A Mother for Christmas Read online

  Cole wasn’t even thinking about the holidays, and here this woman wanted to make sure she brought supplies and gifts for the children. It was a little overwhelming to think about.

  I await your next letter and cannot wait to hear more about this wonderful family. I’m sure I’ll have many more questions soon.

  Respectfully,

  Meg

  P.S. – I hope that you give Mr. Tucker my last letter. I would hate for my arrival to be a surprise.

  Cole quickly read the other two letters. They contained small talk and logistics for her arrival. She mentioned a picture and there wasn’t one between the pages he held in his hand. He opened the envelopes once more and found the photograph. He turned it over to look at the face of his future bride.

  Not a beauty? She most definitely was. Her features were refined. He noticed her bright eyes that had a twinkle as if she was thinking of something humorous. Her nose was pert, and she had kissable lips that were up in a smile. How had she been able to hold the smile that long? Kissable lips? Cole shook his head. He should not be thinking of kissing her. He shouldn’t think of her in that way at all. She was coming to be a mother to his children and escape her spinster status. That was all.

  He put his elbows on the workbench and laced his fingers together and prayed.

  The next morning Cole was making breakfast when the children shuffled into the kitchen. Frank helped Luella into her chair and tied her in place with an apron.

  The morning was a difficult time. Cole had to sneak out and check his trap line and be back at the house before the children woke up. He hated leaving them alone, but since there was no one else to help, he had to do what needed to be done.

  But that would change. Soon Meg would be here and that would help alleviate some of the responsibilities.

  “What’s for breakfast, Pa?” Jack asked.

  “Oatmeal,” Cole said placing a bowl in front of him.

  “Again? Can’t you make anything else?”

  Cole tapped Jack’s nose. “You’ll eat what is placed in front of you. At least your belly won’t be empty today.”

  “Are we going to see Grandma Minnie?” Frank asked, pouring milk over his hot porridge.

  “Yes. We’ll leave after chores this afternoon. Minnie invited us for dinner.” Cole sat at the table with his bowl and took a bite of the bland mush. No wonder Jack wanted something else. “Jack, don’t forget to gather the eggs this morning. We can have eggs tomorrow.”

  “And bacon?”

  “I’ve not butchered a hog this year. I don’t think we have any leftover from last year.”

  “We used it all.”

  “Remember I told you about the woman who is coming today?” The boys nodded.

  “You said she was going to come here and live with us.”

  “That’s right, Frank. Grandma Minnie thought that this woman would make a good mother for us.”

  “A new ma?” Frank asked.

  “Ma? Ma? Mama,” Luella cooed as she attempted to spoon her oatmeal in her mouth.

  “What about Ma in heaven?” Jack asked.

  “Your momma will always be your momma, son. This is a new momma. Someone here on earth to help you. Guide you. Love you.”

  “I don’t know if I want another ma.” Frank tossed his spoon at the table.

  “Pick that up, right now, Frank,” Cole said. “I know it is hard for you, but we need help. I can’t go trapping for long periods of time. Jack doesn’t want to eat oatmeal every morning.” He gave a little smile to his youngest son.

  Frank picked up his spoon and put it back in his bowl. “Is she going to be mean to us? I heard that Davey got a new ma and she didn’t like the children very much.”

  “Well, I certainly hope not. She said she wanted a family of her very own. Besides, who can’t help but love a bunch of rascals like you.” He ruffled Frank’s hair. “Alright, if you are done now, I want you to go get washed up and put on your church clothes. And pack a bag for Grandma Minnie’s, we are going to spend the night down there. It will be too late to come home.”

  “Don’t I have to do the dishes?” Frank asked.

  “Not today. Today is a celebration.” The boys whooped and ran to their room, leaving Cole alone with his daughter. He took a rag and wiped the oatmeal from Luella’s face. “I think you have more in your hair than you got in your mouth, little girl.” He gave Luella a kiss on top of her curly head. “Let me get the dishes done and I’ll get you cleaned up.”

