Read Online Instant Prairie Family (Love Inspired Historical) by Bonnie Navarro - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Navarro
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Would it even be possible to hold them at arm’s length? After only two days, Tommy already tugged on her heartstrings and somber, grouchy Willy seemed to dare her to love him.
Minutes later she was sitting between the two boys on the side of Tommy’s bed, reading to them. By the time she had finished the story, not only had Tommy climbed up on her lap, but Willy had slid over to look over her shoulder at the pictures. Story done, they took turns petitioning God with their heartfelt prayers for the cows, the horses, family they had never met, for their pa and their cousin, and they included her, as well. She said a few prayers of her own. Her thoughts traveled from her sister’s family to the Gibbonses and then all the people she had met on her trip. She asked for God’s blessing on this new family that she felt privileged to know.
When she gave a kiss good-night to Tommy, he insisted that his big brother needed kisses, too. She willingly complied and grinned when Willy groaned but turned his face toward her instead of away from her. As she stood, Mr. Hopkins cleared his throat. His eyes had a glassy look to them and she wondered if that was a good sign or not.
Chapter Four
T he horses had settled in for the night as if it were the most common thing in the world for Will and Jake to be sleeping up in the hay loft. It was reminiscent of his boyhood visiting his grandparents’ farm, when he and his cousins would get to sleep with one of the uncles up in the loft. It reminded him again of all the things his boys were missing out here. Back East, two of his sisters were already married and were starting families of their own. When would his boys meet their cousins?
But his parents understood why he had to stay. Why he had to make this work. It was not just his dream. It had been Mathew’s dream first. Up here, in the loft he had built with Mathew, it felt as if his brother were still here on the farm. Will missed him with a deep sadness even after all these years. Sleeping up here with Jake, a replica of Mathew at age sixteen, brought back a flood of memories.
Mathew was five years older than Will. He’d always dreamed of going West to claim a large homestead. When Mathew married MaryAnn, they’d planned to move West just as soon as they saved enough to buy a homestead. Will worked at his father’s store hoping to earn enough money to outfit his own wagon and tag along for the adventure of a lifetime. At nineteen, he still couldn’t own land, but he could help Mathew settle. Two years later, he could claim the land nearby once he was of age. Everything had worked according to plan—except his marrying Caroline.
At first, Caroline came to Will’s father’s store to buy little things like penny candy or ribbons for her flaxen hair, but as time passed, Will noticed she often came and spent time there without buying anything. He invited her to a church social in the fall and they got along well. Somehow, without realizing it, he managed to take her to each of the socials and even walked her home from the store a time or two. Most people assumed they were courting and Will didn’t do anything to discourage the idea. She was pretty enough and popular. He should have paid more attention when she started bringing sweets she had baked herself. But he hadn’t seen the harm. Everyone knew he’d be leaving soon with Mathew and MaryAnn. Yet he couldn’t help noticing that every time he mentioned homesteading, Caroline would change the subject or tell of all the perils she had read in the newspapers and dime-store novels.
By February, he and Matt began the process of outfitting their rigs and laying aside the supplies. His head was so full of adventure he didn’t pay too much attention to what was going on around him.
Just four weeks before they were to leave, Caroline came crying to the house late one night, making a big scene about his leaving her. He offered to drive her back to her home in his father’s buggy,
Minutes later she was sitting between the two boys on the side of Tommy’s bed, reading to them. By the time she had finished the story, not only had Tommy climbed up on her lap, but Willy had slid over to look over her shoulder at the pictures. Story done, they took turns petitioning God with their heartfelt prayers for the cows, the horses, family they had never met, for their pa and their cousin, and they included her, as well. She said a few prayers of her own. Her thoughts traveled from her sister’s family to the Gibbonses and then all the people she had met on her trip. She asked for God’s blessing on this new family that she felt privileged to know.
When she gave a kiss good-night to Tommy, he insisted that his big brother needed kisses, too. She willingly complied and grinned when Willy groaned but turned his face toward her instead of away from her. As she stood, Mr. Hopkins cleared his throat. His eyes had a glassy look to them and she wondered if that was a good sign or not.
Chapter Four
T he horses had settled in for the night as if it were the most common thing in the world for Will and Jake to be sleeping up in the hay loft. It was reminiscent of his boyhood visiting his grandparents’ farm, when he and his cousins would get to sleep with one of the uncles up in the loft. It reminded him again of all the things his boys were missing out here. Back East, two of his sisters were already married and were starting families of their own. When would his boys meet their cousins?
But his parents understood why he had to stay. Why he had to make this work. It was not just his dream. It had been Mathew’s dream first. Up here, in the loft he had built with Mathew, it felt as if his brother were still here on the farm. Will missed him with a deep sadness even after all these years. Sleeping up here with Jake, a replica of Mathew at age sixteen, brought back a flood of memories.
Mathew was five years older than Will. He’d always dreamed of going West to claim a large homestead. When Mathew married MaryAnn, they’d planned to move West just as soon as they saved enough to buy a homestead. Will worked at his father’s store hoping to earn enough money to outfit his own wagon and tag along for the adventure of a lifetime. At nineteen, he still couldn’t own land, but he could help Mathew settle. Two years later, he could claim the land nearby once he was of age. Everything had worked according to plan—except his marrying Caroline.
At first, Caroline came to Will’s father’s store to buy little things like penny candy or ribbons for her flaxen hair, but as time passed, Will noticed she often came and spent time there without buying anything. He invited her to a church social in the fall and they got along well. Somehow, without realizing it, he managed to take her to each of the socials and even walked her home from the store a time or two. Most people assumed they were courting and Will didn’t do anything to discourage the idea. She was pretty enough and popular. He should have paid more attention when she started bringing sweets she had baked herself. But he hadn’t seen the harm. Everyone knew he’d be leaving soon with Mathew and MaryAnn. Yet he couldn’t help noticing that every time he mentioned homesteading, Caroline would change the subject or tell of all the perils she had read in the newspapers and dime-store novels.
By February, he and Matt began the process of outfitting their rigs and laying aside the supplies. His head was so full of adventure he didn’t pay too much attention to what was going on around him.
Just four weeks before they were to leave, Caroline came crying to the house late one night, making a big scene about his leaving her. He offered to drive her back to her home in his father’s buggy,
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