Read Online Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) by P.A. Estelle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: P.A. Estelle
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Secret, Inspirational, Daughter, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Iowa, widower, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, farmer, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Single Father, Three Year-Old, Cherish, partner, Twenty-Nineth In Series, Devastate Future
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be stopped when Samuel called out, “Hannah, would you come in here please?”
For a split second, she debated pretending she didn’t hear him, but quickly changed her mind. She opened the door just enough to stick her head inside. “Do you need something?”
“I think you know exactly what I need.”
Sighing, she walked in. Samuel had a small table and chair in the corner of his room. She pulled the chair over and sat down. “Samuel, you are sick. I didn’t want to yell for you because I thought it would enflame Chad’s temper and you might have been shot.”
“What happened?”
Maddie told him everything except the comment about Chad wanting to have business with her. “It was over in seconds. I’m sorry, Samuel, if you are angry with me. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Hannah, please come here.” He scooted over and patted the side of the bed.
Maddie got up and walked to his bed. He took her hand and pulled her down to sit on the side. “I’m not angry with you, Hannah, but you or Lizzy could have been badly hurt or worse.” He raised her hand and kissed her palm. Her heart raced as heat flushed through her whole body. “In these last days, seeing you with Lizzy, it has occurred to me you are exactly what I have wanted, no, what I have dreamed for. I don’t know if I could live with the fact that you, or Lizzy, were hurt while I was lying in this bed. It is my job to protect the ones I care for.”
Maddie’s eyes stung as tears filled them. “I’m sorry, Samuel.”
He brought his thumb up to wipe away a tear that escaped down her cheek, then cupped the back of her neck, bringing her head down. Firm lips pressed against hers. His other arm came around to pull her closer. Her fingers were grasping the sheet that covered him. She was only aware of the kiss deepening and the slightest touch of his tongue brushing hers.
Samuel took hold of her upper arms and raised her enough to look into her passion-filled eyes. “I’m going to make sure nothing takes you away from us, Hannah. Tomorrow I’m teaching you how to use a gun.”
Shakily, Maddie rose to go to her room. “Hannah,” Samuel said, stopping her. “What did you do with Chad’s gun?”
“It’s up in the cupboard, in the kitchen. I told him he could pick it up at the Marshal’s office.”
“It’ll be a cold day in..., well he’ll be waiting a long time before getting that gun back.”
The next day, Samuel took Maddie to the side of the barn and showed her how to use both a rifle and a revolver.
“This is the gun that Martha learned to shoot with and when I was gone, she had it with her all the time. It’s called the Storekeeper. The barrel is smaller and it’s a bit lighter. The rifle is a Spencer Rifle. I only want you to get a feel for the rifle, but I want you to get used to this Storekeeper.”
All week, between chores and meals, Maddie and Samuel practiced. Though she wasn’t exactly proficient with the gun, she could hit what she aimed at. He praised her ability and one day told her it was time for a test. Samuel placed three old cans a distance away on the ground. “See how fast you can hit each one.”
She wasn’t fast but she hit each can. Maddie laughed and jumped into Samuel’s arms. “I did it! I really did it!”
He smiled and swung her around hugging her close. “I know I said maybe we could get hitched at Thanksgiving and I know that’s only a few weeks out,” he dropped his forehead to hers “but truth be told, Hannah, you would tempt St. Peter.”
His teasing rattled her composure and her face glowed with a rosy tint. He lifted her chin up. “Hannah, you do want to stay and be my wife, don’t you?” His dimple was gone and his beautiful eyes were serious.
She looked off into the distance pursing her lips while bringing her hand up to hold her chin. “Hmmm,” she said, as if pondering the question. She turned her head, sneaking a peek up at him and couldn’t help but smile.
When Maddie
For a split second, she debated pretending she didn’t hear him, but quickly changed her mind. She opened the door just enough to stick her head inside. “Do you need something?”
“I think you know exactly what I need.”
Sighing, she walked in. Samuel had a small table and chair in the corner of his room. She pulled the chair over and sat down. “Samuel, you are sick. I didn’t want to yell for you because I thought it would enflame Chad’s temper and you might have been shot.”
“What happened?”
Maddie told him everything except the comment about Chad wanting to have business with her. “It was over in seconds. I’m sorry, Samuel, if you are angry with me. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Hannah, please come here.” He scooted over and patted the side of the bed.
Maddie got up and walked to his bed. He took her hand and pulled her down to sit on the side. “I’m not angry with you, Hannah, but you or Lizzy could have been badly hurt or worse.” He raised her hand and kissed her palm. Her heart raced as heat flushed through her whole body. “In these last days, seeing you with Lizzy, it has occurred to me you are exactly what I have wanted, no, what I have dreamed for. I don’t know if I could live with the fact that you, or Lizzy, were hurt while I was lying in this bed. It is my job to protect the ones I care for.”
Maddie’s eyes stung as tears filled them. “I’m sorry, Samuel.”
He brought his thumb up to wipe away a tear that escaped down her cheek, then cupped the back of her neck, bringing her head down. Firm lips pressed against hers. His other arm came around to pull her closer. Her fingers were grasping the sheet that covered him. She was only aware of the kiss deepening and the slightest touch of his tongue brushing hers.
Samuel took hold of her upper arms and raised her enough to look into her passion-filled eyes. “I’m going to make sure nothing takes you away from us, Hannah. Tomorrow I’m teaching you how to use a gun.”
Shakily, Maddie rose to go to her room. “Hannah,” Samuel said, stopping her. “What did you do with Chad’s gun?”
“It’s up in the cupboard, in the kitchen. I told him he could pick it up at the Marshal’s office.”
“It’ll be a cold day in..., well he’ll be waiting a long time before getting that gun back.”
The next day, Samuel took Maddie to the side of the barn and showed her how to use both a rifle and a revolver.
“This is the gun that Martha learned to shoot with and when I was gone, she had it with her all the time. It’s called the Storekeeper. The barrel is smaller and it’s a bit lighter. The rifle is a Spencer Rifle. I only want you to get a feel for the rifle, but I want you to get used to this Storekeeper.”
All week, between chores and meals, Maddie and Samuel practiced. Though she wasn’t exactly proficient with the gun, she could hit what she aimed at. He praised her ability and one day told her it was time for a test. Samuel placed three old cans a distance away on the ground. “See how fast you can hit each one.”
She wasn’t fast but she hit each can. Maddie laughed and jumped into Samuel’s arms. “I did it! I really did it!”
He smiled and swung her around hugging her close. “I know I said maybe we could get hitched at Thanksgiving and I know that’s only a few weeks out,” he dropped his forehead to hers “but truth be told, Hannah, you would tempt St. Peter.”
His teasing rattled her composure and her face glowed with a rosy tint. He lifted her chin up. “Hannah, you do want to stay and be my wife, don’t you?” His dimple was gone and his beautiful eyes were serious.
She looked off into the distance pursing her lips while bringing her hand up to hold her chin. “Hmmm,” she said, as if pondering the question. She turned her head, sneaking a peek up at him and couldn’t help but smile.
When Maddie
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