Christine Johnson - Mail Order Mommy

“I will miss you,” she whispered.

“Me, too. Now go to sleep.” Pearl’s muffled tones came from beneath the pillow that she’d jammed over her head.

“I’m sure Roland will want to talk at night, too.”

Pearl rolled over and emerged from beneath the pillow. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you pestering me?”

“I can’t sleep after what happened today.”

“Oh?” Now she’d caught Pearl’s attention. “What happened today?”

Amanda hedged, not quite ready to explain everything. “Did you know that Garrett has a lovely smile?”

“Hmm. I suppose so.”

“He should smile more often.”

“Why don’t you tell him, and let me get some sleep?” Pearl plunked the pillow over her head again.

Amanda quieted, but she couldn’t imagine going up to Garrett and telling him to smile more. Just mentioning the smile had turned it to a frown, as if that smile had been in error. “He doesn’t want to hear it.”

Pearl said nothing.

Amanda glanced in her direction, but in the darkness couldn’t tell if her friend was sleeping. Her thoughts drifted back to the hours with Garrett. He’d been kind today, so different from the day before.

“I made a mess of supper tonight,” she whispered. “I burned it terribly and then added too much salt. It tasted awful, but he didn’t yell, like he did yesterday. He told me he’d done the very same thing.”

“He did?” Pearl slid out from under the pillow, definitely more interested.

“He did. Like all was forgiven. He’s never been like that with me before. Oh, he liked to talk about Sadie and Isaac, ask about school and all that, but never take my feelings into consideration. It was almost like he wouldn’t look at me. Not today.” Amanda sighed. “Did you ever notice that his eyes are more gray than blue?”

“What does that have to do with anything? Roland’s eyes are blue, too. They’re brothers.”

“Yes, but Garrett’s eyes are grayer. And his hair is much lighter, with that bit of red in it. He and Roland don’t look much alike.”

Pearl groaned. “This is what’s keeping you awake?”

Amanda ignored her friend. “And his hair has this way of sticking out like a little boy’s. It takes all my self-control not to smooth down the cowlicks.”

“I can imagine how he would react if you did that.”

“Definitely not with a smile.” Amanda giggled. “I think this new job will turn out well, as long as I don’t let the children distract me too much.”

“Then it’s hopeless.”

“Hopeless?”

“I’ve never known you not to be distracted by children.”

Amanda heaved a sigh. “It’s a fault of mine.”

Pearl squeezed her shoulder. “It’s a testament to your caring nature. I’m glad Garrett finally noticed that. Maybe he’s finally coming around to see the treasure you are. Fiona will regret turning down the position.”

“Does she still have her cap set on Garrett?”

“You can be sure of it. She asked if she could help with the stable that I asked Garrett to build for the children’s nativity play.”

“The what?”

“Garrett didn’t tell you about it?”

“No,” Amanda said hesitantly. “Was he supposed to?”

“I asked Roland to make sure Garrett talked to you so you two could figure out what needed to be done.”

At first Amanda wondered why Pearl didn’t just tell her herself, but the answer was obvious. Pearl was trying to get her and Garrett together as much as possible. But having her help build a stable made no sense. “Talk to me? Why? I can’t use a hammer.”

“No, but you can decorate the stable and make costumes for the children.”

“Decorate it? I don’t think the stable that Joseph and Mary used was decorated.”

“I’m thinking more along the lines of toy animals. You know, the lambs and the sheep and so forth.”

Amanda gasped. “That’s a lot of fabric and a lot of something or other to stuff them.”

“It’s been so warm and dry of late that I’m thinking we could make a day of it and gather dried grasses. Maybe invite Roland, Garrett and the children. Roland already told me that he will donate some old flour sacks and muslin. It’ll be wonderful.”

Amanda wasn’t so certain, but the idea of working anywhere near Garrett overcame her hesitation. Perhaps he was beginning to forgive her for losing track of Sadie during the fire. Perhaps he could begin to trust her. A Christmas nativity would be lovely, especially with the children involved.

“What are the children going to do?”

“Play the roles of the shepherds, angels and Mary and Joseph.”

Amanda could guess who Pearl had pegged for the parents of Jesus, but she had to ask, anyway. “Who’s playing Mary and Joseph?”

Pearl murmured, “Sadie and Isaac. It will help convince Garrett to build the stable. Now go to sleep. I have a busy day of school tomorrow, and I’m expecting you to help out.”

Amanda couldn’t begin to think of sleeping. Her mind whirled with everything that had happened today and would happen over the coming weeks. Pearl’s wedding. Pearl moving to the rooms above the store. Amanda’s new job. Garrett warming to her. So much joy.

The only thing missing was her brother. When she’d learned this autumn that a lumberjack named Jake was working upriver, she’d thought at once of her lost brother. The man fit Jacob’s description. She’d waited day after day for this lumberjack to arrive in Singapore with the last logs rafted down the river, but he’d headed for the camps up north instead. That opportunity had slipped away.

Perhaps this one with Garrett wouldn’t. Now they would work together on the nativity play.

No doubt Pearl and Roland had arranged this “project” in order to get Amanda and Garrett together. After today, that didn’t seem like such a hopeless prospect. Garrett was beginning to treat her with compassion and respect, something she enjoyed but was having trouble accepting. If she did a great job with not only the curtains for his house but also the costumes for the nativity play, maybe he’d forget about Fiona and begin considering her for a wife. Maybe. Just maybe. As long as he never learned about her past.

Chapter Six

Saturdays gave Amanda more time to work on her sewing projects. For the last week, she’d cut and basted and sewed Pearl’s wedding dress in every spare moment. By this afternoon, she switched to making Garrett’s curtains, in case Pearl returned to the boardinghouse early.

Curtains should take no time at all, but the treadle sewing machine was finicky to operate. The bobbin kept snarling, and she would have to stop and take apart what she’d just done and start over. She’d run into the same problems when making the dress and doll dress for Sadie this past August, but it was still faster than sewing every seam by hand. For the trickier parts, she still preferred hand-stitching, but she kept the curtains simple.

“No ruffles or lace,” Garrett had said.

So that’s what she did. She would not risk the progress she’d made with him over something as unimportant as curtains. Though he hadn’t smiled at her again the rest of the week, he had been most cordial. Her supper offerings had improved, thanks to Mrs. Calloway’s coaching, and he had complimented Amanda on them.

She dearly hoped these curtains would continue to elevate her in his esteem.

With Sadie’s prompting, Amanda had chosen a serviceable muslin fabric in a pretty yellow color with tiny flowers. The fact that Sadie picked it out would go a long way toward winning Garrett’s approval if he thought the color or pattern too dainty. It would also brighten the rooms, which were terribly dark, between the ponderous walnut furniture and the unpainted walls. It was a leased cottage, she had to remind herself, nothing like the Chatsworths’ home or even the three-story orphanage.