Mail Order Bride: Westward Winds by - (book club books TXT) 📕
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Geoffrey replied, “That’s good because this kind of life demands such skill.”
Marcus sat down at the table. “True. Ranching is hard work, but it’s worth it to know that your building something that can be handed down. Someday, the ranch will be divided between whatever children we all have. We’ve talked about that and that’s what we decided. It’s what Pa did with us. We each own a third of this place and we split the profits accordingly.”
Geoffrey nodded. “And are you making a profit?”
Marcus frowned. “I won’t lie to you. This past year was hard and getting through the winter was tough. But the steer are filling out nicely and our hay crop is doing well since we’ve had enough rain. The garden has been yielding a lot of produce, too. We have a pretty big truck patch. I’ll show you around tomorrow.”
“I would like that,” Geoffrey said, thinking that Marcus seemed like a very intelligent individual. The way he spoke put him in the mind of Claire a little.
“Good. I know you’ll want to visit with Tessa tonight, but tomorrow night we should play some poker, if you’re game,” Marcus said.
Geoffrey smiled. “I would love to.” Playing cards with them would give him a chance to get to know his daughter’s new family better.
Marcus stood and said, “Great. I promise it’ll be a good time. I’ll be back for supper, Tessa. I have a couple things to finish up or else Dean will be on me about them. Again, good to meet you, Mr. O’Connor.” Marcus clapped Geoffrey on the shoulder before exiting the kitchen.
Tessa smiled at Geoffrey’s expression. “He’s always like that, Papa. I guess you would call Marcus a very ‘hands on’ type of person.”
“I can see that. He seems like a nice fellow, though,” Geoffrey commented.
“He is. So is Seth. I’m sure he’ll be along soon,” Tessa said.
Jack came in the door and plopped down on Geoffrey’s lap, making him grunt.
“You really are a very stout little fellow,” Geoffrey told him.
“Thanks,” Jack said. “I’m hungry, Tessa. Can I have a cookie?”
“Not so close to dinner, Jack,” Tessa replied.
Jack frowned. “But I’m hungry now. When’s dinner?”
“In about a half an hour,” Tessa said.
“I want a cookie now,” the boy insisted. “Please?”
Tessa smiled. “Jack, we’re going to eat very soon. I don’t want you to ruin your dinner.”
“I won’t ruin it. I’m real hungry,” Jack said.
Tessa was becoming irritated. “Jackson, I said no.”
The boy’s expression became mutinous. “I say yes.”
She gave him a direct stare. “You will do as I say, Jackson.” She always called Jack by his full name when he misbehaved. It was rare he did so.
“Don’t call me that,” he said as Dean entered the kitchen.
“Then behave yourself and stop arguing with me,” Tessa said.
“I want a cookie!” Jack said. “Pa, tell her I can have a cookie.”
Dean wasn’t about to interfere. He had wondered when something like this would come up. It was important that the children learn that he wasn’t going to intercede on their behalf when Tessa was disciplining them. “You talk to your mother about that,” he said. The words were out before he could stop them.
He and Tessa exchanged startled looks and Tessa couldn’t prevent the pleased smile that broke out on her face.
“She’s not my ma, Pa,” Jack said.
Dean gave his son a stern look and said, “She is now, Jack.”
Tessa said, “No, I do not wish to be your ‘ma’, Jack. No one will ever replace your ma, but what if I were to be ‘Mama’ to you?” she suggested.
Jack gave her a critical look and said, “Only if I can have a cookie.”
“What a little blackmailer you are,” she said. “No.”
Jack said, “You can’t tell me what to do!”
“Jackson, you need to stop this right now or I will take you over my knee and you will not be able to sit for a week!” Tessa said with a fierce expression. “Do you understand me, young man?”
Jack quieted and dropped his eyes. Quietly, he said, “Yes, Mama.”
Tessa had to turn away to hide her eyes that suddenly welled with tears. “Good. Now go wash up for supper, please.”
Jack got off Geoffrey’s lap and said, “Yes, ma’am,” before running upstairs.
Dean heard Tessa sniff and said, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting that. It was very touching, that’s all,” Tessa said.
“Okay. I’ll go wash up, too,” Dean said and followed his son.
Geoffrey said, “You’re becoming a good mother, Tessa.”
“Thank you, Papa. You go wash up, too,” she said as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and blew her nose.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, imitating Jack.
As he moved toward the stairs, Tessa threw him a grateful smile for lightening the mood a little.
Geoffrey was startled at the rowdy affair supper turned out to be. Seth had come wandering in right as they were sitting down. He’d made Marcus move to a different chair because he liked to sit facing the door for some reason.
Marcus grudgingly made the move, saying, “You’re too nosey for your own good.”
“Shut up, Marcus,” Seth said.
“He’s right. You just wanna see what’s goin’ on out there.” Dean grinned.
“Tessa, that roast looks delicious,” Seth said with a smile as he pointedly ignored his brothers. “Oh, I’m Seth, by the way. You must be Mr. O’Connor.”
He reached across the table to shake Geoffrey’s hand. Ignoring Seth’s bad manners, Geoffrey shook it. “Good to meet you, Seth.”
“Same here. So you tracked your girl down, huh? Bet it’s a surprise to find her at a place like this,” Seth said as they started passing food.
Tessa always made very large meals because all of the men had healthy appetites. However, Seth ate the most. Marcus called him a ‘bottomless pit’. Much like Jack, the man was always hungry.
Geoffroy wanted to be truthful but diplomatic. “Yes, it’s very different from her old life, but it seems to be treating her well.”
“It is, Papa,” Tessa assured him. She watched Seth scoop up a large spoonful of potatoes and plop it onto his plate. She noticed that Geoffroy also watched with his eyebrows raised.
Marcus caught his expression and started grinning. He nudged Dean and motioned toward Seth, who was engrossed in his food. Dean chuckled and Marcus followed suit. Tessa tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help it.
Seth glanced up to see what was so funny and saw they were all looking at him. His brows knitted together and he said, “Ain’t you ever seen a hungry man? Mind your own business.”
Geoffroy laughed along with the others and Seth gave him a dirty look, too.
“Mama, can I have more taters?” Jack asked.
Sadie’s eyes held surprise when she heard what her brother had called Tessa. “’Mama’? We’re calling you ‘Mama’ now?”
Tessa said, “Only if you want to, Sadie. I won’t be offended if you don’t. I’ve always told you that I am not trying to take your mother’s place.”
Sadie swallowed hard and she said, “But you are kind of like a mother to us, right?”
“Yes, I am,” Tessa said.
“I think I like the idea of calling you ‘Mama’.” Sadie smiled at her.
“Sadie, I asked Mama a question. Let ‘er answer,” Jack said.
Tessa said, “You may have more potatoes, Jack.”
“Thanks,” Jack said and took the bowl from Marcus.
“Excuse me,” Dean said as he wiped his mouth and rose from the table. He went out the kitchen door and strode toward the barn.
“Where’s Pa goin’?” Jack asked after swallowing a large mouthful of potatoes.
“I’m not sure,” Tessa said. She wondered what had upset Dean.
Marcus sighed. “I’ll go.”
Geoffroy put up a hand and said, “Allow me, please.”
Marcus had been halfway off his chair and he sat back down. “Okay.”
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