  The day went by rather quickly. They managed to clean the house and get most of the dirt off the floor and swept outside. A bowl of freshly gathered eggs sat on the table. The milk was in the cool box outside the door.

  The boys had to have another bath as Cole had no idea how they managed to get so dirty in one morning of chores. When they were done, he dumped the water and hung the tub back on the wall.

  “Frank, watch Luella while I get ready.”

  “Yes, Pa. Come on Lulu,” he said, grabbing the toddler’s hand, and taking her to the rug to play with some wooden blocks, Cole slipped to his room to change.

  He looked out the window and noticed that it was starting to snow lightly. Big fat flakes were starting to fall. Cole groaned. They may have to make the trip home after dark.

  The snow tended to fall in the mountains first, before hitting the town below. Which meant, if it was just a dusting in Nomad, then he would probably have several inches up here.

  He made a mental decision to use two horses and put some lanterns in the wagon just in case they did have to come home tonight. He should probably put some extra blankets in there as well.

  He took a quick look around the room. Tonight, Meg would be here with him.

  He had made the bed with fresh sheets that morning, trying to flatten out the covers the best he could. Half of the pegs on the wall were empty, ready for Meg to hang her clothes on. The rest of the clothes he took to the barn the night before. He also cleared two drawers in the wardrobe for Meg’s items.

  His eyes glanced back to the bed. He promised himself he would go slow and not do anything that would make Meg uncomfortable. He was sure she was just as nervous as he was.

  He wondered if he was saying that for her, or himself? He still missed Frieda.

  Walking to his dresser he picked up a photograph of his deceased wife. It was from before they met. She had two braids coiled tightly around her head. She was wearing a dark dress and looking straight ahead in the camera. She didn’t even have a hint of a smile. Cole estimated her to be around thirteen or fourteen when the picture was taken. They met when she was seventeen.

  Cole ran his fingers down the picture before placing it in the drawer under his clothes.

  He quickly scrubbed his face and neck. He was still clean from the bath the night before, but he wanted to make sure. He trimmed his beard. Normally he would let it grow out for winter, but he did want to look nice. If he shaved it completely then his face would be blistered by the cold winter winds.

  After combing his hair, he quickly donned the only suit he owned. It was a deep brown cloth with wooden buttons. The last time he wore it was at Frieda’s funeral. Now, he was going to wear it to marry a woman he didn’t know.

  When he was done, he went to fetch the children. “Come on boys,” he said, picking up Luella. “Let’s go meet your new Ma.”

  Chapter 6

  The clack of her needles matched the sound of the wheels hitting the rails. She had been on the train for five days and she thought her backside would never recover. She wished she had upgraded to one of the sleeping cars, but at least she had a private car.

  The benches were still hard though. She shifted in her seat and continued with her knitting.

  “Is that the last one?”

  Meg nodded and held up the panel. “Do you think he’ll like it, Agnes?”

  Agnes nodded. “I love the gray color.” She picked up the end and rubbed the gray wool thread through her fingers. “It will keep him n
ice and warm.”

  Agnes sat back in the seat. She pulled a blanket over her legs. “It is getting colder.”

  “I agree. I felt the temperature drop last night and it hasn’t gotten any warmer.”

  Roscoe shuddered under his blanket. His eyes were closed, and Meg could hear him wheezing. It was cold in New York… but this was cold. He gave a little cough and shifted in his seat to lean against the window of the train car.

  Agnes pulled the blanket up higher, so it was tucked around his neck. She sent a letter to Minnie letting her know that Agnes and Roscoe were arriving with her. She hoped the letter arrived before they did. She wished she could have corresponded directly with Mr. Tucker, but Minnie insisted that he was too busy with the planting and his children.

  She had no time to plan. When Meg sold the ranch house, she had less than a week to pack up and move out.

  Mrs. Barnes wanted to move in as quickly as possible. Meg left most of the furniture behind and included it with the sale of the house.

  She had two trunks and that was all. Everything else was either sold or given away. When Meg told Agnes and Roscoe that she was moving to be a mail-order bride, they didn’t bat an eye.

