Instant Prairie Family

“Auntie Abby,” a deep voice corrected from the open doors of the barn. Mr. Hopkins had been observing from the shadows. Would he be angry for her familiarity with the boys? Would he approve of her work or was there something she had done that upset him? If only she didn’t feel like she was on trial.

“Auntie Abby,” Tommy repeated.

“Supper’s ready,” she announced, regretting it immediately since Tommy’s voice had probably been heard into the next county.

“So I heard.” His voice held dry humor. Could he actually be amused by Tommy’s antics?

From across the barnyard, Abby thought the corners of his lips twitched, and she wondered what his smile would look like. Although Mr. Hopkins seemed very reserved with her, the boys didn’t fear him. In fact, more than once she watched them climb all over him like playful little pups. From the wagon she had almost been sure she heard him laughing with the boys as they had settled down to sleep by the riverside the night before.

Abby’s brother-in-law, Palmer, had never interacted with his children like that. Trying to remember her own father, she felt sadness at the faded memories. Closing her eyes for a brief second, she remembered his scratchy chin nuzzling her at bedtime, after he had read her a story and listened to her prayers. Had they wrestled as well and she just couldn’t remember or was it a game reserved for boys only? Her nephews loved to wrestle each other and she delighted in tickling them. How would they be doing now?

Tommy ran back to her and started his now familiar tugging on her arm. “Let’s go!”

“Okay.” She smiled again and let him pull her along.

“Tomas Daniel!” It was a command, not a shout, but it brought Tommy up short and got her attention, as well. “You should never pull a lady. You need to learn to walk at her pace,” Mr. Hopkins instructed his son, having almost caught up to them with his long strides. He let the others enter first, holding the door open when they reached the porch.

Another young man stood there, too. He was thin and tall, with the same sandy-brown hair and light blue eyes as Mr. Hopkins, and he stood waiting on the porch while she and the boys washed their hands in the sink. Abby wondered where the other man had been as she hurried around to make sure that the table was ready. The boys scampered to their places at the table and climbed up, Tommy kneeling on his chair so he could reach.

“Miss Stewart.” Mr. Hopkins turned to the younger man next to him. “I’d like to introduce you to my nephew, Jake Hopkins.”

The poor boy’s face was beet-red. He looked everywhere but at her. He nodded and mumbled something that she couldn’t quite understand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Master Hopkins. I hope you didn’t have too much work to do while your uncle collected me from the train.”

“Um, no, ma’am, I mean miss.” His voice cracked between words and then he dropped the soap his uncle had just handed him. Although Abby had not thought it possible, his face turned even redder.

“She’s Auntie Abby,” Tommy corrected, leaving both Abby and Jake with an uncomfortable situation. It was obvious that he was a teen and could not as easily call her auntie, especially since he was living with his uncle.

Mr. Hopkins settled the matter. “Around here we usually use just first names for the boys, so you can address him as Jake. No need for master or mister.” He didn’t offer for her to call him by his first name, which was just as well. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be on a first-name basis with her employer, either.

After a pause, she decided to change the subject. “I hope you’re all hungry. I made enough to feed an army.”

After everyone was seated, Mr. Hopkins asked for God’s blessing on the food and the hands that prepared it. He also asked for wisdom and grace for the adjustments to come. Abby enjoyed the boys’ constant chatter as they filled their cousin in on all the things that they saw on their trip into town. It was becoming evident that it was not a common event.

Before she thought it was possible, all the plates were empty once again. “You cook really good. Gooder than Pa. He always burns everything,” Tommy announced.

“It was really good,” Willy confirmed. He had not yet directed any comments to her. Now that he had, she felt as if she had won a prize.

“The boys are right. You did a fine job with supper, Miss Stewart. Thank you, especially seeing as how you must be completely tuckered out.” Mr. Hopkins’s gaze confirmed that he was not just being polite but he meant every word. “Is there anything else you’ll need tonight?”

