Chapter Nine
Brenda busied herselfwith setting the table, the clink of cutlery against plates punctuating the quiet that hung in the air like the fine dust outside. Seth had just walked through the door.
“Evening, Brenda,” he greeted.
“Evening, Seth,” she replied without looking up.
They sat across from each other, a simple stew between them. The kitchen was warm, the heat from the stove fighting the coolness that began to settle with the encroaching night.
“Stew’s good,” Seth said, spooning a hearty portion into his mouth.
“Thanks,” Brenda responded, her lips curving into a half-smile. “So, how was your day?”
“Hot. The cattle are restless with this weather.” He paused, wiping sweat from his brow even now. “And yours?”
“Same as always—hot. It’s already October. When is it going to cool off?”
“By the end of the month, it should be tolerable.” he said, chuckling. “Do you not like the weather here?”
Brenda sighed. “It’s just so hot all the time.”
As they finished, Seth pushed his chair back and reached into his pocket, producing two slips of paper. He slid them across the table toward Brenda. She eyed them curiously before picking them up, her eyes scanning the print.
“Tickets?” she asked, surprised.
“Play in Fort Worth. It’s called Lost, Strayed or Stolen. I know you said you’d never really done anything like that, but I thought maybe we could try it together. We could use a night out, you know, enjoy something different.”
“Really?” A genuine smile tugged at her lips, her earlier reluctance forgotten. “That’s...actually really nice. Thank you, Seth.”
“Figured it was about time I showed you some proper courting,” he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.
“Courting, huh?” Brenda teased, the sassiness she was known for making a quick appearance. “I might just hold you to that.”
“Good,” Seth replied earnestly, his gaze meeting hers. “Because I think there’s more to our marriage than just eating supper every night.”
“I’m so excited! I wanted to see a play in Boston once, and I saved up all my money...and I forgot to save for the train fare, so I never got to go. I would have eventually, I’m sure, but I wouldn’t have even been able to afford a dress to wear.”
