Mail Order Mama (Brides of Beckham Book 2) by Kirsten Osbourne Page A
Authors: Kirsten Osbourne
Ads: Link
standing up for what she wanted.
“We’ll bake the cake after lunch. We have about forty minutes before then, but I don’t want to leave the kitchen with the pot boiling, because it might boil over. Would you each bring me all of your socks here? I know that’s a silly thing to ask, but I want to make sure they don’t need to be mended. We’ll go through all your clothes today, and see what needs to be mended and what new clothes you need.” Georgie made a face but ran up the stairs to obey. Abbie walked along slower, but she seemed to like the idea.
They each came back with four pairs of socks. Emily had never owned more than two pair in her life, so she was surprised they had so many. It showed her just how wealthy her new family was. She went through each sock and found Abbie had one pair that needed to be mended while Georgie needed every sock she owned mended. It made sense with the difference in the girls, though. George was certain to not be as careful with her things as Abbie was.
Emily had brought a small sewing kit with her and put it in the parlor where she was sure she’d be using it. She looked down at Abbie. “Would you run to the parlor and fetch my sewing kit? I put it on the table between the chairs.”
Before Abbie could even respond, Georgie had run out of the room to do it. Abbie’s face fell. Emily hugged the child with one arm, and said very softly, so Georgie wouldn’t hear, “Abbie, you and I are a lot alike. We’re both quiet and shy. I know it seems like Georgie does everything first and always gets her way, but I’m not always going to let that happen. I’m here to watch out for both of you.”
Abbie had a tear in her eye as she hugged Emily. “Thank you for being my mama.”
She sat down with the girls and pushed the bread dough out of the way, showing them each how to carefully mend their own socks, before getting up to check lunch. By the time she’d done four of Georgie’s socks, Georgie had done one and Abbie had done both of hers, it was time for lunch. “We’ll put this aside for now. I’m going to take your papa his lunch. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to eat without me?”
Abbie stood up. “We’ll come with you.”
Georgie rubbed her stomach. “But I’m hungry!”
Emily looked at Georgie. “There’s no one to stay with you since Abbie wants to come with me.” After putting a large bowl of rice and beans on a tray for Benjamin, she held her hand out for Georgie. “Let’s go.”
They took the same path they’d taken before down the stairs and in through the back room. Once they were there, she stopped. “Should I take the food into the front, or just let your papa know it’s here so he can eat between customers?”
“Take it to him, Mama. His customers know he eats while he works. They don’t mind.” Abbie led the way, so Emily followed.
She took the tray and set it on the counter behind Benjamin while he talked to a young woman in the store. Two older men sat in the corner playing checkers. One of the older men called out, “Is this your new wife, Benjamin? She’s a tiny little thing!”
Benjamin finished with the woman and turned to the men playing checkers. “Better to be a tiny little thing like my wife than an overbearing woman like your wife!”
Emily’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the man to see how he’d react. Why would Benjamin talk to one of his customers that way?
He threw back his head and laughed out loud. “That’s true. Very true.” The man sniffed. “Your lunch smells good. Better than the bread your mother brings in even.”
Benjamin put his arm around Emily’s waist. “My wife is a good cook.” He gestured to the man at the table. “The loud mouth over there is my cousin, Thomas. His friend is my brother, Samuel. They were both at the wedding, but I know you didn’t have a chance to
“We’ll bake the cake after lunch. We have about forty minutes before then, but I don’t want to leave the kitchen with the pot boiling, because it might boil over. Would you each bring me all of your socks here? I know that’s a silly thing to ask, but I want to make sure they don’t need to be mended. We’ll go through all your clothes today, and see what needs to be mended and what new clothes you need.” Georgie made a face but ran up the stairs to obey. Abbie walked along slower, but she seemed to like the idea.
They each came back with four pairs of socks. Emily had never owned more than two pair in her life, so she was surprised they had so many. It showed her just how wealthy her new family was. She went through each sock and found Abbie had one pair that needed to be mended while Georgie needed every sock she owned mended. It made sense with the difference in the girls, though. George was certain to not be as careful with her things as Abbie was.
Emily had brought a small sewing kit with her and put it in the parlor where she was sure she’d be using it. She looked down at Abbie. “Would you run to the parlor and fetch my sewing kit? I put it on the table between the chairs.”
Before Abbie could even respond, Georgie had run out of the room to do it. Abbie’s face fell. Emily hugged the child with one arm, and said very softly, so Georgie wouldn’t hear, “Abbie, you and I are a lot alike. We’re both quiet and shy. I know it seems like Georgie does everything first and always gets her way, but I’m not always going to let that happen. I’m here to watch out for both of you.”
Abbie had a tear in her eye as she hugged Emily. “Thank you for being my mama.”
She sat down with the girls and pushed the bread dough out of the way, showing them each how to carefully mend their own socks, before getting up to check lunch. By the time she’d done four of Georgie’s socks, Georgie had done one and Abbie had done both of hers, it was time for lunch. “We’ll put this aside for now. I’m going to take your papa his lunch. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to eat without me?”
Abbie stood up. “We’ll come with you.”
Georgie rubbed her stomach. “But I’m hungry!”
Emily looked at Georgie. “There’s no one to stay with you since Abbie wants to come with me.” After putting a large bowl of rice and beans on a tray for Benjamin, she held her hand out for Georgie. “Let’s go.”
They took the same path they’d taken before down the stairs and in through the back room. Once they were there, she stopped. “Should I take the food into the front, or just let your papa know it’s here so he can eat between customers?”
“Take it to him, Mama. His customers know he eats while he works. They don’t mind.” Abbie led the way, so Emily followed.
She took the tray and set it on the counter behind Benjamin while he talked to a young woman in the store. Two older men sat in the corner playing checkers. One of the older men called out, “Is this your new wife, Benjamin? She’s a tiny little thing!”
Benjamin finished with the woman and turned to the men playing checkers. “Better to be a tiny little thing like my wife than an overbearing woman like your wife!”
Emily’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the man to see how he’d react. Why would Benjamin talk to one of his customers that way?
He threw back his head and laughed out loud. “That’s true. Very true.” The man sniffed. “Your lunch smells good. Better than the bread your mother brings in even.”
Benjamin put his arm around Emily’s waist. “My wife is a good cook.” He gestured to the man at the table. “The loud mouth over there is my cousin, Thomas. His friend is my brother, Samuel. They were both at the wedding, but I know you didn’t have a chance to
Similar Books
