Mail Order Bride- Illinois

Chapter 7

Jonathan watched as Abby interacted with his two sons and was absolutely blown away. Cullen was only two years old when Caroline died, so he doesn’t have many memories of her. However, Devlin was four, and he remembers that we weren’t a big happy family. Devlin remembers the arguments, and the yelling. So Devlin tends to be defensive of Caroline, but Abby handled it like a natural.

Jonathan watched as Abby sat down tin mugs filled with rich milk for the three of them. Abby also gave them two cookies each.

“It’s freshly milked today,” Jon looked up at Abby surprised, Buzz normally milked the cows in the morning. She must be settling in better then he thought.

“Mmmm yummy!!” Cullen squealed happily, and Jonathan smiled at his son. Devlin ate the cookies happily as well, but didn’t say anything.

“These are very good, don’t you think so Dev?” Jonathan asked. Devlin didn’t say anything, he just nodded his head. Devlin was still sulking, he was going to say something. But he caught Abby slightly shaking his head at him. Jonathan didn’t agree with her but decided to follow her lead.

“Boys, when you finish up, go ask Buzz for the tables and chairs, I’ll need to start work.” The boys quickly finished their milk and cookies as Abby started working on two chickens on the prep table.

“You were wonderful with them,” Jonathan told her. Abby just gave him a smile but didn’t look up from her work.

“Look Jon, I know I’m going to say something you don’t like, but I think you need to hear it. I know you had a bad marriage with your first wife.” Jon tried to stop her. “I’m not done, I’m not prying into your marriage, I am only talking about your sons, which you want me to be a mother to.” Jonathan stopped talking.

“I know your first wife did you wrong, you are right about that. But you can’t take that out on the boys, especially Devlin, he is mourning his mother and you can’t force him to accept me. He has to accept me on his own, there’s nothing you can say that will make him love his mother any less, and you shouldn’t in the first place.” Abby told him fiercely. Jonathan’s first instinct was to be angry at her words, who did she think she was? The more he thought about it, the more he realized the truth.

Jonathan sighed long and hard, sat down on the stool and said,”You are right.” Abby walked over to him, and gave him a tight hug.

“Everything will be okay,” she whispered against his ear. “We just have to give it some time.” She pulled back from him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips and went back to the meal. Jonathan grabbed another cookie, and slipped outside. He looked out on his ranch and a feeling of pride, and contentment swept through him. Jon fought so hard for this life. He looked out on his ranch, and saw the herd of cattle just bought. Jonathan saw his men unloading the lumber he bought for the new house. His ranch was finally coming to life, all of his hard work and sacrifices over the years were paying off.

Jonathan saw his sons playing with Abby’s dog. That damn dog, he would never escape from that dog. The second he dismounted Buzz told him how smart he was for getting a cattle herding dog. Jon didn’t know what the hell he was talking about so Buzz enlighten him, apparently the second the cattle herd got within sight of the dog, the dogs instincts kicked in, and was the best damn cattle dog Buzz had ever seen. Jon simply shook his head and walked off, he hated that damn dog with a passion. Jon only brought him along to make Abby more comfortable with his presence, and it seemed he was wrong. Jon was wrong in how useful the damn dog was, he couldn’t help but wonder what else he was wrong about. Jon let out a heavy sigh.

Jon’s sat there and watch the boys, and thought that Abby was right about Caroline. While he hated her, she was still the boys mother. He needed to talk to the boys about the situation alone. Jon walked up to the boys and the dog.

“Zip, git!” He said shortly. Jon saw he scared the boys, and got down on his haunches. “Look I just want to talk to you without the dog, with all your attention on me okay?” He said gently. Cullen came over and hugged him while Devlin simply shook his head in agreement.

“Look I know it’s been hard since your mom has passed away, and we haven’t really talked about it, but we are all mourning her in different ways. My way was to bury the pain, and I didn’t comfort you like I should. That’s my fault. I just couldn’t talk about it.” Jon didn’t say that he was glad she died, who says that to his kids? So they just didn’t talk about it, that’s the way things were in his family, they just buried the pain, pretend it didn’t exist. Looking back after his mother died who knows if it would have helped or not.

“I miss her dad,” Devlin said, while he was lost in his thoughts. Jon quickly comforted his son.

“I know Dev, I know you do son, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Abby isn’t here to be your mother. She is here to be my wife, but you must respect her as you respect me okay?” Jonathan asked his young son hoping that he would understand.

“Okay Dad,” Devlin told him, and Cullen nodded his head.

“Do as Abby says, and just give it time okay.” Jonathan pulled Devlin into a hug, and whispered,

“Everything will be okay.” Jonathan sat with his sons for a little while and then got back to work.

Abby was finishing the welcome home dinner, when a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” she called as she was finishing on the mashed potatoes.

“The boss thought you might need some help with carrying out dinner.” Abby stared up in shocked disbelief. “Henry?” At first he looked confused, but then recognition showed in his eyes. Abby could barely recognize him as he had a heavy beard, he’d gained around thirty pounds since she saw him last over ten years ago, and he had a scar on his forehead. Abby still recognized him, it was the eyes, Henry had a distinctive set of light blue eyes she had never seen before or since.

“Abby, I don’t believe it Abby.” Abby went to embrace her dead fiance, she couldn’t believe the turn of events.

“Henry, what happened? Every one said you died.”

“I almost did, I was wounded badly. I can’t believe you weren’t told,” Henry said with confusion.

“Told me what?”

Abby asked equally confused.

“That I was alive, I wrote your parents and told them I was alive, and that…” Henry trailed off looking embarrassed. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he meant. “And that you wanted to end the engagement.” Henry avoided her gaze, then she heard the distinct footfalls of Jonathan. She handed Henry two serving bowels, and turned to the counter holding the other food. She took a deep steadying breath. Abby heard Henry’s boots echo out the door, and she let out a sigh. Jonathan walked in, and Abby turned and gave him more food to put on the table outside. She blinked back tears as much as she could. It was going to take all of her willpower to get through this dinner without breaking down like a baby.

“Suck it up Abby, your a big girl now, time to act like it.” Abby said before walking out the door of the tiny house and placing the plates on the table. Abby had put the two tables together and made a larger table enough for everyone to sit at.

Abby noticed that Henry was seated at the far end away from where her seat next to Jonathan was. That was smart, Abby didn’t know how she felt about keeping a secret from her new husband. However, she knew Jonathan had plenty secrets he was keeping from her. Still, two wrongs didn’t make a right. Abby would pray on this matter, she decided.

When Abby was finally seated next to Jonathan, he stood up.

“I just wanted to make a toast to my lovely new wife Abbigail. Thank you for the delicious looking meal, and thank you my ranch hands for taking care of the preparations for the cattle sale while I was away. I am looking forward to making our ranch the most successful one in Oregon.” Everyone clapped before taking a drink of their lemonade.

“All right let’s dig in.”