Page 5 of Mail Order Mukluks (Brides of Alaska #1 | Brides of Beckham #68)

I t took Everett and Belle nine days to reach Lake Bennett, which was a day shorter than his estimate. The weather had been good the entire way, and she’d been able to keep up much better than expected.

Once there, he went to a man with a huge unkempt beard and long red hair.

He clasped hands with the man as if they had been friends for a long time.

“Rusty!” Everett bellowed. “Meet my wife.” Everett looked at Belle.

“Belle, this is my friend Rusty. I traded him a boat in exchange for him having one for me here.”

Belle smiled at Rusty. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Rusty.”

Rusty threw his head back and guffawed. “No mister involved there, little lady. It’s just Rusty. On account of my red hair and all!”

“I thought that might be where you got your name,” Belle said, eyeing the giant.

Rusty turned back to Everett. “I’ve got your boat ready. I got a good one in trade a few days ago. Been saving it for you.”

“I appreciate it!” Everett said.

After seeing the boat, Belle had to wonder what a “bad boat” would look like. This was nothing more than a two-seat rowboat with a small amount of room for their belongings. She was glad she’d had so little to bring with her.

“Thanks for the loan of Daisy.”

“You have any trouble with her?” Rusty asked, laughing as the donkey nuzzled his ear.

“Not a bit. Though she sure wasn’t as friendly with me as she is with you.”

“Daisy and me have been through a lot together,” Rusty told him. “When are you looking to head out? I got a moose last night and have a hearty stew cooking over the fire in my cabin. Would love the company.”

Looking around her, Belle was surprised that he was looking for company with the sheer amount of men there. “Are all of these men travelers then?”

Rusty nodded. “Yup. They’ll be on their way soon enough. Some have just come from finding gold, and others are looking for it.”

“You don’t look for gold, Mister...I mean Rusty?”

Rusty shook his head. “I don’t want no part of that nonsense.

You either don’t find gold, or you do find something, and you have to sleep with one eye open.

I’m happy just living here on the lake, hunting, fishing, and reading whatever books I can trade for.

I make some boats to sell, but mostly I keep to myself.

Unless I’m waiting for someone in particular. Like Rett here.”

“Rett?” Belle asked.

Everett shrugged. “A few of my dearest friends call me Rett. Most call me Everett. You can choose. Or just call me ‘hey you.’”

“As long as she don’t call you late to supper, huh?” Rusty asked.

Everett nodded. “She’s a decent cook with what little supplies I have here. I can’t wait until we’re home and she has real food to cook with.”

“You staying the night or not?” Rusty asked.

Everett shook his head. “No, I need to get back. We’d miss half a day’s time staying here, and I’m sure my lumbermill will fall apart without me.”

“Good point. You’ll still write me letters?” Rusty asked.

“Every week, just like always.”

Rusty nudged Belle with his shoulder. “You could write too.”

Belle could see the loneliness in the man’s face, even as he joked with them. “I’d be happy to.”

“Then I’ll let you go tonight. And I’ll eat enough stew to pretend you were right there with me.”

“I am sorry we don’t have time to stay,” Belle said, surprised that she truly was.

This man seemed so different than any she’d met.

Upon first seeing him, she would have sworn up and down that he couldn’t possibly know how to read, but it seemed it was his favorite thing to do. “I’ll write as soon as we reach Yeti.”

“You sure will!” Rusty said. “I’ll come up there and find you if I have to!”

Rusty helped Everett unload the donkey while Belle stood nearby watching. She didn’t feel safe with all the rowdy men around her, but she wouldn’t admit that. Instead, she’d stay close to her new husband and his friend Rusty, the gentle giant.

Within an hour from arriving at Lake Bennett, they were seated in the boat and waving goodbye. Belle had left her only book with the man, a book of poems. It had been a cherished belonging, but she knew Rusty needed it more than she did.

Once they were away from shore, Belle said, “Perhaps you should have warned me about Rusty.”

Everett laughed. “He’s a character.”

“One that I shan’t forget.” She looked over her shoulder to see the man standing there watching them go, his arm wrapped around Daisy.

For the next two weeks, they traveled the river by day, often rowing, or even poling along it where the river narrowed. They would eat breakfast, then set out, eating a cold lunch on the boat and not stopping again until nightfall, when they would sleep under the overturned rowboat.

