home. We’ll be back. Let me see my new nephew.” Will gingerly handed Jake the bundle. Jake pulled back the blanket. Ten little fingers, a strong chin and a head full of dark hair like Gloria’s. Jake’s mouth quivered, and all he could do was nod as he lay the baby down beside his mother. Flossie grabbed Jake’s hand.
“Thank God Julia was here. I didn’t know what to do. Doc says she saved Gloria and Joshua both. Take good care of your wife, Jake. She doesn’t look it, but she’s got a backbone made for life on a farm,” Flossie said.
Jake pulled up to his house as the sun rose. Julia was long asleep against his shoulder. He was so damned proud of his wife. And thankful as well. His little round, soft, weak wife had saved his sister. She wasn’t really weak, Jake knew. The bloody sheets she had lugged had made bile rise in his throat. And he had heard her through the door shouting at his sister like a cattle drover at a passel of mules. He was thinking she brought him a whole lot more than pretty things and comfort when she married him. He was never so glad Portentia Snelling’s feet were arthritic. He’d have to buy the old bag some little gift in thanks.
* * *
The week went by with more on the dinner table than usual. Julia spent most of days at Gloria and Will’s helping out and with Flossie there cooking more times than not, Julia usually climbed up into his wagon holding a dish filled with his sister’s cooking. Julia’s household projects had gone by the wayside as well as her smile. She talked enthusiastically about her new nephew and Millie and Danny and then would fall silent and staring at the landscape on their ride home. She seemed distant and a little sad. Maybe she was pining over starting a family of their own.
“What’s the matter?” Jake asked Julia as he ate some of the stew Flossie had sent that day, over a week since Joshua was born.
Julia’s head came up as if far away in her thoughts. “Oh, nothing,” she said.
Jake eyed his wife. Her normal happy chatter was still non-existent. “You’ve been awful quiet lately. Something bothering you?” he asked.
Julia picked up her spoon and began to eat. “No. Nothing’s bothering me.”
Jake continued to study her while he ate. He had problems of his own. Three more hands had quit, and Slim said there were no men to hire in town. Every farm for miles had a full contingent of workers and even higher wages weren’t inducing men to change bosses right before harvest. Will and Harry said they’d help as much as they could, but they each had farms of their own. And with Will and Gloria’s new baby, Jake doubted Will could give him more than a few hours a week.
“Going to be tough harvest,” Jake said.
“Why’s that?” Julia asked absently.
“Not enough men. Nobody to hire either. Cook’s going to have to work with me. Flossie said she’d come over to help you,” Jake said and tore bread from the loaf.
“Help me what?” Julia asked.
It didn’t always register in Jake’s head that Julia would not understand. She’d grown up a pampered daughter, not a farm child. Maybe after harvest he’d plan a late honeymoon in Sioux Falls. A change of scenery may be all Julia needed. “There’s going to be seven men to cook for, not counting me and you. Breakfast and supper as well.”
“Oh dear.”
“Flossie will help. Make lots of beans and biscuits,” Jake said.
Julia nodded blankly.
“And plenty of meat. We’ll be tired, everyone of us and hungry as bears in the spring,” Jake added.
“Why don’t we have enough men?” Julia asked.
“Don’t know. Never had this problem before.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Just bad luck this year I suppose.” Jake turned to a knock at the door. “Come on in, Slim.”
“Jake’s sister sent stew, Slim. Would you like some?” Julia asked.
“No Ma’am. Kind of you to offer.” The wizened man turned to Jake. “We got problems, boss.”
“What now?”
Slim
“Thank God Julia was here. I didn’t know what to do. Doc says she saved Gloria and Joshua both. Take good care of your wife, Jake. She doesn’t look it, but she’s got a backbone made for life on a farm,” Flossie said.
Jake pulled up to his house as the sun rose. Julia was long asleep against his shoulder. He was so damned proud of his wife. And thankful as well. His little round, soft, weak wife had saved his sister. She wasn’t really weak, Jake knew. The bloody sheets she had lugged had made bile rise in his throat. And he had heard her through the door shouting at his sister like a cattle drover at a passel of mules. He was thinking she brought him a whole lot more than pretty things and comfort when she married him. He was never so glad Portentia Snelling’s feet were arthritic. He’d have to buy the old bag some little gift in thanks.
* * *
The week went by with more on the dinner table than usual. Julia spent most of days at Gloria and Will’s helping out and with Flossie there cooking more times than not, Julia usually climbed up into his wagon holding a dish filled with his sister’s cooking. Julia’s household projects had gone by the wayside as well as her smile. She talked enthusiastically about her new nephew and Millie and Danny and then would fall silent and staring at the landscape on their ride home. She seemed distant and a little sad. Maybe she was pining over starting a family of their own.
“What’s the matter?” Jake asked Julia as he ate some of the stew Flossie had sent that day, over a week since Joshua was born.
Julia’s head came up as if far away in her thoughts. “Oh, nothing,” she said.
Jake eyed his wife. Her normal happy chatter was still non-existent. “You’ve been awful quiet lately. Something bothering you?” he asked.
Julia picked up her spoon and began to eat. “No. Nothing’s bothering me.”
Jake continued to study her while he ate. He had problems of his own. Three more hands had quit, and Slim said there were no men to hire in town. Every farm for miles had a full contingent of workers and even higher wages weren’t inducing men to change bosses right before harvest. Will and Harry said they’d help as much as they could, but they each had farms of their own. And with Will and Gloria’s new baby, Jake doubted Will could give him more than a few hours a week.
“Going to be tough harvest,” Jake said.
“Why’s that?” Julia asked absently.
“Not enough men. Nobody to hire either. Cook’s going to have to work with me. Flossie said she’d come over to help you,” Jake said and tore bread from the loaf.
“Help me what?” Julia asked.
It didn’t always register in Jake’s head that Julia would not understand. She’d grown up a pampered daughter, not a farm child. Maybe after harvest he’d plan a late honeymoon in Sioux Falls. A change of scenery may be all Julia needed. “There’s going to be seven men to cook for, not counting me and you. Breakfast and supper as well.”
“Oh dear.”
“Flossie will help. Make lots of beans and biscuits,” Jake said.
Julia nodded blankly.
“And plenty of meat. We’ll be tired, everyone of us and hungry as bears in the spring,” Jake added.
“Why don’t we have enough men?” Julia asked.
“Don’t know. Never had this problem before.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Just bad luck this year I suppose.” Jake turned to a knock at the door. “Come on in, Slim.”
“Jake’s sister sent stew, Slim. Would you like some?” Julia asked.
“No Ma’am. Kind of you to offer.” The wizened man turned to Jake. “We got problems, boss.”
“What now?”
Slim
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