“Mmmhmm. A rotted, splinter-filled stair at that.”
She laughed and covered her mouth with the back of her hand, embarrassed at how loud it sounded in the heavy silence surrounding them. “Can I see the inside?”
“I can’t vouch for how it looks. Summer and Billy were supposed to get everything ready for you while I picked you up at the station. Since they aren’t used to having a home, things may not seem quite right, so please go easy on the judgments if you find something out of place.”
“I’m sure it will be fine.”
They stepped inside and stopped, staring at the strange arrangement in wonder.
Mia pinched her lips between her teeth to keep from laughing as she stared at the interior of her new home. “Well, you did warn me.”
“I did, but this is hard for even me to fathom.” Josiah closed the screen door behind them and leaned against the back of the sofa, which was in the dining area where the table should have been. The table was nowhere to be seen, but their bed was in front of the fireplace in the middle of the living room.
Mia’s shoulders began to shake, and before she could stop it, laughter burst out and she was doubled over. She gasped for air as her stomach muscles ached, and she swiped at the steady stream of tears running down her cheeks. “Oh dear, but I haven’t laughed like that in years. This is priceless.”
A darker thought dissipated the laughter and gaiety and she spun around to face Josiah. “Does this also mean what I think it means? Have neither of them ever had a home before? Have they no idea what furniture is?”
Josiah’s expression saddened. “I honestly don’t know. Neither of them have really opened up and talked much. They have only been here one week. Before that, they lived wherever they could—in an abandoned building, camped outside, wherever they found shelter.”
“They have no one? No family?”
“None that they mentioned.”
Determination filled Mia. No child deserved to live like that, on their own without proper food, clothing, or shelter. “You have told them they can live here, I assume?”
“Yes and no.”
“What?” Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything else, he covered her mouth with his hand.
“Before you begin screaming at me in outrage…and yes, I can see it in your pretty gray eyes, which at the moment look very much like the blades of knives, let me explain. I told them I would have to talk it over with you since this would be your home, as well. You were already coming into a new home and marriage, so I couldn’t very well ask you to take on two children as well without asking you first.” He frowned and glanced toward the narrow staircase. “I figured they would have come down by now to meet you.”
“They are probably just being shy.”
“They are…shy, that is. It took them a while to come out of the bushes with just me sitting on the porch. I sat out there whittling for the longest time.”
“Let’s go upstairs and meet them halfway. Sometimes that helps,” Mia suggested and followed Josiah up the narrow staircase. “You look in those two rooms,” she said, pointing to the two doors at the end of the hall, “and I’ll take these two.”
She opened the first door, but no one was inside. After checking the second room, she joined Josiah in the hall. “They were both empty. They managed to get the furniture in the right spots. Mostly.” She met his worried gaze. “Do you think they’re outside?”
He shook his head and shrugged. “I’m not sure where they are, but Summer’s a smart girl, and she’s used to taking care of Billy and herself.” He took her by the shoulders and gently turned her back to the stairs. “Let’s go down and fix the furniture then figure out what we’re going to have for supper. With all the excitement this week, trying to get the house finished and remembering to be at the station on time, I forgot to run by the mercantile and pick up basic staples.”
“I’m sure what you have will be fine.”
He chuckled. “I’ll remind you that you said that when we’re eating canned surprise.”
“What’s canned surprise?”
“Just what it sounds like. Before my great aunt died, she left a few canned items in the root cellar, and whenever I open one, I get a surprise for supper. Hence, the name.”
Mia groaned. “Oh, that’s not even funny.”
“Just wait until you see some of the jars.” He walked to the bedroom. His low chuckle filled the room and settled Mia’s nerves. She wondered why she’d never thought about liking the sound of a man’s laughter before. Moving behind him, she smiled. The table and chairs had been placed in the center of the bedroom.
“Building you a real bedroom was Summer’s idea, so why she put the table and chairs in there is interesting.”
“I think every dish, bowl, and cup in the house must be on the table. Maybe she wanted to keep us busy?” Mia laughed and ducked past him, gathering as many as she could carry. She moved them back to the kitchen and set them on the counter to be dealt with later. Once the table had been cleared and moved into the kitchen, they managed to get the bed into the bedroom where it belonged. Next, they arranged the living room with the sofa facing the fireplace and the cozy-looking wing chair tucked into the corner of the room with a round table next to it.
By the time they’d finished moving the furniture and setting the house to rights, night had fallen and they were both exhausted. All Mia wanted was to go to sleep, but the thought of curling up beside Josiah caused her blood to catch fire.