“I still have to make up the bed and clean up here, but I think I’m all set, sir. Thank you.” She rose to start clearing the table, and everyone scrambled to help. She had left water heating on the stove so she could make washing dishes a quick job once everyone had cleared out. To her surprise, Mr. Hopkins rolled up his sleeves, poured part of the hot water into a basin in the sink and started to shave off a few slices of soap. Soon he had the dishes in the sudsy water.

“Pa, can we show her our room now?” Tommy pleaded.

“That’s up to Miss Stewart. She might just want to get some rest,” he answered with his strong forearms submerged in the water.

“Not just yet,” she answered Mr. Hopkins, then turned to the boys. “Why don’t you help me get the blankets off the line outside before it gets too dark and then you can show me your room? I think you said something about blocks your pa made for you. I’d like to see those tonight even if we don’t have time to play. Tomorrow we’ll have time to explore and see just how much you can teach me about your house.”

“I’m not a teacher,” Tommy giggled. “That’s your job.”

“But you know lots about where the clothes are, where the tub is for washing the clothes and what your favorite foods are. You can teach me all those things while I teach you how to read. I even brought some books so I can read you some stories when we get settled.”

“Could you read us one tonight? Please?” Tommy cajoled.

After offering to take over the dishes again and being assured everything was under control, she turned to the boys. “How ’bout you help me with my bedding first? Then we’ll see what time it is. Maybe your pa wants you to be in bed soon.”

She sought a confirming look from her employer but found him silently staring at her. “How ’bout we talk in just a minute, once you’re done getting the bedding?” he suggested, and turned back to the dishes before she could answer.

* * *

Her new room smelled fresher now. She stood back and inspected her work... Well, the work she did after the boys “helped” her to make her bed. One more thing she would need to add to her list of lessons for them. Mr. Hopkins had come into the room with a bed key and tightened the ropes under the mattress so it no longer sagged. She closed the window most of the way, leaving only a crack open so the air could continue to circulate without the bugs eating her alive.

“Excuse me, Miss Stewart. Did you want me to put your chest and boxes in your room now or leave them here?” Mr. Hopkins stood right outside her door, awaiting her answer. He took up the majority of the doorway with his broad shoulders and muscled forearms perched on each side of the door frame.

“If you could bring them in here, that would be very nice. Thank you. You could put them right there.” She pointed to the corner under the window and moved so he could get past her even as the boys climbed onto the bed.

“Boys, it’s time to go get ready for bed.” His statement was met with groans, but neither boy argued as they left the room. He looked up to see her watching and grinned as if he knew a secret.

“Now,” he whispered, “Tommy will be back in five seconds to ask if you can read—”

“Pa, can Auntie House read to us?” Tommy shuffled back into the room right on time.

Abby fought not to laugh out loud as Mr. Hopkins gave her a knowing glance and a wink above

Tommy’s head.

“I was about to talk to her about that, but if you don’t get ready for bed, there won’t be time for anything other than prayers.” His voice was as stern as ever and didn’t give away the humor Abby read in his eyes.

“But she could come for prayers, couldn’t she?” Tommy persisted.

“Tomas Daniel,” Mr. Hopkins said in a deep, low voice.

“Yes, Pa. I’m going but, please.” The boy was close to whining.

“Go get ready for bed.” The command left no room for argument.

Tommy left the room, walking like a man sentenced to face the firing squad. Abby watched him walk away and then turned to find Mr. Hopkins watching her with a guarded expression, the lighthearted humor forgotten.

“You don’t have to go upstairs and help with bedtime, Miss Stewart. You’ve done more than I expected today. Is there anything you need?”

Disappointment sliced through her. Why should it matter if she helped the boys into bed or not? But it did. She wanted to hear the prayers and kiss their foreheads just as she had done with her nieces and nephews for the last fourteen years.

“I would love to read them a story if it’s all right with you.” She bit her lower lip, trying to find a nice way to imply that he might not want her involved in such a private family time. “I don’t know your routine with the boys. What they do at bedtime or what you will expect me to do in the days to come.”

“Well, it will take some time to get used to having a woman around here again,” he stated cryptically.

“I imagine. I was wondering... I don’t want to ask anything that’s none of my business, but just how long has it been since a woman lived here?”