Mail Order Merchant: Brides of Beckham (Cowboys and Angels Book 5) Read online

  The woman shrugged, a smile on her face. “Can you just accept the fact that I’m a benevolent presence in your life? I promise, I’m here to help you and nothing else.”

  Toria frowned. “Would you be able to accept the same thing from me?”

  “I already have. Make Mortimer the pancakes. French toast will just disappoint him. Pancakes.” Before Toria’s eyes the woman disappeared.

  Toria blinked a few times, convinced that she must be losing her mind. But even as she knew she was losing her mind, she reached for the flour to make pancakes. She wanted to please Mortimer, and whoever the woman was, she knew Toria’s husband. At least she thought she did.

  When Mortimer stumbled into the kitchen, still looking tired, he saw she’d made pancakes and his whole face lit up. “Pancakes are my absolute favorite breakfast! Thank you!”

  Toria didn’t question who the woman was, she just served the breakfast she’d made, making sure to slip a cup of coffee onto the table. “I thought that might help you wake up.”

  He smiled. “It will. I tossed and turned half the night. I don’t know what my problem was, but I almost felt like someone was watching me sleep. It was a very eerie feeling.”

  “That would bother me too.” Toria couldn’t help but wonder if her mysterious visitor was the one who was watching him sleep. She certainly seemed to know enough about him that it was possible. “I made four dozen cookies to sell today, and some extra for your lunch.” She had to quit thinking about the mystery woman and get her mind on the tasks at hand.

  “Oh, good. I’m glad you didn’t forget me.” He winked at her with a smile.

  “Would you like me to come down and look at your books today? See if I can find the error?”

  “I would love that. Are you sure you have the time?”

  She nodded. “I’m caught up on housework. I’m going to serve leftovers from last night for lunch today, and it will only take me a couple of hours to do the baking for tomorrow. That gives me time to do whatever you need in the store.”

  “Do you want to start working on your ideas for the new displays? I want to see how they work, if you don’t mind.”

  “I’d love to. I’m glad you don’t mind that I want to make a few changes.”

  Mortimer shrugged. “If you were wanting to make changes because you thought the food should be next to the yard goods, because women buy both, I wouldn’t be happy. The changes you’re talking about make a lot of sense to me, and I think we could help people’s shopping experience.”

  “I have a few ideas about new products you could sell as well, but we’ll get to those.”

  “It sounds like you made a study of the way a store should be set up before you came here. You really amaze me, Toria.”

  “I studied some university marketing books when I was helping the Penuckles increase their business. Once I’d gotten their books in order, Mr. Penuckle told me that I would have to prove my worth. I doubled the store’s income in a three-month period.” Toria looked down at her hands. “I love to learn new things, and the marketing was fascinating to me.”

  “That’s not something to be embarrassed about. I’m excited that you came here ready to take my store and make it more profitable. And I hate doing the books, so if you want to take that over forever, feel free!”

  “I’d like that a great deal. I’ve found others use a different sort of accounting system than I do, and I would prefer to be able to use my system at all times.”

  “How much work will it be to convert to the system you like?”

  She shrugged. “It shouldn’t take me more than a few hours. I’m pretty quick with numbers.”

  “Come down to the store as soon as you can, and I’ll show you how I do things. I’m really excited that you want to help me.”

  “I’m not one to sit idle. I can go to tea parties only so many times before I lose my mind. Now if they’d provided sewing to keep my hands busy while we talked and sipped tea, then I would have been all for it.”

  “Maybe you should carry your own in a bag so you have busy work at all times.” He laughed softly. “I think I’m going to keep you.”

  She grinned. “We’re married, so I really don’t think you have a choice.”

  A short while later, she’d made both beds, did the breakfast dishes, and took the meat that was left from the night before, added some vegetables and some barley, and started a soup on the stove. If she cooked it at a low heat, it could cook for a few hours while she was gone.

  When she was finished, she descended the stairs into the store, excited that Mortimer had work for her to do. She really did get bored when she didn’t have a task to do, which was one of the big reasons she’d never married. She needed more than just household chores to keep her mind active and interested.

  John gave her a half-smile when he saw her. “Thanks for the cookies.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad you came to supper last night.” Toria rushed over to where Mortimer was working on a display, trying to change it to the way she’d suggested. “Where are your books?” She couldn’t believe how excited she was to get her hands on them. She wanted to make sure everything was in order and make herself useful to him.

  He led her over behind the counter and pulled out a stool for her. As his arm brushed hers, she felt a tingle rush up her spine. She was thrilled that he made her feel so much more than he had that first day. “Everything is here. You can sit there and work on them. I have a blank ledger for you, in case you need it.”

  She wasted no time, bending over the ledgers and getting to work. Mortimer watched her for a moment before he wandered off to finish the changing of the displays.

  John approached him, lending his strength to the task at hand. “Why is she working in the store? Mom never did.”

  “Mom wasn’t interested in the store. Toria has worked in a store back east for years. She has lots of ideas and experience, and she wants to help us make this place better and more profitable.”

  John smiled, nodding. “I like the idea of it being more profitable.”

