“Yes!”
“All right then.”He looked at the rabbit he’d been carving which was still on the table near his plate.“Do you really think my carvings are good enough to sell?”
“I do!Not here, but sending them back to the states would make them easy to sell, I think.People love things like that.”
He nodded.“Maybe I’ll look into it.”
“Would you let me send a letter or two about it?I knew a few people back in Beckham that may know how to sell them, or at least be able to find out.”
“That would be fine,” he said.He wanted to give her everything she could ever want, and making more money would be key.
After supper, she spent some time crocheting a hat to sell to the store while he worked more on the rabbit.It was already taking shape, and it was easy to tell what it would be when he finished.
“What did you do on days when you were snowed in before I came here?”she asked.
He shrugged.“I carved mostly.It’s something I’m very passionate about.”
“I can see why.You are very talented.”
“You know what?You’re good for me.You make me feel better about myself than I have in years.”
“Why would you feel bad about yourself?”she asked.
“I feel like I was stupid to go off and try to make it as a prospector.I should have stayed with Everett, and then I would still be part owner.I just feel like I made the biggest mistake of my life, and I’ll always be trying to make up for it.”
“I can understand that.But I don’t think it was a mistake.If you hadn’t gone, would you still wonder what would have happened if you did?”
“I never thought of that.Yes, I would probably still be dreaming of going off and making my fortune.”He set his knife down.“I took a chance, and though it didn’t work out, I think it was good for me.”
“See?It wasn’t the biggest mistake of your life.You needed to go to become the man you are now.And I like the man you are now a great deal.”
“I thought you would think I was less of a man for missing out on the lumber operation.But you think more of me?”He had never considered she would understand his need to go find gold.
“I’m glad you got it out of your system.I wouldn’t want to wake up in a month or two and find out you wanted to leave.Now you know what it’s like to be a prospector and it’s not a life you want.”
“I like the way you think,” he said, reaching for her hand.
She put down her crocheting and walked around the table to sit on his lap, kissing him passionately.“I like everything about you.”
It took only a few moments for them to realize they no longer wanted to be at the table together.Soon, they were on their way to bed, taking each other’s clothes off as they walked.
“I think I like having a wife,” he said much later as she lay snuggled in his arms.
“I know I like having a husband,” she said.“It’s so much better than dreading my work every day and worrying about who would come in that I would have to serve.I truly liked cleaning rooms so much more because I didn’t have to deal with people as much.It was simply cleaning and moving on.”
“I understand.I don’t mind having to talk to people, but I think I would be intimidated in your position.Especially since the men would touch you and you couldn’t do anything about it.”He kissed the top of her head.“I wouldn’t mind traveling to Massachusetts and punching that man in the face.”
“It wouldn’t do any good.I’m away from there now, and I barely even think about it anymore.And maybe you should thank him.I wouldn’t have ever found the courage to leave my job if I hadn’t been forced.”
He pursed his lips, thinking about it.“Perhaps you’re right.But I’m not going to travel that far to thank him and not also hit him.I would need to hit him for touching my wife.”
“I suppose you would.”
“If the snow lets up tomorrow, I’ll go out hunting.It would be good to have another deer or two in the cold house for winter.I don’t intend to go hungry.Though, we could always fall back on—”
“Hardtack and jerky?No.I’m never eating it again!”
He chuckled.“What a finicky woman you are.”
“Finicky?For not wanting to eat tasteless hardtack for every meal?At least I enjoyed the jerky.Having a break from it is just what I need.”
“If I go hunting tomorrow, will you bake for the store?”
She nodded.“I will.Does that bother you?”
“I don’t think it does.I’m not sure why.”But he knew.It didn’t bother him that she wanted to make money because she didn’t blame him for going off to be a prospector for a year.She didn’t think less of him for not having more money, so he wouldn’t complain when she earned some herself.
He hugged her tightly for a moment.“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Goodnight,” she whispered, the word ‘sweetheart’ rolling over and over in her mind.She was someone’s sweetheart.
