Chevonne: Bride of Oklahoma (American Mail-Order Bride 46) (8 page)

C
hevonne relaxed into the warm
, sudsy water. It felt like she hadn’t had a delicious bath in years. She reached for the bottles of soaps she’d brought from home—one to wash her hair and one for her body. Slowly, she soaped every inch of herself as she breathed in the sweet Lily of the Valley scent.

Her heart warmed at Trey’s thoughtful gesture. He’d remembered that she wanted a bath and he had provided her with privacy. She admired his handiwork.

A three-canvas-paneled screen created a room around the tin tub on the back porch. It was perfectly made to fit on the porch, set against the house wall which made the fourth wall of her improvised room. No windows opened onto her bath space.

There were hooks over the wooden frame for her to hang her wrap, clothes and towels. After her bath, old Luke would fold it away and empty out the bath water. She’d left him some of the cinnamon-current rolls she’d made for breakfast on the range as a thank you.

So much thought and precision work had gone into the bath screen, it warmed Chevonne’s heart. It was a beautifully thoughtful gift. It made her feel special in a way that no one had ever made her feel before... except for when he’d kissed her.

The thought of their kiss sent a shiver of delight through her body. She quickly pushed all thought of it out of her mind. No sense in thinking about that. It was not going to happen again.

A sigh escaped Chevonne’s lips as she sank deeper into the suds. The water was cooling off and she had to get dressed for church anyway, but she just wanted a few more minutes of relaxing bliss.

When she finally stood, the water was downright chilly. She dried off and carefully blotted the excess water out of her hair. Then she put on her wrap and slippers, gathered her things, and went to her room.

Her hair dried quickly in the already warm air. She closed the windows to keep the hot air out while they were in town. From the window and saw Trey driving the buggy out of the barn. She had to hurry.

Chevonne lowered the window shades and closed the sheer curtains in her room. Trey had hung all the new curtains the minute she had them ready. They made the house look instantly like a home, he’d said with one of his easy smiles, warming her heart.

She put on one of her favorite dresses—pale blue with a lace bodice and matching edging on the sleeves. She told herself she wore it because she loved it, not because she now knew Trey loved that color.

Underneath, she dared to wear a scandalous pair of knickers that stopped just above the knees. They weren’t the most risqué design in her grandmother’s repertoire, but they were the only ones that she’d managed to put together thus far.

She’d had several problems with the designs in getting the right materials and cutting them so that they fit properly. Using drawstrings or buttons seemed to be problematic with the designs. But she had added lace and ribbon adornments even though the undergarment did not feel as comfortable as she knew it should.

Once she was dressed, she collected Trey’s mother’s reticule, which she had repaired and adorned with a gorgeous piece of black lace, and put it in her handbag.

Chevonne then hurried downstairs. She had to admit she was looking forward to seeing Celia, and she was curious to see how Trey’s mother reacted to the repair job.

The buggy was in front of the house as she rushed outside.

“I see your ankle is better.” Trey sat in a rocking chair on the porch and glanced in the direction of her ankle.

“Why, yes, it’s like new.” Chevonne had almost forgotten about it. “The bath must have done it some good as there is barely an ache now. I hope we’re not going to be late,” she said as he helped her up onto the buggy seat.

“We should make it just on time.” Trey’s nose twitched. He climbed aboard and flicked the reins to set the horse going. He leaned over toward her so close that her heart leapt at his nearness. He confided, “I have to admit, I’m not much for churchgoing. But Mama likes me to be there, and
sometimes
it is just easier to go along with what she wants.”

Chevonne laughed. “I haven’t been much of a church-goer since Gram passed. We used to go every Sunday.”

Trey nodded and focused his attention on the road ahead before saying softly, “I can tell you miss her dearly.”

Chevonne just nodded, too overcome with emotion to reply. She leaned back in the seat and enjoyed the feeling of being with someone who understood her better than anyone in the world in that moment.

She was relaxed from the bath and with the swaying of the buggy and the sun’s rays warming her, she may have dozed off, because when she opened her eyes, they were much closer to town. She looked off to the side of the road. Squirrels scurried along the edge. Birds flittered in the trees, their melodic chirps filling the air. She realized how content she was here, especially with Trey at her side.

