Mail Order Meals - Kirsten Osbourne Page 0,34

to ask after everything Trudie had done for her already.

“Sure. I don’t mind that at all.” Trudie wasn’t sure how Doug would feel about the Marches eating with them, so she didn’t offer for them to simply stay for supper every night.

They did the laundry that day, and Trudie realized she was falling behind on her own laundry. “I need to come after lunch tomorrow, if that’s okay. I just realized that my laundry is behind. But you’ll make enough for supper tonight to serve for lunch tomorrow, so you’ll be fine without me.”

Marion nodded. “Why do I think I need you here holding my hand every step of the way?”

Trudie smiled. “I wish I could be. You’re like my Colorado sister, and I’m thrilled you’re here. We’ll work together as much as we can. We’ll have to sew together as well.” She just needed to remember not to neglect her husband as she was helping her friend.

“I’d like that.”

When Trudie got home that afternoon, she put together a casserole and put it in the oven, before going outside to water her garden. There weren’t any weeds popping up yet, but the dirt was dry, and she was worried her plants wouldn’t grow without more rain.

After watering, she went inside the house and gave herself a sponge bath standing in front of the sink. She needed a real bath, but with as much time as she was spending at the March’s house, it would be difficult to get. Perhaps she could do it before lunch the following day. It would be good to have a mostly normal routine, if only for a day.

When Doug came in, he sniffed appreciatively. “What’s for supper?” It was always his first question when he walked in the door. He didn’t much care about the answer, but he always liked to anticipate the coming feast.

“I made a casserole out of cornbread, corn, sausage, and some cheese. I think you’re going to love it.” She hoped he would anyway, because she’d made it up as she’d gone. Of course, she’d always had the ability to taste things as she imagined putting them together. She’d never failed.

He smiled. “You made it, so you know I’ll love it.”

“Did you find anything odd on the ranch today? I know you were worried.”

“A coyote got in and killed another calf. One of the heifers. We’re going to have to work on better fences.” He rubbed his hands over his face, leaving a streak of dirt down one cheek.

“I’m sorry about the calf.” She didn’t mention the streak of dirt, because she really didn’t mind. Stepping forward, Trudie walked to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I know it’s hard to face so many setbacks.”

“We always know we’ll lose a few calves, but we were doing so well, I thought we could make it through without losing any this year. I was wrong.” His arms came around her and he rested his cheek atop her head. “Did you get a deer?”

“We did. I’ll make stew tomorrow night. I started thinking about what I made tonight a few days ago, and it sounded too good to put off making.” She hoped he didn’t care that she’d changed the plan for supper without consulting him.

“All right.” He washed his hands and went to sit at the table, looking curiously at the food she put in front of him. “This looks strange.”

“But it smells amazing, which means it will be wonderful.” She sat beside him, and waited as he prayed. He seemed to be somewhere between when she’d first met him and the last few days with his temperament. It was better than it had been for certain.

He took a bite and smiled. “This is delicious. I don’t know how you always have everything coming out so perfectly.”

“I work hard at it.” She thought for a moment and amended what she’d said. “I worked hard at learning to cook, but now that I know how, it’s pretty simple to keep doing it. I just get bored cooking the same things over and over, so I’m always trying to find new recipes. Or make them up as the case may be.”

After supper, she did the dishes, and he whittled again. She sat down and wrote a couple of letters as she did most nights. The curtains were done and hanging at the windows, but she still needed to finish the tablecloth. If he’d talk to her more, she’d sew as they were spending time