  In fact, the first question Roscoe asked was “Where we goin’?”

  They helped her pack up everything and coordinated the sale of the house. Meg gave them a hefty bonus to allow them to start their new lives in Nomad.

  She was so grateful that they accompanied her. Having some semblance of family close would ease her transition to her new home. She was sure there was a land office and that they could hire someone to build a cabin.

  Perhaps they could stay with her and Cole for a few days until they figured things out. She continued her knitting, counting silently as she worked on the scarf. She made one for each of the children. They each had a different color yarn based on what Minnie told her that they liked.

  She was just putting the final stitches in the scarf and tying off the ends when the train steward came and knocked on the door.

  “The dining car is opening for dinner. I secured you a table as you requested.”

  “Thank you,” Meg said and rooted in her reticule for a coin. She pressed it into the man’s hand. “Do you know what time we will be arriving tomorrow?”

  “We will arrive at around nine o’clock. The stage will leave at eleven to go to Nomad. It is a six-hour run.”

  “Thank you again. That is all,” Meg said, shoving her knitting into her bag. “Agnes, we need to wake Roscoe so he can eat dinner.”

  Agnes gently shook her husband. He woke with a start. “It’s time to go to dinner,” she said.

  “My chest is actually hurting. I’d rather stay here.”

  “There, there.” Agnes stood. “Lie down and I’ll cover you with a blanket.”

  Roscoe leaned down onto the bench and stretched out. He let out another cough. Agnes slipped a pillow under his head and pulled the blanket up tighter around his shoulders.

  “Should we call for a physician?” Meg asked.

  “No. No,” Roscoe insisted. “I just need to rest. It is just a chill.” Agnes and Meg made ready to leave the car. “Little Miss?” he called to her.

  “Yes?”

  “I’d like some soup if they have any.”

  “I can do that.”

  Agnes and Meg walked from their compartment through two train cars to the dining car. As they went on the platform that connected the cars together, huge gusts of wind caught their skirts causing the fabric to whip around their legs.

  “Maybe we should have brought our wraps,” Agnes said.

  “We’ll be warm enough as soon as we get to the dining car.”

  They filed behind the other diners and waited to be seated by a window. It was a large panoramic window, much larger than the small window in their car.

  Meg watched as the snow swirled frantically outside the window. She paused for a moment, mentally going through everything she packed. She had a coat, but it was in her trunk. It wasn’t cold enough to wear it when she left New York. Now she wished she hadn’t packed it.

  Jameson, the server that had waited on them each night on the train, walked over to them. He shook out the cloth napkins, gently placing them on the women’s laps. “Miss Dasher. Mrs. Hall. Welcome to dinner tonight. Is Mr. Hall not joining us?”

  “Mr. Hall is feeling a bit under the weather,” Meg said.

  “Is he ill? Should I fetch a doctor?” Jameson looked concerned.

  “He has a cold. That is all,” Agnes volunteered.

  “He did ask if we could take some soup back to the car when we leave.”

  “I’ll have your attendant deliver it right away. Would you care for some claret?”

  “No thank you,” Meg said. Jameson asked the question every evening and every night, her answer was the same. She rarely drank. She had some wine at her cousin’s wedding, but she didn’t like the taste. “I would like coffee, though.”

  “I’d like coffee as well,” Agnes said.

  “Of course. Tonight, we have mutton chops, baked veal or smoked haddock. And as always, we have our boxcar special – tomatoes, baked beans, and toast.”

  They placed their order and Jameson went to fetch their coffee. When he left again, Meg took the pot of cream and dropped a dollop in the dark brew and watched it turn to a light brown

  “I think I’m going to miss this the most. Having real sugar every day,” Agnes whispered across the table. She added two teaspoons to her coffee. As she sipped, Meg watched Agnes’ face light up from the sweetness. She would need to remember to keep sugar available from now on.

