A
Bride for
Tom
Ruth Ann Nordin
Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC
A Bride for Tom
Bride for
Tom
Ruth Ann Nordin
Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC
A Bride for Tom
Download Complete A Bride For A Tom Free Ebook Here
“So, you’re really going to marry Tom?”
“It’s a sure thing. He’s a lot better than Peter, and the best part is Tom’s mother isn’t controlling like Connie is.”
“So he isn’t clumsy all the time?” She sat across from Jessica and folded her hands in her lap.
“He’s clumsy when he’s nervous. Otherwise, he handles himself quite well.”
“Is he nervous around you?”
“Only when I kiss him.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Who would have thought you could be so bold!”
Jessica giggled. “What? If I waited for him to make the first move, it’d never happen.” And how delightful those kisses were. She supposed that it was unladylike to instigate kisses, but the reward was well worth it—and he certainly didn’t seem to mind. “I’ve never felt a desire to kiss Peter like I do to kiss Tom.”
“You never smiled as much when you were with Peter, so obviously, you’re better off.”
She blinked in surprise. “Then you no longer detest Tom?”
“I never detested him,” Margaret argued. “I just wondered how he could possibly be near a woman without knocking her over. Plus, I thought you loved Peter and didn’t think it was right for you to entertain Tom while you were engaged. But since I realized how things really were between you and Peter...” She shrugged. “Well, what’s the point in fighting fate, right?”
“Right.”
“And since things do look promising between you and Tom, I’ll remove the white roses on my dress and replace them with the red ones.”
“Thank you.”
Margaret chuckled. “You know, Connie’s sorely disappointed. She’s been bedridden.”
Jessica glanced up from her veil. “Is she sick?”
“No. She’s been crying. You ruined her special day, you know.”
Forcing aside the urge to roll her eyes, Jessica returned her attention to pulling the thread through the veil. “I’m sure she’ll find another woman to marry her son.”
“Sadly, it won’t be him making that choice.”
“It wasn’t his choice to pick me either. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she was the one who selected me.”
“I wonder what kind of woman he might pick if he had the choice.”
“Who knows?” And who cared? Then she glanced up at her friend. “You aren’t thinking of—”
“Oh, of course not!” Margaret shivered. “I watched what you went through, and there’s no way I’d deal with that. But I was thinking of taking your advice.”
“Really? What advice is that?”
Her cheeks grew pink as she fiddled with her skirt. “To post an ad for a mail-order husband.”
Jessica nearly dropped her veil. “An ad for a husband?”
“Is that really so unusual?”
“Well...” Jessica thought about it. “I don’t recall seeing any of those ads, but once in awhile, I hear of a woman out west posting for one. Mostly, they have children and need a man for financial support and protection. But I don’t see why a single woman can’t post for one. Actually, there’s no reason why a woman can’t take matters into her own hands and post an ad. After all, men do it all the time. It’s only fair a woman be granted the same right.” She finished sewing one of her rose petals before she looked back at Margaret. “Have you posted the ad yet?”
“No, not yet. I was hoping you could help me. I don’t know what to write.”
She smiled. “I’d be delighted to help.”
Margaret relaxed and smiled back. “It’s scary but also exciting.”
“We’ll get started on it once I finish this rose,” Jessica promised.
Then she picked up the pace on getting her work done. It was an exciting prospect to find a suitable husband for Margaret, and she couldn’t wait to see what type of men would respond to a woman asking for a husband. She hoped there would be some good ones to choose from. And, as an added benefit, she’d get to see her dearest friend get married.
***
Tom stacked another dirt brick onto the wall that would finish the last side of his new home. “You did mix the dirt with the right amount of straw, didn’t you?” he asked Joel who was snickering beside him.
Joel turned to him with wide eyes. “Of course I did. The sooner I get rid of you, the better.”
“Then why do you keep laughing?”
Joel patted the brick in front of him. “You really believe you’re going to marry Jessica.”
“Just don’t mess up the bricks, alright?” Tom growled. “If you do and this house becomes one muddy heap, I’ll be moving back. And I’ll be sure to sleep in your room, too. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on my stinky snoring self.”
He gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“As long as my house remains intact, I won’t have to. So be sure you do a good job. Your peace of mind depends on it.”
“You really know how to play dirty.”
“You’ll thank me when I’m living here,” Tom said.