As she watched the countryside, a monarch butterfly flew up beside the buggy, keeping pace with them as if to say hello.

Was it a sign from Gram?

She hoped it was Gram letting her know she’d made a good decision. As she watched the butterfly, it flitted over to Trey, landing on his arm for an instant then flying off. How odd.

Was Gram sending her a message?

Trey sniffed.

“Are you catching a cold?” Chevonne asked with real concern.

Trey chuckled. “No, it’s just that ... well, you smell so good.”

“Oh.” Chevonne blushed. “Thank you. I brought soaps from home which I used in my bath. The bath screen was a wonderful, and a very thoughtful surprise. I feel so clean.”

“My pleasure, Mrs. Garner.”

Chevonne giggled at their private joke, their pretend marriage.

Trey drove the buggy into town then stopped it in front of a simple wooden building painted white with a tall spire for a bell that was yet to be installed. A stream of people was pouring into the church through the wide open double doors.

Trey lifted Chevonne down then held out his elbow for her. She tucked her hand inside as if she’d been doing that for ages. They entered the church side-by-side.

In the middle pew, Iona Garner twisted around in her seat, looking for them no doubt. Her face lit up when she saw Trey then her eyes drifted to Chevonne, the light on her face dimming.

Chevonne didn’t let that bother her. She smiled even wider and clutched Trey’s arm even tighter. They joined the family in their pew and nodded their greetings just as the preacher approached the lectern.

T
hrough mass
, Chevonne was increasingly aware of Trey’s close presence next to her. It distracted her from the sermon. Sarah Perkins distracted her too. The young woman sat two pews in front of them, and she took every opportunity to dart glares at Chevonne.

The First Methodist Church wasn’t as fancy as the church Chevonne frequented with her grandmother. Trey had told her over supper last evening that it was as old as the town, and the first services were conducted right on the plot of land at the corner of Fourth and Robinson the first Sunday after the first land run. Back then there was only a tent, but a church was soon built.

It was sturdy and utilitarian. The pews were hard pine, the tall windows plain glass. Unlike the churches back home, there were no fancy carvings on the pews. The only similarity to the church she knew well in Massachusetts was the stifling air.

To keep from dozing off Chevonne glanced around at the other women, taking note of their attire. For the most part, their dresses were plain, and their hats unadorned. But Chevonne could see a few women had used some extra touches. These were the women who would appreciate Gram’s designs.

One woman who sat in the very front pew appeared to be particularly stylish. She was a young woman and Chevonne felt certain that she would appreciate the designs. Her clothing looked expensive so Chevonne assumed she had money.

The warm air inside the church made it difficult to breathe. Chevonne was thankful she’d had a chance to bathe, but apparently many of the others had not. The smell was pungent.

She fidgeted in her seat. Not only was the bench hard but the new undergarments she had carefully sewn had twisted around and were causing her discomfort. The design would need modifications to be wearable.

Thankfully, the service was short. Chevonne was relieved when it was over and they spilled out the wide church doors where the air was fresh even though the temperature was not much cooler.

The Garners and Celia and her husband Gary stood in a cluster off to the side of the crowd of parishioners. Trey stayed close to Chevonne, which made her feel warm, wanted and safe. But when Sarah Perkins strolled by, and her eyes drank in Trey’s tall form, Chevonne felt a pang of jealousy.

Trey glanced at Sarah then pointedly held onto Chevonne’s hand. Sarah’s eyes darkened and she turned away quickly. Chevonne almost felt sorry for her. Almost. The warm feeling of holding Trey’s hand banished any jealousy she had felt.

Celia linked arms with Chevonne and whispered, “Did you get a chance to use any of your new fabrics?”

The question reminded Chevonne of Iona’s reticule. Chevonne reached into her bag and pulled out the small purse. “I have a few projects going,” she told Celia, “but I managed to fix your purse, Mrs. Garner.” Chevonne held the purse out to her mother-in-law.

Iona Garner looked at the purse skeptically. She reached out and took it, then turned it over in her hand, inspecting it carefully. A small smile formed on her lips, much to Chevonne’s surprise. “Why, this is lovely work.” Iona’s eyes lit up as she fingered the lace detail. “This lace reminds me of some of the finer work back in Philadelphia.”

