He shook his head.“The men ask me every day what you’ve been baking.It’s getting a little ridiculous.I think they’re all ready to kill me so they’ll have the opportunity to marry you.”
“That’s horrible!”she said.
“I’m joking.Mostly.”
“Do you mind how much I’m baking to sell?”she asked.“I’ll stop if you want me to, but it feels good to still be able to make an income.”
“I’m not going to stop you,” Everett told her.“But I don’t know how I’ll feel if you keep working so hard once the babies start coming.”
“How many children do you want?”Belle asked, realizing they’d never had a real discussion about children.
“I don’t know.Three or four.You?”
She laughed.“As many as God will give me.I’ve always wanted an even dozen.”
He flinched.“And where would they all sleep?”
“I guess you’d have to make an order at the sawmill and add onto the house,” Belle replied.
He shook his head.“You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you, Belle?”
“I don’t know where you get that idea,” she said demurely, but she knew exactly what he meant.She’d never felt the kind of freedom she had since quitting her job at the hotel.It was like she finally had the right to make decisions and live for herself.Within reason of course, but...she didn’t want to be reasonable.And she wasn’t ashamed about that fact.
“Did you get that sewing machine you wanted ordered?”he asked.“Maybe it will keep you from turning our house into a restaurant.”
She laughed.“But then I’d turn it into a tailor shop!”
“Maybe you could take up reading...or needlepoint.Don’t women like reading and needlepoint?”
“I feel like it’s a waste of my time.I’d rather keep busy.”
“Well, at least you keep me fed...”
“You’ll always come first.I promise!”Belle didn’t want him to worry that she was putting all of his men ahead of him.She would never do that!
“I know.I’m mostly just teasing you.”
She stood.“Do you want more supper, or should I serve the cake?”
“Supper, then cake.”Everett smiled.“I’m going to put on a hundred pounds being married to you.”
She served him another bowl of the dumplings and sat down across from him.“What else is good hunting at this time of year?”she asked.
“I don’t think it’s a great time for hunting.Bear has a strange taste in summer.I think it’s all the fish they eat.They’re better in spring or fall.Moose and caribou have young.It’s better to wait til fall.”
She sighed.“Fish is good?”
“Fish and waterfowl are your best bets.Do you not like fish?”
“I’ll eat anything.I would prefer not to eat fish, but if it’s what’s available, I won’t complain.”
“The waterfowl are molting and not flying right around now.Maybe you should hunt for them and get enough stocked up to last us for a while.”
“Great idea!You don’t mind if I keep using your rifle then?”
“I have a bow and arrows that would be better if you could get used to shooting it.The ammunition is expensive because they have to ship it all the way from the mainland.”
“I never thought of that.I’ve done a little bow hunting.My father would take the rifle with him at times because he didn’t like the idea of a girl hunting.So, I used my younger brother’s bow and arrows.”
