Free Train Station Bride by Holly Bush Page A

never made bread before. Would you teach me, Flossie?”
    Jake lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ll teach you anything you need to know, Julia.”
    “I’m talking to your sister,” she said.
    “I know,” Jake said with a smile.
    Flossie looked from her brother to her new sister-in-law and back. “I guess taking the time to get to know each other fell by the way side.”
    “We got to know …” Jake began.
    Julia jumped from her chair. “What do you do next, Flossie?” Julia said and pointed at the bread dough.
    Flossie looked at Jake, cut off mid-sentence by his wife. “We’re going to let the dough rest for awhile. Thought maybe you’d like some help unpacking and cleaning.”
    Jake rose slowly. “I’m going out to the barn. Holler if you need me.”
    It was all Julia could do to look Flossie in the eye. When she did, she realized Flossie was staring. Julia glanced away absently.
    “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day. My brother mooning over a woman. And in front of me yet,” Flossie said.
    Julia looked at her hands. “I would hardly call it mooning.”
    “Well, something’s different about him. Kissing you and trying to make us both uncomfortable. Jake Shelling doesn’t tease or kid. Other than with Millie or Danny. Something’s different.”
    Julia looked at her slack-jawed sister-in-law. “He’s always serious then?”
    “Not anymore.”
    “None of my clothes seem appropriate for life here. I sew a fair needlepoint stitch but never made any clothes. Should I ask Jake if I could buy some fabric or cut down the clothes I have?” Julia asked.
    “Having been married some years now, I’d get to Snelling’s store and pick out anything you want. Chances are good right now that Jake’d buy every bolt Snelling had in stock,” Flossie said. “Harry and I have to go into town tomorrow. Want to ride along?”
    Julia smiled. “Yes, I would enjoy that.”
    Flossie gathered a bucket and rags and together they gave Jake’s house the scrubbing it needed. Soon Julia’s white dress was covered in dirt. Her last nail had broken and cobwebs were stuck in her hair. Julia thanked God when Flossie announced they would take a break from cleaning and put her things away. Julia pulled her trunks down the hall from Gloria’s old room to Jake’s. Flossie did not say a word on the room adjustment but marveled over Julia’s lace gloves and dresses. They arranged some of Julia’s wardrobe in Jake’s tiny cupboard. The fanciest they left in her trunk for storage. As Julia and Flossie went down the steps Julia realized there were still buckets of dirty scrub water in the hallway, yet to be dumped. Clean walls met dirty with a clear demarcation.
    “Lordy, is it that the time already,” Flossie said as she looked at the watch pinned to her dress. “The kids’ll be hungry, and Harry will have a fit if I’m not home soon.”
    Julia’s stomach growled. “Hurry home then. You’ve been a great help.”
    “We didn’t get anything ready for supper,” Flossie said.
    “I’ll manage,” Julia replied with a smile.
    “Pick you up early, like about seven o’clock in the morning, Julia. Harry hates to head to town late in the day when it’s crowded,” Flossie said as she went out the door.
    Julia waved goodbye to Flossie. She pulled back a curtain hanging in the corner of the kitchen where Jake said shelves were filled with supplies. Certainly there would be something here she could make. She gathered more potatoes in her arms than she could carry and headed to the sink. Potatoes slipped away as she hurried and hit the floor with a thud.
    Julia rinsed what she still held and put them in a pot on the stove to boil. She stoked the stove as Flossie had shown her. She lugged the heavy buckets of filthy water to the door of the kitchen but could get no further. Julia filled the sink with tepid water from the warming reservoir on the back of the stove and unbuttoned her cuffs. She struggled with buttons on