  Meg took another look around. The women were dressed in their finest. Some had satin dresses. Others even wore velvet with fur trim. Most of the women wore beautiful hats with flowers or plumes. Meg touched the back of her hair. She felt a little under-dressed against such finery.

  Agnes reached out and took Meg’s hand. “I don’t think I’ll forget this trip as long as I live.”

  “Me either,” Meg said, patting Agnes’s arm.

  After dining on a delicious dinner of mutton chops with whipped potatoes, they ate warm apple pie with cream poured on top.

  At the end of dinner, Meg didn’t think she would be able to move.

  “We should return to see Roscoe,” Meg said. Agnes agreed and they returned to the private compartment.

  Roscoe was sitting up on the bench. He was still wrapped up in the blanket. He sipped his soup and placed the bowl back on the tray.

  “Are you feeling better?” Meg asked.

  “A bit. How was dinner?”

  “Oh, Roscoe, it was a meal fit for royalty!”

  Roscoe chuckled. “You are my queen, Agnes.” He lifted her hand and gave it a kiss.

  Meg turned away, almost embarrassed by the intimacy. One day she hoped that her husband would look at her the way Roscoe looked at Agnes.

  Husband.

  She was going to be married tomorrow. She took a deep breath. Tomorrow she would be Margaret Tucker. It has a nice ring to it, she thought.

  Roscoe coughed again. She was worried about her friend. He had been as much of a father to her as her own Poppa. Meg leaned up against the window and closed her eyes. She could hear Agnes fussing over Roscoe in the background.

  Meg imagined fussing over Cole the same way. She wished that she knew what he looked like. Minnie didn’t give many details. Only that he was tall and had dark brown hair.

  She allowed the train to rock her to sleep. As she drifted off, she imagined what her new family would look like. That they would open their arms to her and immediately accept her as one of their own.

  Chapter 7

  “The stage is coming! The stage is coming!” Frank was jumping up and down pointing to the horses running towards town. The snow was flying underneath their feet. It reminded Cole of one of the snow globes that Minnie displayed in the store at Christmas time.

  “How many horses do you think it is, Pa?” Jack
asked, sliding his hand into Cole’s.

  “Looks like six.” The horses were going rather quickly towards town. “They will go over to the town square and unload there. Why don’t you stay with Minnie and I’ll be back soon.”

  “But I want to go, Pa.”

  Cole pulled Frank in for a quick hug. “I know, but I promise I’ll be right back.” He handed Luella to Minnie.

  “Come, children, let’s go inside,” Minnie said, leading the boys into the store. Oskar stayed on the porch watching the coach come closer.

  “Looks like the snow is coming down harder.”

  “Yep,” Cole said. “I think we are going to be snowed in for winter within the next day or two.”

  “I know Minnie is upset that you aren’t staying, but she understands.”

  “I already loaded the wagon with those supplies. Thanks, Oskar.”

  “Anytime. I know you’ll settle the balance when the fur season is over next spring.”

  It was the same every year. The Grants allowed him to purchase everything he needed for winter and gave him credit at the store. He brought furs, which Oskar resold, and the money went to pay off that credit. If Cole had any extra, he usually applied it to the following fall purchases and a credit would be used for the difference.

  Cole had settled his account from the spring by bartering with fresh and smoked meat from the mountains. But his real source of income was his fur line.

  He was looking forward to being able to work his traps again. He had to keep a much smaller line, close to the house because he couldn’t risk leaving the children alone for very long. Normally he could be gone overnight if the situation warranted it. There was a trapping cabin farther up the mountain, but it was no place for two small boys and a toddler girl.

  “What’s the market looking for right now?”

  “Martin is always in demand. Beaver not so much this year. Any larger animal can bring up to ten dollars.”

  Cole let out a low whistle. One large animal would pay his supply bill for the entire winter. “I’ll see what I can do.” He slapped Oskar on the shoulder and walked towards the platform where the stage was going to arrive. The stage depot consisted of a large platform with walls on two sides to block the wind. A bench was against one wall and there was a wooden ticket booth.