Page 7 of Mail Order Mukluks (Brides of Alaska #1 | Brides of Beckham #68)

B y Saturday, Belle had the cabin as clean as she could, and she was caught up on laundry.

She spent the day baking. She made ten loaves of bread, planning to keep two.

Then she made four cakes. She planned to do some berry picking the following day if she could talk Everett into showing her a berry patch.

He’d told her he didn’t usually work on Sundays, but with as long as he’d been gone, she wasn’t certain if he would need to work the next day.

When the last cake was finished, she loaded a basket with three of the cakes and eight loaves of bread.

In her other hand she picked up the egg basket with all the eggs she’d collected that morning.

When she got to the store, Mrs. Johnson was there, behind the counter talking to someone.

Belle heard her apologize that there was no bread.

Belle stepped forward, setting her baskets on the counter. Katie immediately looking in the egg basket, and then in the baked goods basket. “Looks like I do have a loaf of bread to sell you, Mr. Jones.”

“What else you got in there?” Mr. Jones asked.

“There are three cakes, but they’re mis-shaped because I made them in bread pans.”

“How much for the cake?” he asked, looking delighted to have the opportunity to purchase one.

Katie looked at Belle. “What do you think is fair?”

Belle named a price, and Katie nodded, adding ten cents to the price for Mr. Jones. “Mrs. Thompson, this is Mr. Jones. He’s one of your husband’s employees.”

“I’m glad to see someone new...especially someone who bakes,” Mr. Johnson said. Looking at Belle, he continued. “If you ever bake a pie, then make sure one is saved for me. I’m awful partial to pies.”

“If I can find some berries I’ll bake a couple of pies this week.”

“I’ll be in every day looking for those pies,” Mr. Jones told Katie.

After he’d paid and left the store, Belle shook her head. “I don’t think you’re going to have problems selling anything I’m willing to bake.”

“You’re right about that,” Katie said. “I’m surprised he didn’t try to buy everything in the basket.”

“I didn’t make much bread because I didn’t want it to go bad before it was purchased.”

Katie laughed. “This will all be gone within an hour. As soon as he tells people that there are freshly-baked goods, they’ll all come by after work.”

“Then I’ll do more next time! It’s nice to have a purpose beyond taking care of that small cabin.”

“Trust me...anything you cook or bake will disappear fast. The men love muffins as well. Any kind. As long as they’re sweet, they’ll be easy to sell.”

“I might try some muffin receipts. I enjoy them, and if I know they’ll sell that quickly, I can make big batches of them. You’d better order some more flour!”

“I will! I wish you’d gotten here a few weeks earlier. You could have put in a kitchen garden.”

“I’ll just have to buy from you. And it seems there’s good foraging. I’ll forage what I can, and see where that puts me.”

“In another month, cherries will be in season. I have what you’d need to can the cherries, and then you can bake pies from them all year.”

“Great idea! I’ll do that.”

“Can you sew?” Katie asked, changing the subject abruptly.

“Yes, of course.”

“Men need clothes. Socks, scarves, hats, shirts, pants. You have to remember it gets colder here than you can imagine. They need warm clothes throughout the winter, and they need more of them because they don’t dare go outside with wet clothes.

Most of them go home and change during their lunch hour in the winter. ”

“I’ll think on that...I don’t suppose you could order a sewing machine for me?” Before staying with Elizabeth, she’d never used a sewing machine, but now that she had, she didn’t think she could ever go back to sewing everything by hand.

“Yes, of course. And if you would prefer to knit or crochet hats or socks, I can order wool for you.”

“I’ll talk to Everett about it and see what he thinks. He may prefer that I keep baking, because then he gets the fresh-baked goods.”

The door to the store opened then, and six men hurried inside. “We heard there was cake. And bread,” one of the men said.

Belle took a step back to allow Katie to help the men.

While she waited, Belle picked up some flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lard, oats, and cornmeal.

She also chose some green coffee beans that she would roast. She put them all on the corner of the counter while the men tried to outbid each other for the bread and cakes.