The first night of sleeping under the boat was the first night Belle slept in Everett’s arms. He didn’t try to be intimate as they were both much too tired, but they slept close by necessity. It was colder as they went further north, and they had to share the blankets they had as well as body heat.

The day he banked the boat and announced they were only a day away from Yeti by foot, she was happy, but so exhausted, there was no celebration.

They camped under the boat that night as they had, but when they left the following morning, the boat was left flipped over beside the river. “Someone else will need it. That’s the way it is here. If you don’t need anything anymore, you can leave it, and know someone else will have a use for it.”

She nodded. “Tell me about Yeti,” she said softly as they began their walk to their future home. It still felt as if it was forever away, but at least they were on solid land.

“It’s a small community. A general store, my lumber mill, and nothing much else.

My men are all bachelors. No woman has been crazy enough to join her husband except Mrs. Johnson doesn’t count.

She was raised by her father in the rainforest of Washington.

She never really knew the companionship of other women.

I hope it doesn’t cause you problems to be away from civilization the way we will be. ”

Belle wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but she knew she wanted to be his wife, and Yeti was where he lived. Already, his gentle touch and kindness had her growing feelings for him. “I think I’ll be fine. I hope I will be anyway. I’ll have Mrs. Johnson, and she’ll have me.”

They were able to stop for lunch for the first time since they’d gotten to Lake Bennett that day, and though she was tired, Belle found that she was happy to be able to cook a meal and have a lunch that was hot.

As they walked late into the afternoon, she kept watching ahead, hoping for a glimpse of the town that would be her new home. She wasn’t sure it was big enough to be called a town yet, but hopefully one day it would be.

Finally, he stopped and pointed. “See that smoke rising from a chimney?” he asked.

She could see the faint smoke off in the distance. “Yes, I see it!”

“That’s the Johnson place. They live less than a mile from our cabin.”

When she felt as if her feet were about to give way, they stepped into a clearing. “Home,” Everett said softly.

Belle smiled. “I don’t think that word has ever meant quite so much to me. It’s a good thing you didn’t mention how far I’d have to walk in your letter...I surely would have refused to make the journey.”

“It was a calculated action...” He took her hand and started pulling her toward the house. “Come. I want you to see your house!”

She half-ran to keep up with him. “Where did you get all this energy?” she asked.

“We’re home. I could scale the roof if I had to!”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” she said, grinning.

He opened the door and led her inside. It was a one-room cabin, but roomier than many she’d seen.

There was an area for the bed, a kitchen that even had a stove!

She had expected to cook over the fireplace.

There was a table with two chairs. Everything she needed.

She would have liked more, but she’d never had so much, so she certainly wouldn’t complain!

“First thing in the morning, I’ll take you to meet the Johnsons, and you can buy what you need from their store. I’d take you now, but I think if I ask you to walk one more step, you may just fall over!”

“You would have a mutiny on your hands,” Belle responded with a smile.

“There’s a cellar, and there’s food down there. Not a lot, but Mrs. Johnson will allow you to buy some of her garden’s bounty. And we’ll trade for anything else we need. A lot of the men have gardens they tend in the evenings.”

“I’ll figure all that out tomorrow,” she said, sitting on one of the chairs. “I can’t remember the last time I sat in a proper chair!”

He chuckled. “Well, you can sit as much as you need to today.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I put your bag, my blankets, and clothes from the trip on the bed. I think we should open a tin of beans for supper. There’s no point in cooking when we’re both so tired.”

She nodded, looking around the house to see what she could do to make it homier. There were windows, but no curtains. He probably didn’t feel the need for them with as isolated as they were, but she wanted them, and she knew they would make her happy.

“Let me open the tin and warm the beans a bit.”

He shook his head. “I’ll get the beans. And before I leave for work tomorrow, I’ll carry in water so you can have a bath. You’ll need to heat the water yourself, but I can bring it in.”

For a second, Belle thought about arguing with him, but finally, she nodded. “I would appreciate that.” The whole house needed a good cleaning, and she would embark on that tomorrow. Everything could wait until tomorrow.

They ate cold beans in silence straight from the tins, and then he declared it time to sleep. Belle didn’t want to use the blankets that had been on the trip, but they appeared to be the only ones. There would be laundry to do. Tomorrow. She would do it all as soon as she had the energy.

