The Matchmaker's Match

{Chapter} 20

{Chapter 20}

Aubrey whirled around as the sound of children‘s running steps approached the room where she was making her bed.

“Jay hit me!” Sandy screeched.

“Jay, what have I told you about hitting girls?” Aubrey examined the child but saw no harm done to her.

Sandy way lucky, because Wade had taught Jay how to pack a hard punch. Not a good idea.

“She started it!” Jay defended.

“I did not. You said I was ugly.” Sandy crossed her arms with the attitude her mother had no doubt taught her to have.

“Jay?” Aubrey looked to her son.

“Well, she is,” Jay muttered.

“Jay, how could you be so mean?” Aubrey asked.

“She’s been naggin’ me all day, Momma!”

Aubrey sighed. Ever since Rawhide had taught Jay the meaning of the word “nagging”, he had put it to good use.

“I think the both of you need to play by yourselves for a little while. If you can’t play nice, then you can’t play at all, understood?” Aubrey looked between the children.

They nodded and turned to leave.

“Jay,” Aubrey said. “I want to talk to you.”

Jay sighed and walked back toward her as Sandy and Sadie left the room.

Aubrey sat on the bed and patted the seat beside her. Jay climbed up onto the bed.

“What’s wrong, Jay? You would never be so mean to Sandy before,” she asked.

Jay sighed. “She’s annoyin’ me, Momma.”

Aubrey sighed. “She’s a girl. It’s natural for boys and girls to annoy each other.”

“Do you and Pa annoy each other?” Jay swung his feet.

Aubrey smiled. Oh, yes. They annoyed each other plenty sometimes. It annoyed her the way Wade always propped his left boot up on the table and pushed his chair back on two legs while he was talking to her. It annoyed her that he would mess up her perfectly straight covers when he got out of bed in the morning and didn’t even bother to straighten them up. He more than likely didn’t even know it annoyed her, or he would spend an extra twenty minutes each morning trying to make them perfectly straight. It annoyed her that he would wait on her hand and foot if she would let him… but that was also endearing.

“Yes, we do,” Aubrey finally answered. “But we tend to look past what annoys us about each other and focus on what we like about each other. What’s something you like about Sandy?”

Jay thought long and hard on that one. “She can throw a ball pretty far.”

Aubrey smiled. “See? She’s good at something, huh?”

Jay smiled up at her. “And she can catch a frog better’n I can!”

Aubrey nodded. “That she can.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Jay,” Aubrey said softly. “I know you miss your Pa, and I do too. Its strange having Sandy around when she’s usually not and having to do your Pa’s chores while he’s gone, too. This will come to an end, too. We’ve just gotta tough it out, okay?”

Jay nodded.

Aubrey kissed the top of his head. “Now run along and be nice. You’re a big boy when it comes to chores and such, so you need to be a big boy when it comes to Sandy, too.”