Читать книгу Settling The Score - George McLane Wood - Страница 27

Chapter Twenty-One

Sundays had become Jeff’s church day. He was up early, and Cookie made his breakfast. He’d eaten, dressed, and saddled his bay gelding and was on the road to Jasper by 8:00 a.m. He liked attending the first service; there wasn’t near as many worshipers as the second service. Sally played the organ or the piano at both services, and everyone sang hymns. The pastor’s sermon was always long, windy, and most often difficult to understand. Jeff always stayed for the second service so he could look at Sally and admire her beauty as she sang the hymns. Sometimes she’d sing a hymn by herself. Jeff really enjoyed that.

Jeff finally got up enough nerve to ask Sally’s father, the Methodist church’s pastor, if Jeff might court his daughter, Sally. To Jeff’s surprise, Pastor Jones said yes. From that day forth, Jeff was completely enchanted by the lovely Sally Jones.

When his house was finished, he asked his architect to stay and help him furnish it. The architect was delighted and told Jeff he’d be glad to help select the furnishings. He did, and the furniture was shipped by train from Austin to Fort Davis. Jeff sent Bo and two cowboys with two wagons to bring his sight unseen furnishings back to the ranch, and he helped the architect set them in place in his ranch house.

Jeff continued to live in the bunkhouse with his men. Cookie fell in love with his new kitchen in the ranch house but was told to continue to cook all their meals in his cookshack. Jeff invited Parson Jones and Sally to come and see his new house. Sally fell in love with the layout of the spacious home and told Jeff so. Jeff introduced Sally to his cook, and Cookie fell in love with Sally. Ed White was already in love with Sally Jones and had been since the first moment he’d seen her. Her father liked the young cattleman, and he’d noted with amazement at the wealth that the JN Ranch was apparently earning Jeff. By this time Jeff and Sally had sparked through the summer months and were often seen holding hands, and they’d kissed once or twice.

Jeff asked Sally if she’d like to become the mistress of his house.

“As your housekeeper?” Sally asked.

Jeff was completely taken back. “Oh! Uh…no, I mean…er, uh, that is…isn’t what I meant at all.”

“What do you mean, Jeff?”

“I mean, uh…would you…uh…could you…uh…uh…like to?”

“What in blue blazes are you trying to ask me, Jeff Nelson?”

“Would you sarry me, Mally?”

“What?”

“I, uh, I, I…”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, yes. I weff jarry you, Mill.”

“Sacre bleu, you two have lost your minds,” they heard Cookie mutter as he passed by.

“Did you ask me to do what I think you asked me to do?”

“Yes, I did, will you?”

“When?”

“The sooner the better.”

“Can my father do it?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. He can.”

“Yes, then I will marry you.”

Jeff and Sally were married by her father in his church as soon as her friends were notified. After the wedding reception, Jeff and Sally boarded the eastbound Southern Pacific Flyer at Fort Davis and spent their two glorious weeks honeymoon in San Antonio, visiting the Alamo, canoeing on the San Antonio River, seeing sights, dining elegantly, and just getting to know each other. After two weeks, they were anxious to return to the JN Brand and begin living in their new ranch house.

Sally rearranged their bedroom to suit her, and Jeff agreed it looked better than when he and the architect did it. Sally really complimented their four-poster bed, and when Jeff told Sally that, she chased him out of their bedroom.

That summer was the most wonderful months Jeff Nelson could remember since he was a kid living with his mama and papa in Virginia. He and Sally bonded like two peas in a pod. She and Cookie worked side by side in the kitchen. She was an excellent cook too, but Cookie taught her some bunkhouse recipes that all men enjoy eating.