Twelve Days by Margaret P.
(Many thanks to my betas, Terri Derr and Cristy Wyndham-Shaw) (2019: Words-
Tuesday, October 1st, 1872 (Words: 1,254)
As Scott hooked the hanger over the top of the open door, he checked his new jacket one last time. No loose threads or marks to be seen; it was perfect. Its dusky suede and dark lapels made him smile. He hadn't minded the idea of wearing a morning suit, but this was much better, and it somehow proved to him that Katie would settle into their new life together just fine.
I was helping my brothers buy clothes for the ranch when I saw it, she wrote in her letter. Wear it with your best string tie on the day, and you really will look like the handsome cattleman I am marrying.
"Hey." Johnny appeared in the doorway. "Got enough room for your gear?"
"Plenty." Scott dragged his mind back to the task at hand and dropped two work shirts into the bottom drawer of the compactum wardrobe. He was moving into Johnny and Emily's tiny second bedroom so Katie could take over his room in the hacienda when she arrived with her family the following afternoon. "I've only brought the basics and what I know I'll need for the wedding."
"Good idea. Katie can't take over the whole wardrobe if you leave stuff in it." Johnny eyed Scott's new jacket. "Nice. When did you get this?"
"Last week. It's for the wedding. Katie sent it ahead in case alterations were needed, but it's a good fit."
"She's letting you wear a regular jacket? Does that mean she won't make me wear a monkey suit?"
Scott laughed; the look of hope on Johnny's face was comical. Maybe it was time to put him out of his misery. "Here, she sent this too." He gave Johnny a parcel with 'For Johnny and Emily' written on it. He had a fair idea what was inside.
"Oh, good." Emily appeared from nowhere. She whipped the brown paper parcel out of Johnny's hands and plumped down on the bed. "The letter I got from Katie this morning said she'd sent them to you, but you hadn't mentioned anything. I was afraid she'd got mixed up…Darn knot." She gave up trying to loosen it with her fingernails and used her teeth instead.
"Here." Johnny slipped a knife out of his boot and cut the string. "So what's in it?"
"These." Emily held up two lengths of blue-grey satin. "Oh, the colour is perfect. I thought she might have problems finding the right shade."
"Pretty," Johnny agreed, clearly not appreciating what was so perfect any better than Scott.
"The idea is we wear the same clothes as we did for our wedding, but with these sashes. Bob will wear his uniform of course, and Jamie and Freddy their normal best suits with ties in this material. Julia, Victoria and Teresa will be in blue or grey or a combination of both using dresses they already have, and maybe sashes if needed. I think the wedding party will look very smart, don't you?" She put the sashes back in their wrapping and stood up ready to leave.
"So Katie doesn't want me to wear a morning suit?"
"A morning suit? Of course not." Emily opened her eyes wide in surprise. "Why on earth would she want you tugging at your collar the whole way through her wedding ceremony?"
Johnny speared Scott with a look that said it all.
"Don't blame me. You're the one who jumped to conclusions." Scott tipped his remaining clothes out onto the quilt and tossed the empty bag under the single bed he now had to sleep in. The reward at the end would be well worth a few nights banging his elbow against the wall. Katie had described her wedding gown; he would help her out of it one pearl button at a time, kissing his way down, savouring the softness of her skin until… "Ahem." He'd almost forgotten where he was. Hopefully it hadn't shown on his face. "Get out of here and let me finish unpacking."
*L*A*N*C*E*R*
Exchanging smiles, Johnny and Emily went back into the living room, leaving Scott to take his jacket down and hang it on the rail inside the compactum. He shut the bedroom door behind them.
Emily carefully placed the grey-blue satin sashes in the linen chest behind the sofa and then went to the kitchen area of their little apartment. It was mostly one big room for living, cooking and dining. The room Scott was in opened directly off the main room on one side of the stove next to a short hallway leading to Johnny and Emily's bedroom and an indoor bathroom. The door into the apartment was diagonally opposite on the other side of the kitchen facing the dining and living areas. It opened to a loggia that connected to the hacienda so they didn't have far to go if they wanted company.
Johnny lifted the lid of the pot on the stove. "Smells good."
"Nearly ready." Emily nudged him out of the way and grabbed a tea towel. "The biscuits are done." She lifted the baking tray out of the oven and put it down on the trivet.
The biscuits had risen beautifully and the smell made Johnny's mouth water. He leaned against the wall between the end of the sink bench and the front door until she turned to season the stew. Then he skirted around behind her. "Why didn't you tell me what Katie had plann—Ouch."
"Serves you right." She laughed and shooed him out of the kitchen.
Still juggling the hot biscuit, he found a new perch on the arm of his Carver chair and swiped a neatly folded napkin from the pile on the table to save his fingers.
"How could I know you had such a hare-brained idea? Don't you remember how much Katie admired you in your wedding suit?"
"Nope." Breaking off a piece of the biscuit, he blew on it, popped it in his mouth and smiled as he chewed; Emily's cooking was getting better. "Maybe worrying about being interrogated by your adopted grandfather addled my brains. Given up that crazy idea yet?"
"Nope." Emily brought glasses and a jug of water to the table.
Johnny glowered.
"James McIntyre was my father's friend. He knows things about him and his views that I was too young to understand. He's offered to talk to you on Father's behalf, and I'd really like it if you'd let him."
"But we're married already."
"Funny, I had noticed that." She laid out the knives, forks and remaining napkins on the table. "You would learn more about Father and my background. Katie's family sees a talk between a girl's father and the man she intends to marry as a rite of passage. It's important. I know in our case it's a little late, but I'd hate you to miss out."
"That makes one of us." Johnny scooped Emily around the waist as she turned to go. He nibbled her neck. "Okay, I'll do it, but I want something in return."
"And what's that?"
He thought for a moment and then whispered in her ear.
"Johnny Lancer, your brother is in the next room!" Pushing him away, she went back to the stew.
But before she got there she gave a saucy sway of her hips.
Grinning, Johnny headed for the sofa. He'd set up the chess board; one game with Scott after supper to be sociable and then, with tomorrow's excitement as an excuse, an early night.
Roll on bedtime.