Finally, the men were done, and Belle added some bacon and beef jerky to the counter. That would last them at least a little while.

“I was worried I made too much...I guess not!” Belle said, shaking her head.

Katie laughed. “Make as much as you can, and I promise, I’ll be able to sell it. I have a few bread pans for sale if they would help you...”

“I’ll take all you have!” Belle said, excited that she would have things to do other than clean her already clean cabin. If it wasn’t so late in the year, she could plant her own garden, and that would fill her time nicely. Next year.

It was strange to her that she was already making plans for next year when she’d only just arrived, but in a way, it made sense. She wanted to grow every year, and that would be a way she could.

Thankfully, Katie had a crate Belle could use to carry everything home. There was no delivery in the small community. Katie said she was certain it would happen, but it wouldn’t be right away.

Once home, she carefully stored the items she’d purchased and heated water to wash the bread pans.

She couldn’t believe how excited she was that she would be able to make some money.

She’d read once that when people started making money, it felt strange not to be earning something. Perhaps they were right.

For supper that night she made a large pot of navy beans with bacon. She would serve the meal over rice. Everett seemed to believe that any meal served with rice or bread was something special. Tonight, she’d serve both.

When Everett arrived home, he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “Supper smells good.”

“It’s just rice and beans with bread on the side,” Belle told him.

“I heard some commotion about there being cake and bread available at the Johnsons’ today. Was that you?”

“It was. I bought more supplies and more bread pans, so I can bake in larger quantities. I hope that’s all right.”

He nodded. “Of course. You put it on our account?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll check in with Mr. Johnson tomorrow. If we owe something, I’ll settle up. I don’t see how we possibly could owe, though.”

“Sounds good.” Belle watched as he washed his face and hands in the water she’d put into a bowl for that purpose. “Would you be opposed to me buying a sewing machine?” she asked, forcing the words out quickly. “It would pay for itself. I want to sew clothes for Katie to keep in stock.”

He dried his hands, looking over at her. “I wouldn’t mind if you purchased a sewing machine for any reason. You have a right to have things that make your tasks easier.”

“Oh, thank you!” she said. “I want to be able to continue earning. I know you don’t need me to, but I worked for so long, I would feel lazy if I didn’t do something.”

He chuckled. “Just so you balance your time well. And be ready to give it up when the children are born if you need to.”

The idea of having children sent a thrill through her. She desperately wanted to be a mother. “Sit, and I’ll serve everything,” she said, quickly filling two bowls with the rice and beans before slicing a loaf of bread and putting it on a plate on the table with butter.

“This feels like a feast!” he said, reaching for a piece of bread. “I should have sent for a bride years ago!”

She laughed. “I have a feeling you would be married to someone else if you’d done so.”

They chatted as they ate. He talked about his day and the logs some of his men were floating down the Yukon River to Lake Bennett.

She talked about how the men had reacted to her bread and cakes.

“I purchased six loaf pans and four small loaf pans today. I think I could make small loaf cakes and the men would buy them.”

He laughed softly. “They will buy anything you make, so don’t worry about that at all.”

“I’ll try not to. Katie mentioned that most of them have a sweet tooth. I’m thinking of making muffins to sell if I can find good berries.”

He frowned. “We’ll go berry picking after church tomorrow. I’ll feel better if you search for them while I’m with you.”

“Church? I thought you said there wasn’t a church in town!”

“There isn’t, but we still have services. Mr. Johnson acts as minister. Well, it’s more like he leads a short Bible study with everyone who wants to join. I usually attend.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I would love to go.”

“I had a feeling you’d feel that way.” He pushed his bowl away.

“Would you like more?”

He grinned. “If there’s more, I’ll take some!”

She laughed, getting to her feet and refilling his bowl. “Make sure you save room for dessert. I made us a cake as well.”

“You’re just feeding the whole town these days.”

“I’m not sure about that. But I am doing my best to stay busy. That’s what’s important to me. After working fourteen-hour days for the past five years, I don’t know that I could sit around doing nothing.”

