Pony Express Courtship by Rhonda Gibson Page B

couldn’t slip up like that again. Even though he did enjoy the way her name tripped off his lips, with ease and satisfaction. No, it wouldn’t—or rather, it couldn’t—happen again.
    * * *
    Rebecca hadn’t slept well. She’d wrestled with the fact that Seth had used her given name and she certainly hadn’t minded. If anything, she’d liked the way her name sounded when he said it. All night she’d fought with herself. Should she ask him not to use her Christian name? Or pretend it wasn’t a big deal?
    â€œMa, is everything all right?” Jacob asked. He guided the horses over the muddy road, careful to avoid all potholes. Concern filled his face.
    â€œEverything’s fine. I was just thinking about my supply list,” she answered, attempting to smile at him.
    They rode in silence for a few moments. Then Jacob spoke. “Seth wants me to move into the barn’s tack room. I planned on asking Andrew to move into the house with you and the little ones.” He grinned over his shoulder at Benjamin and Joy.
    She knew her son thought himself her chaperone, but regardless of what he said, the townsfolk would continue to talk. Silently she prayed that the Lord would send an answer to this problem. “That’s not necessary, Jacob. I can take care of things in the house,” Rebecca answered.
    Jacob started to argue but then clamped his lips shut. He focused on the road ahead.
    â€œIf he’s moving out, does that mean I get to move out, too?” Benjamin asked, pulling himself up on his knees and clutching the wooden seat Rebecca and Jacob sat upon.
    Rebecca frowned. “No, you stay in the house. We need at least one man watching over us, don’t you think?” she asked, eyeing her eight-year-old son, hoping that he’d not realize she stroked his ego to get him to do what she wanted.
    Benjamin puffed out his chest. “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose you’re right.”
    The rest of the trip passed quietly. Jacob and Rebecca were each lost in their own thoughts. Benjamin and Joy played school in the bed of the wagon. He took his role as big brother seriously as he read to her out of one of her picture books.
    Their stops at the leather and lumberyard were pretty uneventful. Jacob had no trouble acquiring the needed bridles and saddles. He’d learned from the lumberman that one of his neighbors may have extra hay for sale, at least enough for them until the Pony Express supply wagon came out to the farm.
    Rebecca dreaded stopping in at the general store. If there were any other stores in town that supplied household items, she would very easily switch her business to them. But there wasn’t. She stood to climb down from the wagon but Jacob placed a hand on her arm. “Ma, I’ll go get what you need.” He jumped from the wagon and looked up at her expectantly.
    She handed him her list. “You sure you don’t mind, son?”
    He took the list and grinned. “Nope, if these two behave I might use some of my Pony Express wages and get them each a penny candy.”
    Benjamin beamed at his little sister. “We’ll be good, won’t we, Joy?”
    She bobbed her head and smiled back.
    Jacob stepped onto the boardwalk and entered the store. Rebecca heard the bell announce her son’s arrival. She really should have gone herself, but the thought of facing Mr. Edwards left her feeling cold. Her gaze moved to her younger children, who were once more absorbed in the picture book.
    Maybe now with the extra income, she could order a few more books for them. When John died, she’d stopped the one-book-a-month shipment she’d intended to use for educating the kids. She alone was responsible for the money John left her and she’d had to learn over the past couple of months how to manage, and though it wasn’t necessary to be frugal, John had taught them the Bible’s teachings on