“It feels strange to me as well.”He put his hands at her waist and drew her to him.“I didn’t feel comfortable kissing you for the first time in front of your friends.Would you mind if I kiss you now?”
She shook her head.“Of course not.You’re my husband!”
“I like the sound of that.”He softly kissed her lips, not trying for anything truly intimate with her friends so close.
As soon as their lips touched, he knew he’d made the right decision to marry her.He wasn’t happy about waiting for his wedding night for a month or more, but he’d make it work.
When he lifted his head, he cupped her cheek for just a moment.“You’re sure all of your friends are marrying men from Yeti?”
She nodded.“Yes, I am.I don’t remember who they’re marrying at the moment.Mostly when we talk about who we are planning to marry, we call him ‘my future husband’.Names would be good, but we got into a bad habit of never using them.”
“I can understand that.I have several friends I work with, and we only referred to who we were writing as ‘my bride.’There are going to be some very shocked men when I show up with four brides.”
She laughed softly.“You’re right about that.I’m so sorry I didn’t write you about it.”
“All is forgiven.It’s what we do from here that matters.”
“Tell me about your home.”
“I have a small cabin.I have a stove on order, and I have a feeling it will be put together before we arrive home.All I use now is a fireplace.I rarely cook for myself.I buy what the women in town bake when I can.”He shook his head.“It’s what we all do.We were all happy just eating jerky and hardtack until you women started coming to town and making us hungry for sweets.”
She smiled.“Do you have any animals?”
“No.”
“Have you always lived in Alaska?”Myrtle knew he’d written about these things, but she wanted to hear his voice give her the answers.
“No.I grew up in Wisconsin.Actually, the cabin I grew up in is about the same size I’m in now.My father was a lumberman in Wisconsin.My mother died when I was small.I have a brother who is three years younger than me.Ma died in childbirth with him.”
“Were you raised going to church?”She’d always enjoyed church, and she hoped he would want to go as often as she did.
“I was.There’s no real church in Yeti.A group of us get together for a Bible study on Sunday mornings.Mr.Johnson—who runs the store with his wife—leads the Bible study.He went to seminary school but decided to open a store instead.”
“I’ve heard really good things about Mrs.Johnson.”All of her friends had written letters about the woman who tended the store.
“You’ve heard good things because there’s nothing bad that you can say about her.She’s a kind woman who goes out of her way to help others.”He draped an arm over her shoulders as he guided her back to camp.“Do you plan to join your friends in their business ventures?”
Myrtle shrugged.“I’m not sure yet.I would love it if I could bake.My favorite thing to bake is pies, but I’m not sure what ingredients would be available.I could knit or sew.I’ve never had a green thumb.I’m probably not thinking of everything, but the women already settled probably know what they want me to do.”
“Oh, I’m sure they do.It doesn’t seem to take any of the ladies long before they start working with the others.It’s almost like everyone arranged this before they even boarded the train to come here.”
“It’s Belle,” Myrtle said.“There’s no doubt in my mind she’s the mastermind behind everything.”
“You’re probably right.She’s the one who married our boss.”
“Well, I hope to join the business endeavors if someone has a task for me.”
He nodded.“I don’t mind either way.Though I would never say no to more money coming in.”
Myrtle smiled.“Then I will definitely join them.They just need to find me a task.”
