her to have anything breakable, because she likes to drop her cup on the floor when it’s empty. It’s her way of telling me she needs a refill.”
Toria immediately went to her cupboard and dug to the back for a tin cup. “I have a tin plate too!”
“That would relieve my mind a great deal. I don’t want you to invite us for supper and have your home completely demolished by my little girl.”
Toria laughed. “I need to tell you about my nephews and nieces sometime. I’m sure Sally is absolutely angelic in comparison.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Beatrice answered. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can help with?”
“Do you want to stir the frosting for the cake? I have it cooling, and I was just about to mix it. Everything else is done.” Toria had worked hard to time things so they’d be ready to eat almost as soon as the others arrived. She’d be up late baking for the next day, but hopefully she could do all she wanted to get done with no problem.
As soon as the cake was frosted, Toria went to the parlor. “It’s time to eat.”
John was the first to his feet. “No one cooks like Toria,” he said as he headed for the table.
Toria’s eyes met Mortimer’s, and they both smiled. The change in the young man was something they’d both been hoping for, and it had happened for them.
John offered to say grace that night, and Mortimer nodded. “Heavenly Father, we thank You for this meal that will nourish us. Thank You for the fellowship of these fine people, and for the love that I feel as I move back into my childhood home. Thank You for giving me a second chance to do Your will. Amen.”
Toria had tears in her eyes, as she echoed, “Amen.”
John grabbed the plate of chicken. “Toria made this for my dad her first evening here, and he told me all about it the next day, but I didn’t get any. Now that I live here, I get to eat everything she cooks.”
Mortimer shook his head. “Now we understand the real motivation behind your actions, don’t we?”
John laughed easily. “I have to say the idea of Toria’s wonderful cooking didn’t hinder my decision-making process.”
Beatrice’s eyes met Toria’s, and she had a smile on her face. It was obvious to everyone that John was doing much better than he had been.
After supper, the men took Sally into the parlor so the women could do the dishes. “I can see you haven’t had time to bake today. Do you want me to help?”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that!”
“Why not? We’re friends. It’ll be nice to do something I enjoy without the baby underfoot for a change.”
Toria nodded. “All right then. I’ll let you help for a while.”
The two women worked well together, each of them understanding what the other would do next. They were both very experienced in the kitchen, and that helped them.
“Dinner was delicious.” Beatrice kneaded dough for bread as she complimented Toria.
“Thank you. Fried chicken has always been one of my favorite things to eat, so I tend to cook it often. John was the one who chose it tonight, though.”
“He seems like a new person,” Beatrice said with her voice soft. “I worried about him, but since your arrival, he’s really done well.”
“He’s a good person. He just needs to remember to make the right choices, and sometimes that’s really hard.” Toria shrugged. “Mortimer and I are both glad that he’s moved back in, because we can give him gentle nudges when he needs them to make those right choices. He’s really excited that he’s going to be delivering full-time starting tomorrow. He’s always hated having to work in the store, but he feels right at home driving a wagon. Willie is going to help him.”
“Willie from Bachelor? He’s such a sweet boy, but he is trying to do too much for his family. He’s too young to take on the kind of work that he has.”
“I know, but at least he’ll be with someone who will keep an eye on him, and he won’t have to do as many odd jobs if he’s working steadily. Julianne is going to arrange for different men to bring him into town for work every day.”