A Cowboy For Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Brides 11) by Christine Sterling

Author:Christine Sterling [Christine Sterling]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

The days flowed into one another. Flory cooked and cleaned as promised and taught Gloria to mend Jonathan’s clothes. It was a slow progression, it took twice the time for Gloria for repair a shirt, than it did for Flory.

Harriet was kind enough to find some old clothes and gave them to Gloria so she could practice her stitching. Flory continued Gloria’s lessons in the evening, teaching the young girl reading and mathematics.

It was hard to believe she had been at the ranch for a week. She didn’t see much of Jonathan. He spent most of his time in the barn. When he did come in the house, he would look at her with a peculiar stare before disappearing into his room.

On the rare night where he did sit with them in front of the fire, he was either whittling or reading. He didn’t say much, and that was fine with Flory. She had a difficult time keeping up with Gloria’s chatter.

They hadn’t left the ranch since they arrived. There was no need. Jonathan had a well-stocked home and Flory wanted to save what little bit of money she had left.

Christmas was a week away. Flory was sitting on the bed counting out her coins when she heard Gloria call her name.

“Upstairs, Bug,” she answered. She fingered the coins before wrapping them back in a handkerchief. She had enough to get Gloria a small gift and a bar of chocolate from the mercantile. The rest she would keep in case they needed to leave after the holidays. The thought hurt her heart.

She went to stand but her legs felt weak, so she fell back on the bed. The weakness had been a constant the past few days. Flory thought it must have been from all the sitting she did on the train.

She looked out the window above the bed. She had moved the curtains aside so she could look out the window at the snow-covered mountains. She could spend the rest of her life looking at that view.

Gloria’s footsteps could be heard running up the stairs. Her sister rushed into the room and fell onto the bed to catch her breath.

“What are you doing?” Gloria asked in between gulps of air.

“I was just thinking about Christmas. What are you doing?”

“Christmas? Are we going to have Christmas?”

Flory nodded. “I’m hoping Father Christmas will find us here.” Flory opened the drawer in the nightstand and placed the wrapped coins under her stockings.

Gloria leaned up on her elbows, her feet swinging at the edge of the bed.

“I hope so too. I hope he remembers to bring chocolate.”

Flory brushed the hair from Gloria’s face. It was forever falling from its pins. “Did you finish your lessons?” Gloria was copying the words from the Standard Primer. Granted it was rudimentary, but it was the only primer that Flory had.

“Can you teach me to knit, Flory?”

“Where did that come from?”

“I saw Mrs. Jackson knitting. She’s making a scarf for Mr. Jackson. I’d like to make one for Jonathan.

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