Celia admired the reticule too. “Yes, it does.” She sighed. “I do so miss some of the finer things. Don’t you, Mother?”

Iona nodded and Chevonne felt a surge of delight. If her in-laws wanted finer things, she would certainly be able to supply that. Suddenly she felt very excited to get a good working design—though she realized by the uncomfortable position of the undergarments she was now wearing that it would be a while before she could present them to anyone.

“Maybe we could convince Chevonne to make us some dresses?” Celia confessed, “I’m afraid my skills at sewing leave a bit to be desired.”

“I’d be happy to help you out.” Chevonne tilted her head, a gleam in her eyes. “In fact, I have some new designs that I may want to try out on the both of you.”

Iona’s brows lifted in surprise. “Oh, really? I like to try out new designs. Now that the big pioneer rush is over, I think we are going to see the women here turning to the more feminine designs like they have back east.” She smiled at Chevonne. “At least I hope so.”

Chevonne guessed that was Iona Garner’s way of apologizing for being so snooty at the restaurant. Well, apology accepted.

“Like Anna’s.” Celia nodded in the direction of the stylish woman Chevonne had noticed in the church.

“Who is that?” Chevonne asked.

Celia whispered, “That’s Anna Overholser. She married Henry Overholser who built a lot of this town. She’s the hub of society. Shall I introduce you?”

Chevonne dearly wanted to be introduced to the woman who could have a profound influence on other women in town. But Anna and her husband were getting into their buggy and Chevonne didn’t want to bother the woman right now. But she would bother her when she had something concrete to show her. “Later.” Chevonne nodded toward the buggy. “It looks like she’s heading home.”

“So, how is married life?” Buck Garner asked.

His wagging eyebrows left little to the imagination and brought a flush to Chevonne’s cheeks. She glanced up at Trey. Were his cheeks flushed, too?

Trey kept his eyes steady on his father. “It’s been a little bit of an adjustment, but I think it’s gonna work out.”

Everyone’s eyes shifted to Chevonne.

“Yes, an adjustment. Things are a little different here than back home so there’s been a lot to adjust to, not just to being married.”

“Well, it seems like you’re adjusting real good.” Trey smiled down at her, then turned back to his father. “She’s a darn good cook and has been putting some nice homey touches around the house. She ran up curtains for the whole place in one afternoon.”

Chevonne beamed at the compliment, then her brows snapped together in a frown. Did he expect a wife to be just a cook and homemaker? Chevonne knew she could be much more than that—she was a designer and inventor. If she ever married for real, she would be sure her husband understood and valued that.

“Well, I’m sure you kids will get used to married life,” Iona said. “It took Celia and Gary a few months, didn’t it?”

Celia blushed and linked arms with her husband. “It did. But now it’s wonderful. I hope that you two will experience the same joy we have.” She gave silent Gary a kiss on his cheek.

That made thoughts of her kiss with Trey drift up to the forefront of Chevonne’s mind. She didn’t dare look at him at that moment.

Talk turned to the weather, summer crops and cattle. Chevonne’s heart warmed at the easy way Trey’s family pulled her into the conversation. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged to a big family.

Her parents had died when she was young so it had always been just Gram and Chevonne. Having a circle of people you could depend on instead of just one person was something she could get used to. It was too bad this wasn’t real. Actually, it would have been better if Trey’s family were horrible, then she wouldn’t feel so guilty about deceiving them.

She chanced a look up at Trey, her heart jolting when their eyes met. His eyes were full of deep emotion which made her want to take him into her confidence about everything. Thoughts of the locked study and the strange alarm she’d tripped over drifted into her mind, however.

Wait a minute.

Was Trey keeping something from her? Something he didn’t trust her enough to talk about? And if he couldn’t trust
her
, then why should she trust
him
?

A
warm sensation
swirled in Trey’s chest as he watched Chevonne interact with his family. He’d never thought much about family. He knew now that he’d pretty much taken his for granted, and had even shunned them far too often. But with Chevonne at his side, family seemed like just what he wanted in his life now.