tea tray came in then, and Mary poured out a cup for each of them, and they both took cookies from the plate in the middle of the tray. “Do you think I can get him to love me, Mama? Really?”
Mary nodded. “I think you can do anything you set your mind to. You chose a man who didn’t fall at your feet, and I think you’ll be happy in the end. You just need to get used to the fact that he doesn’t worship you like the other young men of Seattle did. I honestly don’t think you’d have been happy with any of the other young men, though. You would have gotten bored with them too quickly. Shawn will be a challenge to you.”
“I should have married Steven Johnson.”
“Steven Johnson had so much debt your dowry barely would have made a dent in it. He’s already left town to escape his debtors. Your aunt had already crossed him off the list.” Mary watched Rose’s reaction over her tea cup.
Rose stared at her mother in shock. “He only wanted Papa’s money?”
Mary nodded. “Yes, he only wanted your papa’s money. There were only five men on your list who weren’t after something. Your aunt never would have let you marry Steven Johnson. Aren’t you glad you decided to marry Shawn now?”
Rose wasn’t certain about that. She was glad she hadn’t married Steven Johnson, though. What was wrong with the men in this world that they would marry for so many reasons other than love?
Chapter Six
Shawn left work an hour early, because he had no patients scheduled, and drove out to the lumber camp where Max worked. He needed to talk to someone who knew Rose well, and he didn’t want to have the discussion with her father. He hadn’t meant to make her hate him or mess up her life beyond all recognition. He just wanted to be happy, and she’d seemed more than willing to marry him. How was he supposed to know she’d assume he loved her?
He parked his buggy in front of the mess hall and walked in, asking for Max. There was a young man there cleaning the tables to set them up for dinner. “Have you seen Max Farmer?” he asked.
The boy nodded. “He’s out chopping trees. Finished his paperwork early and said he needed to use his muscles for a change.” He pointed back behind the mess hall. “He went that way.”
Shawn nodded and set out in the direction the boy had pointed. He could hear the sounds of chopping all around him. He walked for a minute or two before calling for Max. A large man in a plaid shirt saw him and stepped out. “He’s that way.” He pointed in another direction, and Shawn followed the path he’d indicated.
He found the man stripped to the waist using an axe on a huge tree. “Max!” Finally, he found the man. Why didn’t he let his men do the physical work?
Max turned and saw Shawn, setting his axe down beside his foot for a minute. “If it isn’t the newlywed. What can I do for you, Shawn?” He took a bandana from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Shawn sighed. “You can give me advice for how to make my wife stop hating me , for starters.”
Max grinned. “Marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be at first, is it? I mean, there’s the good times in bed, but there’s so much more to it than that.” He looked at the notch he’d put into the tree. “What’s the problem?” He leaned back against the tree and took a swig of water from a small flask. “Just water, so don’t go running to my wife, now.”
Shawn smiled. “I’m not running to anyone’s wife.” He made a face. “I married Rose because there’s a shortage of women around here, and she was interested. She’s pretty enough, and I like her fine, but I’m not in love with her.” He said the words defensively as if he expected Max to be shocked at the words.
Max shrugged. “I’m not altogether surprised by that. Harriett didn’t think you were in love with her, and
Mary nodded. “I think you can do anything you set your mind to. You chose a man who didn’t fall at your feet, and I think you’ll be happy in the end. You just need to get used to the fact that he doesn’t worship you like the other young men of Seattle did. I honestly don’t think you’d have been happy with any of the other young men, though. You would have gotten bored with them too quickly. Shawn will be a challenge to you.”
“I should have married Steven Johnson.”
“Steven Johnson had so much debt your dowry barely would have made a dent in it. He’s already left town to escape his debtors. Your aunt had already crossed him off the list.” Mary watched Rose’s reaction over her tea cup.
Rose stared at her mother in shock. “He only wanted Papa’s money?”
Mary nodded. “Yes, he only wanted your papa’s money. There were only five men on your list who weren’t after something. Your aunt never would have let you marry Steven Johnson. Aren’t you glad you decided to marry Shawn now?”
Rose wasn’t certain about that. She was glad she hadn’t married Steven Johnson, though. What was wrong with the men in this world that they would marry for so many reasons other than love?
Chapter Six
Shawn left work an hour early, because he had no patients scheduled, and drove out to the lumber camp where Max worked. He needed to talk to someone who knew Rose well, and he didn’t want to have the discussion with her father. He hadn’t meant to make her hate him or mess up her life beyond all recognition. He just wanted to be happy, and she’d seemed more than willing to marry him. How was he supposed to know she’d assume he loved her?
He parked his buggy in front of the mess hall and walked in, asking for Max. There was a young man there cleaning the tables to set them up for dinner. “Have you seen Max Farmer?” he asked.
The boy nodded. “He’s out chopping trees. Finished his paperwork early and said he needed to use his muscles for a change.” He pointed back behind the mess hall. “He went that way.”
Shawn nodded and set out in the direction the boy had pointed. He could hear the sounds of chopping all around him. He walked for a minute or two before calling for Max. A large man in a plaid shirt saw him and stepped out. “He’s that way.” He pointed in another direction, and Shawn followed the path he’d indicated.
He found the man stripped to the waist using an axe on a huge tree. “Max!” Finally, he found the man. Why didn’t he let his men do the physical work?
Max turned and saw Shawn, setting his axe down beside his foot for a minute. “If it isn’t the newlywed. What can I do for you, Shawn?” He took a bandana from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Shawn sighed. “You can give me advice for how to make my wife stop hating me , for starters.”
Max grinned. “Marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be at first, is it? I mean, there’s the good times in bed, but there’s so much more to it than that.” He looked at the notch he’d put into the tree. “What’s the problem?” He leaned back against the tree and took a swig of water from a small flask. “Just water, so don’t go running to my wife, now.”
Shawn smiled. “I’m not running to anyone’s wife.” He made a face. “I married Rose because there’s a shortage of women around here, and she was interested. She’s pretty enough, and I like her fine, but I’m not in love with her.” He said the words defensively as if he expected Max to be shocked at the words.
Max shrugged. “I’m not altogether surprised by that. Harriett didn’t think you were in love with her, and
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