Second-Chance Bride (Dakota Brides Book 3)(43)

“I can. I won’t be afraid of the next storm.” What if she was alone next time? She wasn’t alone. She had Smokey and she had a God who calmed the seas. She drew in a steadying breath and packed the lunch into a basket.

She was ready. On second thought, she grabbed a shawl. The storm had cooled the air and she might need it before they got back.

Ward drew up in the wagon and they were on their way.

“I have food.” Her announcement was greeted with cheers. She passed sandwiches to each of them and kept one for herself.

“This is nice,” Ward said.

“Yes.” She looked about, meaning the mild breeze and the clearing sky as much as the food. “It’s very nice.”

They reached Grassy Plains where there must have been more rain than at her farm for the street was a quagmire of chewed-up mud. Ward stopped in front of Lowe’s store. “I have to go to the blacksmith’s. Do you want to shop here and wait until I get back?”

She looked at the mud. “I certainly don’t want to navigate the streets.”

He lifted her from the wagon and swung her to the wooden steps. A thrill raced up her veins, but she pushed it firmly back into place. “I’ll keep the boys with me.”

He set them beside her and the three of them went into the store.

She’d met the Lowes on previous occasions and they greeted her cordially.

Mrs. Lowe looked at the boys. “So you’re the newest housekeeper.” She barely stopped herself from sniffing.

“Oh no. Just neighbors. Mr. Rollins was kind enough to give me a ride to town. In return, I said I would take the boys with me so he didn’t have to worry about them while he does his business.” Let the woman think what she wanted of the situation. “I need—” She rattled off her list, and Mrs. Lowe got busy filling Freyda’s requests.

The boys edged closer to the counter and eyed the display of candy. She joined them. “We’ll each have a penny’s worth.” As Mrs. Lowe waited on the boys’ choices, Freyda pulled her letters for Norway from her bag and handed them to Mr. Lowe.

“Must be hard to be so far from your family,” he said. He handed her two letters from Norway. One from her mor, the other from Grandfather. She’d read them at home where she could shed a few tears if she felt like it.

“I miss them for sure. But I am where I want to be.” It was true, she realized. She wouldn’t go back. Coming to America was the right thing for her. But a portion of her heart remained unsettled. With a casualness she was growing good at, she pushed aside the thought.

The boys had their candy and she chose hers. She put in extra pieces to share with Ward. Mrs. Lowe’s eyebrows rose. Freyda did nothing to satisfy the woman’s barely constrained curiosity.

With the boys at her side, she circled the store, taking note of the things she might purchase to help her through the lonely evenings ahead and the long winter days. A blank journal. That was a good idea. Needlework supplies. She could do that. She paused at the few books. It would do her good to read some English books.

The door opened. Milo and Kit raced to their father.

Freyda’s eyes connected with his over the distance, but she looked away quickly. No need to give the watching woman any reason to jump to false conclusions. Freyda guessed it wouldn’t take much for that to happen.

Ward waited for the Lowes to fill his order then carried everything to the wagon. He lifted her into the wagon. Liking the sensation of being held in the air, safe in his care, she smiled as she settled on the seat. She examined her thoughts. How did they go with her need for independence? Why was she so confused about what she wanted when she’d been so certain of it when she left Norway? Something had changed. She knew it was meeting Ward and his sons and working with him.

She opened the little paper bag and offered him a candy.

He chose a peppermint. “Thanks.”

She patted the letters in her pocket. “I heard from home.” It was a safe thing to think about and to talk about.

He drove them out of town. The sun was warm. The sky clear. Birds sang noisily from the trees as they passed. Flowers raised their colorful heads in the grass.

“You must miss them a lot.” Ward studied her as if searching for loneliness and maybe regret.

“I do, but I am enjoying my new home and my new neighbors. Oh, and my cat. He’s good company.”

“You failed to mention Boots and Boss.” He said it with a deadpan expression but she knew he teased and she laughed.

“I think I will always consider them a challenge.” After a moment, she added, “But then, I like a challenge. Always have.”

“Always?”

Remembering a few of the challenges she had faced, she chuckled. She told him of the time she had not been allowed to skate down the river with Anker and Signe. “But the next time they went, I didn’t ask. I simply laced on my skates and followed them. By the time we reached our aunt and uncle’s home, I was almost crying but I wouldn’t let them know. And I never admitted to the blisters on my feet.”

“No wonder Anker worries about you.”

She bristled. “No one needs to worry about me. I can do whatever I set my mind to.”

He nodded, his gaze on the road ahead.

She wished she could tell what he was thinking. Did he admire her for her determination? Did he see it as an asset or a liability? Did it make him want to be part of her life or stay as far away from her as possible? Which wasn’t very far considering they were neighbors. But he gave no indication of his feelings.