Midmorning the next day, Johnny came into the kitchen with a reluctant Martha in tow. Polly, Theresa and Maria looked up at the pair, and Johnny looked at Polly saying "Guess who I found in the corral."
Polly looked at the girl and exclaimed with anger in her voice "Martha, you were told not to go in there by yourself!"
The girl looked down at her feet and then raised her head and said in a defiant tone, looking straight at her mother "I was standin' right by the fence."
Polly, just pointed to the door to their rooms, "Don't sass, young lady. Go to your room and I'll be right there to talk to you." At that, the girl hurried from the kitchen, carefully avoiding her mother's reach.
Johnny looked at Polly, seeing her take a couple of deep breaths. As she headed out of the room, he followed her, wanting to talk about what she intended to do about Martha's behavior. He felt somewhat responsible – he had promised to take the young girl riding, but had been unable to because of the escaped cows the other day. But he was uncertain about the role that Polly wanted him to play in this situation – he knew, from past experience, about step-fathers that over-stepped their bounds, but he really wanted to have a say. He had strong feelings for Marth and did not necessarily think that punishing her was right at this point, particularly given the fact that she was still settling in.
"Polly", he started. When she turned around to face him, he continued "I'll take her ridin' tomorrow. I had promised before but couldn't yesterday because of the cows that got through the fence."
Polly smiled at him, "Okay, but that doesn't excuse today – she needs to learn the rules around here."
Johnny nodded. "Can I ask? What are ya gonna do?"
Polly looked at him, with a surprised look on her face and her head on an angle.
Johnny continued, uncertain what to say. "It's just that she's just settlin' in here, and it is a big change, and …". He stopped when he saw Polly smile.
"Don't worry, Johnny," she said, "I won't be too hard on her – I know this is all new to her, and she is just tryin' to find her place. I'll make sure she knows she cain't do it again. I think I can that across without doin' any damage."
Johnny smiled. "Thanks – sorry if I'm steppin' on your toes but …"
Polly interrupted him with a light kiss on his lips. "I like that you care," she said and turning, started down the hall to Martha's room.
He watched her take a few steps and then turned back towards the kitchen.
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The next day, Johnny came by the house again in the mid-morning. If asked he would say he forgot something, but really he was worried about how Polly and Martha were settling in. He walked into the kitchen to see Theresa, Maria, Polly and Martha standing with bowls in front of them, industriously mixing. "What are y'all doin'?" he asked, instantly curious.
Theresa laughed and said "Polly told us 'bout her special chocolate cake and we thought we would make both recipes and see how they compare."
Johnny smiled, happy at the shown camaraderie. "Hhmmm," he teased "If I had known gettin' married would mean two chocolate cakes for dessert, I'da done it sooner." Polly looked up at him, with her mouth pursed in anger but a smile in his eyes. He backed away from her winking, and dexterously avoided Maria's wooden spoon as she swung it at him.
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Johnny awoke that night to the sound of a storm outside his window. Looking down, he saw that Polly was still asleep, but heard faint sounds coming out of Martha's room. He quickly pulled on his pants, and opened the connecting door, the lightning illuminating the room enough for him to see the girl sitting up in her bed. The next bolt revealed her scared eyes turned to him. "What's wrong, querida?" he asked softly, "The storm scare you?" he guessed. The girl nodded her head yes. He crossed the short distance to her bed and picked her up, feeling her arms go around his neck. "Why don't you come sleep in our room?" he asked, not sure what Polly would do in the situation, but not wanting to leave the girl alone. Feeling the girl's head nod against his neck, he walked into his room and placed the girl in the bed beside Polly, where she would be between the two of them.
Polly woke up immediately, asking "What's wrong, baby?" Becoming a bit more aware of what was going on, she asked "Storm scare you?" and when the girl nodded, Polly pulled her close and said, "Don't worry, it can't hurt ya in here".
Johnny climbed into bed on the other side of the child and started to stroke her hair. She fell right back to sleep. He smiled over her head at Polly and turning on his side, fell back to sleep himself.
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Two nights later, Johnny awoke from a nightmare, feeling Polly stroking his hair. He rarely had them anymore, but occasionally his mind would revolt and images from his past would surge through his mind and grab him. Polly looked into his eyes and smiled, her face streaked with concern. Rather than saying anything, she cuddled up to him, putting her arm around his waist and her head on his chest. He felt himself relax, and gently stroked her hair for a few minutes before falling back to sleep himself.
They started a routine where before bed Polly would sit at the vanity and he would brush her hair, reveling in the feeling.
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One particularly delightful morning, coming back for a tool he had forgotten, he came across Polly collecting eggs, and pulled her into the barn for a morning kiss.