“I can understand that completely. Just know I’m happy if you want to work, and I’m happy if you don’t. We don’t need the money, but if it makes you feel good about yourself, have at it.”

After their dessert, she washed the dishes while he sat at the table and read an old newspaper from Seattle. It had to be three weeks old, but he said it was new to him. Everything was back in its place when she finally sat beside him.

“You finished everything you wanted to do today?”

She laughed. “I always wish I’d done more. But I think I did a good deal.”

“Supper was delicious. It’s hard to believe you were a waitress and not a chef.”

Belle nodded. “I picked up work wherever in the hotel I could. I have scrubbed and ironed linens, cleaned rooms, cleaned the kitchen, waited tables, and I even had the responsibility of cooking meals a few times. I usually worked with the chef when it came to cooking, but if the chef was sick, it became my job.”

“Why did you work so many hours?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I was slowly putting money away so I could get far away from the hotel. Very slowly. And I helped the other waitresses when something happened to one of them...”

“What kind of thing?” Everett asked.

“My friend Jane was in the family way after she spent a little too much time alone with one of the guests. The hotel wouldn’t continue to employ her with her reputation in ruins.

So, I gave her some of my savings so she could move away and pretend to be a widow.

She worked for a hotel in Boston after that. ”

“Are you still in touch with Jane?” he asked.

She nodded. “I haven’t written to her about leaving Massachusetts yet, but I will do that this week. And I need to write to your friend at Lake Bennett. I promised.”

Everett laughed. “Rusty asked me to promise the same thing the first time I met him. I do enjoy the letters he sends me.” He took her hand in his. “Tonight is the night we said...”

“I know. And I’m still willing.” Belle gripped his hands and smiled. “I expected it to happen that first night on the trail.”

He looked offended. “I couldn’t ask you to have your first time on the ground!”

“You’re a good man, Everett. I’m glad I chose you.”

He pulled her onto his lap and kissed the side of her neck. “If I do anything you don’t like, you’ll let me know?”

“I’m not sure I like it that you stop to talk so often...”

He laughed at that. “Fair point! I’m just nervous, I guess.”

She pulled back. “You’re nervous?” The few worries she’d had about the night faded away at his words.

He nodded. “I’ve never done this either. I was raised to believe this was meant only for a husband and wife. So, I waited until I had a wife.”

“And then waited weeks more! You silly man. We could have done anything you wanted a month ago.”

“Perhaps. But I think I’m glad we waited. I want tonight to be special.” He sighed. “I want every night to be special for the rest of our lives.”

“So do I. And I’m sure they will.” She leaned into him, kissing him the way he’d shown her. “I do like it when you kiss me, Everett.”

“Who’s stopping to talk now?”

“Well, maybe we need to not worry about who’s talking and simply enjoy each other.

” Belle got to her feet, feeling emboldened.

She undid the buttons at the back of her neck and pulled the dress over her head.

Then she realized she was wearing only her underwear and her shoes, which didn’t seem right.

“I should have thought that out before doing it.”

“You did nothing wrong.” He stood and unbuttoned his shirt, dropping it beside her dress on the floor. “Perhaps we should take this to the bed? I’d say to the bedroom, but we don’t have one. Maybe next year...”

She giggled. “We’re talking again...”

He laughed, scooping her up in his arms and dropping her onto the bed, his body following her down and covering hers. “I think lovemaking is going to be joyful with a woman like you at my side.”

“Or under you...or even...” She pushed against his shoulders until he was on his back, and then she kissed down his chest, finding one of his taut nipples, and licking it. “Over you...”

“Life with you is going to be interesting, isn’t it?”

“Count on it,” she whispered, losing herself in his kisses. For once, they had nothing to say as they stroked each other and learned their partner’s bodies.

When they’d both reached satisfaction, she curled up at his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. “Well, that was certainly more fun than I thought it would be,” she said, feeling a little dazed by the whole experience.

“I expected it to be fun...but not that much fun!”

“I think I could do this with you every night...”

As they both drifted into sleep, Belle knew she was right where she belonged. In Everett’s arms in Yeti, Alaska.