Free The Milch Bride by J. R. Biery Page B

Hattie asked.
    “Nope, it’s Tuesday. I always do laundry on Tuesday. Besides,
James plowed that garden. You probably want to get busy and get it planted.”
    She heard a snuffling sound from the cradle and peeked in,
patting the little raised bottom. “Such a mite for making work, little Jackie.”
    He squirmed a little under the weight of her hand, rooting
around in his sleep until he found a fist and settled back down.
    Quickly, she picked up the first bag of seeds and used the
hoe that James had left beside the plowed garden. She was surprised at how deep
the soil seemed. James must have plowed a lot deeper then she had, but she was
pleased to note he had avoided damaging the original garden. By the time she
was on the third type of seeds, Rubye was finished.
    Hattie could hear the baby and dusted her hands, stopping to
pull up a bucket of sweet water to drink her fill, then wash her hands and
face. She walked up onto the porch and took the squalling baby that Rubye was
trying to calm.
    The housekeeper scowled at her muddy feet and wrinkled her
nose. “Humph,” she said patting the wide awake and complaining J.D. “Might as
well run you through the tub as well. Hurry, if you want a chance to eat before
supper.”
    “I didn’t finish all the plantings.”
    “It’s called tomorrow,” the housekeeper said. “You can
finish it in the morning while I iron, then you can iron.”
    Hattie raised her brows. “Right, ironing.” She didn’t want
to admit that she usually didn’t bother with her old clothes or her father’s,
there had been no one to see how they looked unless they were going into town.
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    Hattie relaxed in the tub, the baby naked and floating on
top of her, his little unbound belly button and stub of cord exposed. Rubye had
carried the cradle in to put him in, but Hattie had barely finished soaping and
rinsing before he had begun to fuss. She had been unable to resist the
opportunity to soap and rinse him, even the soft dark hair on top of his head.
In the high setting tub, she had easily been able to keep his belly dry. At
first he had been frightened, but like her, the warm lap of the water soon
relaxed him. Now he lay, completely clean and relaxed, gazing at her cooing
voice.
    Rubye knocked on the door, then opened it to shake her head
at them. “The men are out cleaning up, you better hurry.”
    Hattie stood up, surrendered the baby to the housekeeper
then slipped into the clean gown and robe that the housekeeper handed her. She
shook out a baby blanket and took the naked baby back from Rubye, then followed
her out of the door.
    “Wait.” The voice was loud and commanding and Hattie froze
in horror. She was barefoot, her wet hair in a towel, and she clutched the top
of the robe closed and the baby even tighter against her.
    The terror must have shown in her eyes and Jackson felt
confused. He nodded toward the bedroom and Rubye put her hands on her hips and
looked scandalized. He gave her a hard look, and she turned back to the kitchen
to get the food on the table, still keeping an eye on both of them.
    Jackson made sure the door was open and remained there as
Hattie entered the bedroom and laid the baby in the middle of the bed before
reaching behind her for baby clothes. Even though he knew he should stay at the
door, Jackson was drawn into the room by the baby. It was the first time he had
seen him completely naked since the delivery. Hattie backed up, staring at both
of them.
    Jackson uncovered the boy, just standing and staring down at
him. Nervously, Hattie pulled the collar up on the robe, moved one foot behind
the other, even though both the gown and robe drug the floor. “Is there
something wrong?”
    He shook his head, stepped aside and moved back to the open
door. “He’s just so beautiful.”
    She stared back at the baby and nodded. “Perfect, Donna,
gave you a perfect son.”
     The reminder of Donna made him straighten up and