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Book: Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37) by Mia Blackwood
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Authors: Mia Blackwood
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, disaster, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Past Issues, Nebraska, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Past Ghosts, Family Ranch, Thirty-Seven In Series, Deceased Husband, Second Marriage, Profitable, Fifteen Years
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something,” he said as he shoveled another bite of flapjack into his mouth.
Madeline’s eyes flew to his as a bright red blush swept across her face. It took her a moment to realize his eyes were twinkling with merriment, but when she did, she smiled through her embarrassment. “Well, we had a bit of a tussle, but then we talked it out.”
George looked from one adult to the other like they were both crazy. He began to reach for another flapjack, but then remembered his manners and pulled his hand back. “Hey, lady. More please!”
Both Madeline and Caleb looked at George with a shocked look on their faces, then glanced at each other and burst out laughing. George looked confused, but happily dug into the new flapjack his uncle gave him.
“George, this is your Aunt Madeline,” Caleb told his nephew. While hearing George call his wife “lady” had made them laugh, he didn’t want his nephew to make a habit of it.
George looked up from his meal, furrowed his brow as if in thought, then shrugged and kept eating. He clearly was not impressed.
After they finished their meal, Madeline stood up and began to clear the table. Caleb stopped her by reaching out and touching her wrist as she reached for his plate.
“Thank you,” he murmured sincerely.
Madeline nearly jumped when he touched her. She was surprised by the thank you, but even more surprised by the tingle his touch gave her. His hands were rough and callused, but gentle. “For the flapjacks?” she asked, confused as to what he was thanking her for.
Caleb nodded. “That too,” he acknowledged. “I meant for being so good to Georgie.”
Madeline looked to the little boy, who quietly sat next to his uncle and watched her with big eyes. She smiled at George, who smiled shyly back at her. “No thanks needed for that. He’s a sweet boy.”
Caleb and George got up from the table just as Madeline took the dirty dishes back to the sink to wash them. The moment Caleb stood up, George began to pull on his hand. He was clearly trying to get his uncle to leave the room with him.
Caleb glanced back at his wife. It felt strange for him to not be working out on the ranch, and he felt guilty at leaving her there to clean up the breakfast mess by herself when he was not going to be working. “Do you need my help cleaning up?” he asked Madeline, while George continued to try to pull him out of the kitchen.
Madeline glanced back at them, surprised. She certainly hadn’t expected the offer of help, but little George clearly wanted his uncle to do something with him. “No, that’s all right. Thank you for offering, though.”
As she watched the two of them leave, she thought about all the cleaning she needed to do. She sighed and got to work. The entire house needed a good scrubbing down, but she decided to start with the kitchen. The thought of preparing meals in a dirty kitchen made her skin crawl.
Chapter 5
It took Madeline a full week to clean the house from top to bottom, but when she had finished, it looked like a new home. There were still projects for her to do, like making new curtains for the windows, but the actual cleaning was now on a maintenance level.
Caleb was still sleeping in the extra bedroom with George, which was fine with Madeline. After spending the day cooking and cleaning, having to deal with the marriage bed was beyond her. She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow each night and did not wake until the rooster crowed in the morning.
Madeline slowly began to think of this house as her home. She supposed cleaning every inch of it might have something to do with it, though the armed guard while hanging out the wash or using the outhouse was a bit much for her. She knew Caleb was concerned for her safety, but surely if his brother’s murderer were still around the sheriff would have found him by now.
Caleb was proving to be a thoughtful husband, though he was still a husband in name only. He had resumed his duties on the
Madeline’s eyes flew to his as a bright red blush swept across her face. It took her a moment to realize his eyes were twinkling with merriment, but when she did, she smiled through her embarrassment. “Well, we had a bit of a tussle, but then we talked it out.”
George looked from one adult to the other like they were both crazy. He began to reach for another flapjack, but then remembered his manners and pulled his hand back. “Hey, lady. More please!”
Both Madeline and Caleb looked at George with a shocked look on their faces, then glanced at each other and burst out laughing. George looked confused, but happily dug into the new flapjack his uncle gave him.
“George, this is your Aunt Madeline,” Caleb told his nephew. While hearing George call his wife “lady” had made them laugh, he didn’t want his nephew to make a habit of it.
George looked up from his meal, furrowed his brow as if in thought, then shrugged and kept eating. He clearly was not impressed.
After they finished their meal, Madeline stood up and began to clear the table. Caleb stopped her by reaching out and touching her wrist as she reached for his plate.
“Thank you,” he murmured sincerely.
Madeline nearly jumped when he touched her. She was surprised by the thank you, but even more surprised by the tingle his touch gave her. His hands were rough and callused, but gentle. “For the flapjacks?” she asked, confused as to what he was thanking her for.
Caleb nodded. “That too,” he acknowledged. “I meant for being so good to Georgie.”
Madeline looked to the little boy, who quietly sat next to his uncle and watched her with big eyes. She smiled at George, who smiled shyly back at her. “No thanks needed for that. He’s a sweet boy.”
Caleb and George got up from the table just as Madeline took the dirty dishes back to the sink to wash them. The moment Caleb stood up, George began to pull on his hand. He was clearly trying to get his uncle to leave the room with him.
Caleb glanced back at his wife. It felt strange for him to not be working out on the ranch, and he felt guilty at leaving her there to clean up the breakfast mess by herself when he was not going to be working. “Do you need my help cleaning up?” he asked Madeline, while George continued to try to pull him out of the kitchen.
Madeline glanced back at them, surprised. She certainly hadn’t expected the offer of help, but little George clearly wanted his uncle to do something with him. “No, that’s all right. Thank you for offering, though.”
As she watched the two of them leave, she thought about all the cleaning she needed to do. She sighed and got to work. The entire house needed a good scrubbing down, but she decided to start with the kitchen. The thought of preparing meals in a dirty kitchen made her skin crawl.
Chapter 5
It took Madeline a full week to clean the house from top to bottom, but when she had finished, it looked like a new home. There were still projects for her to do, like making new curtains for the windows, but the actual cleaning was now on a maintenance level.
Caleb was still sleeping in the extra bedroom with George, which was fine with Madeline. After spending the day cooking and cleaning, having to deal with the marriage bed was beyond her. She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow each night and did not wake until the rooster crowed in the morning.
Madeline slowly began to think of this house as her home. She supposed cleaning every inch of it might have something to do with it, though the armed guard while hanging out the wash or using the outhouse was a bit much for her. She knew Caleb was concerned for her safety, but surely if his brother’s murderer were still around the sheriff would have found him by now.
Caleb was proving to be a thoughtful husband, though he was still a husband in name only. He had resumed his duties on the
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