  Mortimer grinned at his son. “I do, too! I think she can do it, too. She’s going to help us get everything set up, keep baking for us, and she has ideas about more things to order.”

  John looked over at his stepmother for a moment. “I think I like her, and I didn’t want to at all.”

  “I like her, too. I think she’s going to be good for both of us.”

  “Who’d have thought I’d be able to say I don’t hate my stepmom?”

  Mortimer clapped his son on the back. He was thrilled to see him start acting like his old self again.

  Chapter Five

  Toria found she enjoyed working in the store, because Mortimer and John were always around her. She loved watching their interactions with each other, giving her a picture of a closer father and son than she’d expected.

  It took her a little over three hours to get the books set up the way she wanted them…and for her to find the error Mortimer had been stressing over. She called him over and showed it to him, smiling at his response.

  “I can’t believe you found it so quickly! I’ve been trying to find that error for two months!”

  Toria shrugged. “It’s a gift. It’s a silly gift, but it works for me.” She’d found men were intimidated by how quickly she did math, so she often downplayed how easy it really was for her.

  “Well, I for one am thrilled it’s a gift you have. How much more work do you have to do to get everything like you want it.” He couldn’t believe he’d not only gotten a beautiful bride, but one who could do tasks that were difficult for him. God had truly been watching out for him when He’d sent Toria.

  “Oh, I’m done. We’re balanced through the close of day last night. It’ll take me about an hour a week to keep up on everything.” She hoped he’d give her the job. The more she did, the happier she’d be. She wanted to feel like she was important to him.

  He blinked at her for a moment. “I was s
pending three hours a week. I’m so happy to give you that chore.”

  “I’m just as happy to accept it!” Toria stood and stretched her back. “I’m going to go upstairs and check on your lunch. It should be ready in about twenty minutes.”

  “What about my lunch?” John called from across the store where he was redoing a display the way she wanted it.

  Toria shrugged. “Your dad can bring you down a bowl, or you can come up and eat when he’s done.”

  “Really? There’s enough for me?” John asked, surprised.

  “I will always make enough for you. Come up anytime for your lunch. I’ll be happy to have you.” She didn’t wait for a response, knowing that he hadn’t expected her generosity and may not know how to react to it. She truly didn’t mind cooking for one more person. It didn’t take any extra time when she was already cooking anyway.

  Mortimer came up twenty minutes later, his eyes wide as he saw fresh bread and a bowl of steaming soup waiting for him. “John badly wants to hate you, but he can’t help but like you. He’s having a hard time.” And Mortimer was thrilled. He’d expected a lot more discontent from his son than they’d received, considering his devotion to his mother.

  Toria shrugged. “I can understand that. When my father’s first wife died, he quickly married again. My half-brother was determined to hate my mother with everything inside him. They became close because she was so kind…he couldn’t help but like her.”

  “So you’re taking a page out of your mother’s book.”

  “In a way. My brother was only twelve at the time, so it was a different situation. But it worked out well for them.” She sat down at the table, and he took her hand in his for their prayer. It was the first time, but she hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

  He took a bite of his soup and smiled. “You have a way with cooking.”

  She smiled. “It’s truly always been a hobby of mine. I lived in a boarding house in Beckham, and I would cook for all the boarders on Saturday evenings because I enjoyed it. I got a discount on my rent for it, but that wasn’t the reason. I’d have done it for free, I just never told the woman running the house.”

  “I didn’t know you lived in a boarding house! Did you like it there? The ones I’ve seen are all men, so I’m surprised you were able to live in one.”

  “This one was all women. If we needed more money, I think I’d enjoy running a boarding house, but I don’t think there’s any need for that here.” She had always had an entrepreneurial spirit. It was hard for her not to always be working on something. She was certain it stemmed from growing up poor.

  He shook his head. “Not at all. Though our only restaurant burned down. People may like it if you planned to sell a lunch once a week or something, if you were so inclined.”

  She tilted her head to one side, thinking about it. “You could sell it through the store. I could place a limit of a certain number of people buying the lunch. I would only make what was sold before the day of the lunch, so say I would fix lunch every Monday, and if men hadn’t ordered by Saturday, they would be out of luck.” She took a bite of her freshly buttered bread, thinking about it. “What would I charge for a lunch? A dime?”

  “Sounds good to me. I’m not saying you should do this, just that you could do it if you were looking for something to do to fill your time.”

  “Maybe…why don’t you ask around today, see who would be interested? I’ll make a steaming hot bowl of chicken and dumplings, fresh bread, dessert, and a vegetable. A cup of coffee is free with their meal. Let’s put a limit of twelve, and they have to reserve a thirty-minute slot. I’ll feed three rounds of hungry men, and I’ll be done for the day. I love the idea!”

  He stared at her for a moment, shaking his head. “You’re not ever going to let any grass grow under your feet, are you?”

  “Of course not! I cannot stand sitting around with nothing to do. I love to cook, so why not make a little money off it? If that doesn’t pan out, maybe I’ll make scarves or gloves. I could make work shirts for the local men who don’t have wives, and you could sell them in your store. There are so many things I could do that would help you, and also keep me from sitting around twiddling my thumbs.”