As she climbed into bed with her husband, it felt natural to move into his arms and receive his kiss goodnight. They had yet to consummate their marriage, but as far as she was concerned, that could wait until tomorrow as well.

Finally, they were home, and she was going to take advantage of that fact and sleep in a way she hadn’t been able to sleep outdoors for the past while. Tonight, she would sleep and tomorrow, everything could be sorted.

*****

W HEN BELLE WOKE THE following morning, she immediately opened the trap door to the cellar to see what she had to work with for meals.

After a minute or two, she carried bacon, flour, and sugar up the stairs.

She wasn’t sure if she would be able to find eggs anywhere, but if not, she needed to get some chickens.

She quickly mixed up pancakes and bacon, thinking she could prepare a cake for supper if she could find some eggs.

She’d have to ask Everett about them when he woke up.

She moved quietly, unsure when he left for work.

She’d thought they’d covered every topic on their journey, but she realized some of the day-to-day minutiae had been missed. Such as his work hours.

When he finally woke and joined her, the meal was ready. “What time do you work?” she asked. “I wasn’t sure if I should wake you or let you sleep.”

“Usually, I start around eight in the morning, but I didn’t set my alarm clock last night, so I could sleep in after our journey. I’m so glad we’re finally home.”

She smiled. “I am as well! Are you still going to take me to meet Mrs. Johnson this morning?”

“I am. You need to be able to shop and have a female companion.”

“That would be nice.” She took a bite of her breakfast before looking at him. “Are there eggs to be purchased at the store?”

He chuckled. “We sell our excess eggs at the store. There’s a chicken coop out back. There’s also a heifer that will need to be milked twice daily. I can continue to do that if you’d like.”

“Oh, no. That’s something I can do easily. Who took care of her while we were gone?”

“James did. And he collected the eggs and took them to Mrs. Johnson daily. We’ll almost always have a credit with the store, so buy what you want.

If I don’t have a big enough credit, I’ll make it right after.

That’s one of the reasons I want to introduce you.

You’ll be able to get whatever you want on my account. ”

“That’s good to know.” She smiled. “And I’m thrilled we’ll have fresh milk and eggs.”

“All the men in town shop at the store for their meals. Some can’t cook at all. Whenever Mrs. Johnson makes extra bread, the men buy it as soon as it touches the shelves.”

Belle thought on his words. She’d been working for years and hated the idea of giving up her income.

Perhaps she could make bread and cakes for the store to sell.

She enjoyed baking a great deal. “Would you mind if I did a little baking for the store? I would feel better if I had something to keep me busy.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all. Whatever you want to do, as long as I have two home-cooked meals every day.”

“What about your noon meal?” she asked, frowning. Surely, he didn’t skip meals with as physical as his work was.

“I take it with me. I’ll just do whatever’s left from supper. Or if nothing is left, bacon sandwiches or tinned beans work for me.”

“I can make that happen.” She pushed her plate away after eating her last bite.

There was a loud knock on the door then. When Everett opened it, he invited the man inside. “Belle, this is James. He’s been looking after our place.”

“You made it back in good time!” James said.

“I wasn’t expecting you for at least another week.

When I saw the smoke from your chimney, I knew I had to stop in and meet the wife.

” James looked at Belle. “It’s good to meet you.

Let me know if you have any trouble with Everett, and I’ll take him to task for you. ”

Belle laughed. “I don’t think that will be necessary. He was a perfect gentleman to travel with.”

“You’ll never convince me of that!” James said with a grin. “Glad to have you back. Will I see you at work today?”

“I’m going to take Belle to meet Mrs. Johnson, and then I’ll be in. I’m sure there’s a ton of paperwork to get to!”

“Yup. I bossed the men around, but I sure didn’t mess with your books. Your system has never made any sense to me.”

“That’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” Everett paused for a moment. “Thanks for taking care of things for me while I was gone.”

“Any time.”

As James walked away, Everett told Belle to leave the dishes. “You can do them after you meet the Johnsons. You gather eggs, and I’ll milk the cow, and then we’ll take that walk.”

Belle groaned. “I may never go on another walk again!”

He laughed. “Of course you will. It’s too beautiful here not to.”