Read Online Sarah: Bride of Minnesota (American Mail-Order Bride 32) by Katie Crabapple - Free Book Online Page B

not. First off, I'd have to get up thirty minutes earlier to clean the kitchen so I could cook breakfast, but also, we would get bugs. No one wants bugs."
    He nodded. "No, we can't have bugs." He took his newspaper from a chair where he'd laid it earlier. "Join me in the parlor when you're done."
    She smiled. "I will!" She hurried and washed the dishes looking forward to their time. She loved spending time in the parlor with him at night, even when they didn't really talk about anything. It was just nice to have the time.

Chapter Six
     
     
    When she got into the parlor, she saw he'd sat on the couch in the same place as yesterday, so she took the same spot as well, sitting close to him on the couch. "Do you mind if I do more mending, or do you want me to wait on that?"
    He looked at her, and put down his paper. "I'd rather we talked to each other than concentrated on other things. I think someday we'll be a society who will be together but ignoring one another the whole time. That will be a sad time."
    Sarah put down the mending, and curling one leg under her, in what her mother would have described as a hoydenish manner, she turned to him. "Tell me about your day at work."
    Karl smiled, surprised she was interested. "Well, today was a pretty normal day. One of my men was sick, and we sent off a shipment this afternoon, so we have two weeks to get the next together. If all the men stay well, then we'll have plenty of time to get done, and even get ahead before the next is due."
    "So did you get to chop logs today?"
    "Get to?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. "I had to. I was planning on staying in my office and doing paperwork, but because of my man's illness, I had to spend the day working in the cold."
    "Do you prefer to work with your hands or work in the office?" She knew he'd told her that once, but she couldn't remember what his answer was, because she'd been annoyed with him at the time.
    "I prefer to do whatever I go to work planning to do. Today I went to work thinking I would sit in my nice warm office, and I didn't wear the clothes I needed to keep warm."
    She frowned. "Well, I hope you don't get sick then." She narrowed her eyes at him, as if trying to sense if he would be ill. "You look all right so far."
    He grinned. "I will do my best not to get sick." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Would you take care of me if I was ill?"
    She laughed. "Of course I would. You're my husband."
    "Even though you don't want to have fifteen babies?"
    She made a face. "That sounds like an awful lot of children. I'm not sure I could take care of that many without going insane."
    "You could." He scooted a bit closer to her, and put his arm around her shoulders. "I believe you could do anything you set your mind to, Sarah."
    She grinned. "My mama used to tell me that. Do you want me to pack a picnic for Sunday, or do you want to eat at home first?"
    He shrugged. "If you think picnics are romantic, and would rather eat on the ground than in our comfortable chairs, then we can take a picnic."
    Sarah laughed. "We'll eat here first. I've never been a fan of eating outdoors. I can make a stew for dinner tomorrow night and heat it up for lunch Sunday. That's simple enough."
    "That sounds good to me."
    "Tell me about your church. I've been going to the same church since I was born, and I've never really even visited other churches much. I'm a bit nervous about going to a new one."
    Karl frowned. "It's a church. You met our pastor. He has a good sense of humor, but he does like to get men in trouble with their wives. I'm not sure why, but he's always been that way."
    "Is that why he told me that you told him how ugly I was?"
    "Yes. He did it hoping he would make you mad at me. He thinks a good rousing fight helps a marriage instead of hindering it. He says it keeps the passions running high, and you never get bored with one another."
    "I'm not sure how I feel about that. Maybe we should find another church to attend."
    Karl