  “What about John? If he wants lunch, does he have to reserve a spot?” Mortimer asked.

  “Of course not. You and John eat for free. Other men have to pay. Let’s do an eleven-thirty lunch slot, a noon slot, and a twelve-thirty. You and John can eat at eleven and at one. You two fight it out between the times which you’d prefer.” Toria’s eyes danced with excitement. She had a way to make a little money, and she wouldn’t be bored. She wanted nothing more. Well…maybe for her husband to fall in love with her. Looking at Mortimer, she noticed that he was smiling.

  “That works. I’ll make a sign and post it today. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Mind? I’m excited to do it!”

  “We really don’t need the money, you know.” He didn’t want her to think that they needed her to work to make ends meet, because that was far from the truth.

  Toria shrugged. “But more never hurts, and I love the idea of being able to do it. It will keep me busy.”

  “All right. We’ll see what happens after I post the sign and we talk about it.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin she’d put on the table and got to his feet. “John asked me to bring some lunch to him. He’s going to eat in the back room today.”

  She rushed to the stove, serving a big bowl of soup, then slicing three pieces of bread and buttering them. She put it all on a tray and handed it to her husband, who grinned. “If he’s still hungry after that, there’s plenty more. I want him to get his fill.”

  “My John isn’t shy about food. He told me that he enjoyed supper with us so much last night that he didn’t bother going to the saloon. Thank you for helping me get him away from that place.”

  “Maybe the whisky doesn’t have a firm hold on him yet. If not, then we’ll have a better chance of keeping him out of the saloon. Make sure he knows that he’s welcome to come for supper tonight.”

  “What are you serving?”

  She shrugged. “No idea yet, but I do know it will be delicious.”

  Mortimer laughed, shaking his head as he headed for the stairs that led back to the store. His sweet wife was a wonderful cook, and it sounded like she knew it.

  When Mortimer poked his head into the house that evening, John was right behind him. “John decided to bless us with his presence for supper again.”

  “Wonderful!” Toria turned from the stove where she was ladling two bowls of a thick, hearty beef stew. She reached for another bowl and filled it as well, setting them all on the table. She put a loaf of bread in the middle with a ball of butter beside it. She was glad she had a cake for dessert, because she knew it would please both men.

  Once she was seated, they prayed together. As the men dug into their stew, she asked, “Did you talk to anyone about my Monday lunch idea?”

  Mortimer nodding, taking a sip of water. “I did. You have twelve men signed up for Monday.” He’d even been surprised by how many had signed up so quickly.

  “That was fast.”

  “I think it helped that John was eating your soup while I was talking to people about your cooking, and they could smell it.”

  Toria laughed. “Good marketing plan!”

  John shrugged. “I was just eating my lunch. No plan involved other than dealing with my hunger.”

  “Well, I’m excited. I’ll make sure to have the supplies on hand Monday morning, and we’ll see how it goes. Have they already paid you? Or will they pay me on Monday?”

  “I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer, so I went ahead and took payment. If you want to do it differently next time, you just let me know.” Mortimer buttered his bread, taking a big bite. His favorite thing she’d made so far was her bread. There was just something special about it, though he didn’t know what it was. “Just make sure to remember John and me at lunch time. There has to be
enough food for fifteen, not just twelve.”

  Toria laughed. “I will never forget that stomach of yours.” She was sure it was the only way she’d ever get him to love her. By feeding him well. She knew it was silly that she even wanted love, but every day she wanted it a little more. She’d read one too many fairy tales, and she was ready for her happily ever after now. Why hadn’t she realized that she would feel the need for his love so soon?

  “Good thing.” Mortimer continued eating steadily as did John. They both had three bowls of stew and several pieces of buttered bread. “Are you going to help in the store tomorrow? It’s inventory night, and we need all the hands we can get.”

  “I’m happy to. Do you want me all day? Or should I just come in after close?”

  “I’d like to start showing you how we do things, so coming in the morning would be my preference. I’ll give you an idea of the costs of different items and teach you to use our cash register. The more you know, the better for all three of us.” Mortimer studied her, trying to guess how she’d respond.

  “That sounds good to me! I’m excited to learn it.”

  John nodded. “It’ll give me more time for my deliveries if you’re helping Dad out in the store. That’s what I’m supposed to do, but I don’t always have the time.” John reached for another piece of bread as he spoke.

  “Do you get all the deliveries made?”

  John shook his head. “The way we do it is we schedule me for four hours of deliveries per day. I could easily do a full eight, and some people just have to find another way to get their purchases home.”

  “I wish someone had told me that sooner! Do you charge for your deliveries?”

  Mortimer nodded. “We charge twenty-five cents in town and fifty cents out of town. He stays booked up.”

  “I think those are fair prices for us and the customers.” Toria thought for a moment. “It sounds like if you had help for four hours a day, John could spend his entire day on deliveries. Is that right?”

  John nodded. “I think that would cover it. Don’t you, Dad?”