Free The Springtime Mail Order Bride by Kit Morgan Page B

laughing.
    Arlan moaned as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.
    Samijo looked to Mrs. Weaver for a response. The older woman glanced at her, shrugged, and said. “Welcome to the family.”
     
    * * *
     
    Dessert produced more belching, laughing and moaning. Oh, and words of appreciation too, this time from all four brothers.  Arlan looked on with pride as they showered her with praise for her culinary prowess, and smiled every time she blushed at a compliment.  Uncle Burr never sang such praises over her cooking. He liked complaining about it instead.  He liked to complain about a lot of things concerning her.
    A warm hand sprawled itself against her back, and Samijo sucked in a breath as Arlan whispered in her ear. “Thank you for a wonderful meal , Mrs. Weaver.”
    “You like the sound of that don’t you?” she whispered back.
    Arlan’s lowered his face to her ear as his other hand found her arm. “Yes,” he said.
    She swallowed as her belly warmed and her knees went weak.
    “But I’ll like saying it better in our own home …”
    She closed her eyes and nodded.
    “I want you to cook my supper there,” he whispered. “And my dessert, and when we’re done eating, we’ll go to …”
    “I think Arlan’s sweet on his wife,” Calvin said with a chuckle.
    “I think he’s a lot more than sweet on her.” Benjamin remarked with a smile.
    “Leave them be you two. In fact, you can let them alone and do the dishes.”
      “Ma! That’s women’s work!”
    “Well this woman isn’t feeling too good, and that woman …” she looked at Samijo with a smile. “… is gonna be feeling real good once your brother gets her home.”
    Arlan shot his mother a warning glare as the tips of his ears turned a bright red. “Ma!”
    Benjamin and Calvin burst out laughing and began to slap each other on the back. Daniel shook his head in disgust, got up from the table, and began to clear the dishes away.
    Samijo watched in fascination, a nd had not a clue as to what Ma was talking about.
    “You going to be all right, Ma?” Arlan asked.
    “I’ll be fine. You go on home, and we’ll see you in the morning.”
    Arlan smiled, a smile that quickly turned into a huge grin. He then puffed out his chest and looked at his brothers. “Good night, boys.” He put an arm around Samijo, and started to steer her to ward the door.
    “Land sakes, at least fetch the girl her shawl!” his mother said. “Otherwise she’ll be freezing by the time you get her home.”
    “Maybe that’s what he’s countin’ on.” Calvin remarked with an amused smirk.
    “Calvin, mind your manners, one day you’ll be married too.”
    “Yeah,” Benjamin said as he slapped his brother in the back of his head.
    Daniel was still silent, but rolled his eyes and smiled as he set a kettle of water on the stove.
    “I’ll get my shawl,” Samijo said as she escaped Arlan’s arm and headed to the sewing room where she’d left it.  When she got there, she plucked her shawl off a chair, wrapped it around her shoulders, and continued to ponder the Weavers’ behavior. What had them in such a good mood all of a sudden? And what did Ma mean when she said that she would be feeling good later? Samijo shook her head in confusion when suddenly …
    “Oh!” She slowly turned toward the parlor. She would have to pass through it to get back to the kitchen. “Oh dear … they don’t mean … but what else? I am married!”
    Samijo fell into a chair behind her. The Weaver clan had to be talking and teasing about … babies. The question was, what exactly did that entail? Samijo Weaver hadn’t a clue.
    She walked back into the kitchen like a man heading to the gallows, her mind full of quest ions, ones she never dared ask her uncle about. Besides, she didn’t think she would need the answers until she was much older and over time, forgot about them. 
    But here they were, in all their stark glory, and about to be answered for her if her guess was right.