She nodded.“I’ll expect you when I see you.”
He leaned down to kiss her goodbye, and she couldn’t help flinching away.Despite sleeping in his arms the night before, she was still very afraid.Hopefully, she would get over it soon, but she wasn’t certain that was possible.
He had a hurt look on his face when he stood after kissing her on the cheek.“I would never hurt you, Josie.”
“I...I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
As soon as he was gone, she put water onto boil and hauled the tin tub that was hanging on the outside of the house in.She was going to take a bath if it killed her.
While she waited for the water to heat up, she swept the floor and pulled the sheets and quilt off the bed.She had to get laundry done, as well as meet with her friends.It would be a busy day.
After her bath, she dumped the water out, and walked into town.She wasn’t certain what time the store opened, but she planned to be there when it did.
Seeing that the store was open when she arrived, she looked over the shelves, trying to decide what to buy.When she took potatoes from the shelf, Katie walked up behind her.“Your friends will be sharing the food they’ve worked for all summer if you plan on working with them.I think you should wait on produce and meat.Just pick up essentials like flour, sugar, and coffee.”
Josie turned, a bit startled that someone was so close behind her.“Absolutely.Thank you so much for the advice.I just wanted to start getting the cabin organized before I met with the others.I’m sure it’ll be fine to get a few essentials then.”
She stacked sugar, flour, coffee, salt, baking powder, yeast cakes, rice, oatmeal, and cornmeal onto the counter.“Do you have a pattern for making boots for the winter?I noticed my husband’s are worn through.”
“I can get you a mukluk pattern.That’s what most of the men wear here.You’ll use animal hide and fur.Most people use rabbit fur in this area.”
“That would be wonderful!”Josie said.She’d never made boots or any sort of shoe, but she could learn, and she knew her efforts would be appreciated.Jack seemed like a kind man.She hoped his kindness was truthful and not a façade.
Katie hurried away and came back with three things.First, she gave Josie the pattern for the boots.“You’re going to need these as well,” Katie said, adding navy beans and tea to her pile.
“Oh, this is perfect!Do you have a book of receipts?I’m not much of a cook.”
Katie pulled a book out from under the counter.“This is a very basic cookbook put together by a homestead wife in Tanana.I think it will be very useful.I bought a copy myself, and I’ve made several things from it.”
“Oh, thank you!”Josie took out some cash to pay, even though Jack had told her not to.It didn’t seem fair that he had to pay for everything.
Katie shook her head.“I’ll start an account for you.I know Mr.Blake has one, but most of your friends have started their own accounts, and they pay for everything with it.Then when I sell something for you, I’ll be able to add it to your account.”
“That sounds wonderful if it’s not too much work for you.”
“It’s not.I’m just going to treat you the exact same way I treat the other ladies.”
“That sounds good.Thank you so much, Mrs.Johnson.”
“Katie.Please, call me Katie.”
“All right...Katie.”
“Would you like me to have Mr.Johnson deliver this to your cabin?”Katie asked.“It would be difficult to carry it all.”
“That would be wonderful if you really don’t mind.”
“It’s good for him to get out and do some physical work.With more people coming, he’s spending more and more time working on what he’s going to teach on Sundays.”Katie shook her head.“We can’t let him go soft!”
Josie laughed.“No, we can’t.When will it be delivered?”she asked, picking up the pattern and cookbook from the stack.She wanted to learn as much as possible as quickly as she could.Of course, that day would be spent with her friends and cleaning her new home.But after that?She wanted to have the cookbook for her rest times.
“This afternoon.Will you be home?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I can have Mr.Johnson put everything on your table if that will help you.”
“That would be wonderful!”Josie left the store with a smile on her face.She wasn’t certain what it would be, but she knew she’d find her niche soon.
