Amelia Changes her Fellow by Linda K. Hubalek

Author:Linda K. Hubalek [Hubalek, Linda K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Butterfield Books Inc.
Published: 2019-05-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

"He seemed to be excited about taking over the blacksmith shop but then..." Amelia tried to explain to her mother as they prepared supper together.

"But then what?" Amelia's mother prompted Amelia as she lifted the boiled potatoes out of a hot pan of water.

"He seemed troubled after we walked through the apartment."

“What do you mean?" Her mother was good at keeping the conversation going with just a few words.

"Barton thought the front room was the living quarters and the back section was a storage area."

"As we all did until Mary's accident and Kiowa moving her to his home. I can see why Barton was shocked at seeing the interior. I was too."

Amelia couldn't believe the difference in the two areas when she first saw it, but she was used to it now.

“Barton stopped and pulled off his boots before walking inside and mumbled about he'd have to bathe every day before sitting down on the fancy furniture.”

"With that bathing room, he'd have that luxury. I'd love to sink into that full-sized porcelain tub myself."

The blacksmith quarters were far fancier than the Shepard home, which had never been updated. They pulled a tin tub off the back porch and into the kitchen when they wanted to bathe, usually only on Saturday evenings. Filling it with one bucket of hot water at a time and emptying it the same way.

"Mama, have you ever thought of adding a bathing room in this house?" Amelia asked as she looked around the kitchen. The downstairs was so small, they'd have to enclose the back porch, or add on to the house, but it would be doable.

"Yes, I have, after seeing the changes Mack made to Mary's house to accommodate her lack of mobility. Not that I'm getting old, but a bedroom and bath downstairs would be nice."

"And when are you starting on the remodel?" Amelia asked teasingly, not sure her parents would ever change anything about this house.

"As soon as my children are married and have their own homes," Darcie shot back.

"Really? Tate and Luella's wedding is around the corner now that they rented a place." Her brother rented a small home a block away from the saddle shop. Luella was continuing her job as school mistress through the school year to help with expenses.

And herself? She could see herself moving into that nice apartment with Barton.

"I gave your father the deadline of one year from your wedding date to have the remodel done, not started."

Amelia laughed, imagining her parents arguing about it. Her mother liked change, but her father did not. Even something as simple as new kitchen curtains would throw Papa in a tailspin.

Maybe Barton was like that too, wanting things simple and plain.

"Do you think Barton's problem is that he doesn't like a decorated home? Mary went a little overboard in their secret apartment."

"I bet he's worried he'll have to buy all that expensive furniture if he buys the blacksmith building."

"Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it makes sense.

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