Their father came up to them and smiled. “This place is coming along just fine. We should be done before Christmas.”
Joel breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s exactly what I wanted for Christmas. And to think I wondered if God answered prayers.”
“Ha ha,” Tom replied. Even if his brother was being his usual pesky self, Tom didn’t mind. He was building this home for him and Jessica. It was too bad he couldn’t bring her with him when he moved in. But he’d wait, just as his father suggested.
“Are you going to see Jessica tonight?” his father asked.
“She did invite me over for supper,” Tom replied. “I told her that I’d try to make it. I wasn’t sure how late we’d be working.”
“We’re making good progress. Go on and see her.”
Joel rubbed his flat stomach. “That means more pot roast for me! I’m hungry enough to eat a horse.”
“All you ever do is eat,” Tom said. “I’m surprised you’re not rolling on over back home.”
“Now, Tom, you ate a lot when you were his age,” their father intervened with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Your poor ma can’t keep enough food on the table to handle all you boys. Frankly, I’m looking forward to the day when all of you are out of the house.”
Joel shook his head and glanced at Tom. “And to think we gave him the best part of our lives.”
Tom gave Joel’s shoulder a firm pat. “Don’t worry. Someday you’ll get to move out, too.” He looked at his father. “Do you think this is good for today?”
“Sure is. Tomorrow we start on the roof.”
“Great!” Tom couldn’t wait to see Jessica.
Joel pinched his nose. “Make sure you clean up before you go see her.”
Dave came from his side of the house. “Is there anything else to do today?”
“No,” Joel answered. “We’re getting ready to dump Tom into the tub so he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of Jessica.”
“The house is going to be quiet without you there, Tom,” their father said.
“Yep,” Dave began, “I don’t know what Joel’s going to do without you.”
Before anyone could reply, Dave started loading the supplies to take into the newly built barn on the property.
Joel glanced at Tom and their father. “Between us, I don’t know how any woman’s going to handle being married to Dave. He’s so boring.”
“No kidding,” Tom agreed before he gathered his things to put away for the night.
Chapter Fifteen
Jessica put a bow in her hair and inspected her reflection. Tom may not come over but then again, he might. He told her he’d be busy working on their home. Their home. She loved the sound of that. Alright. So in fairness, he hadn’t used the word “their”, but it was implied. After all, he had planted apple trees for her. It was just a matter of time before she used those apples for baking.
Her mother happened to pass by her bedroom as Jessica checked the butterfly cameo Jenny had made for her. She glanced up at her mother and smiled. “Isn’t this a pretty cameo? Jenny does have a talent for this kind of thing.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t mention Tom.”
“Why would I? He didn’t make it.”
“Maybe not, but ever since he started courting you, you’ve been talking nonstop about him,” she said with a trace of humor in her voice.
“I’m not that bad.”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Oh no?”
She grinned. “No. I talk about Margaret. She and I worked on that ad. She’s posting for a husband, you know.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Well, that proves it. I can talk about things other than Tom.”
“Except when you discuss Margaret looking for a husband, you usually finish the conversation by asking if there might be a double wedding. You seem to think you can get married before planting season begins since your plan is for Margaret’s man to arrive around that time.”
She sighed. “What is wrong with marrying before Tom plants?”
“It seems to me that last time we had this conversation you mentioned marrying in June.”
“If I do that, I can’t wear the dress I already made. It has long and thick sleeves.”
“Roll them up.”
“So you’re saying I no longer have to wait until September?” she asked, excited.
Her mother’s eyes grew wide as she gave a sharp intake of breath. “You’ll be the death of me yet,” she muttered as she hurried off down the hallway.
“I’ll take that as a yes!” Jessica called out.
The woman grumbled but didn’t stop.
Smiling, Jessica picked up her brush. She hoped Tom would show up tonight. It was hard to be away from him. This feeling of missing a man as much as she missed Tom was new to her. Not once did she ever have the intense longing for Peter that she had for Tom. Honestly, it was the most wonderful feeling in the whole world.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts of a lovely spring wedding. Oh good! Tom did make it after all! She quickly placed her brush down and pinched her cheeks. She inspected her reflection and grinned. Perfect.
She rushed out of her room, nearly knocking her mother over as the older woman left the parlor. “Sorry, Ma,” she quickly called out then opened the door. To her surprise, Tom wasn’t on the porch. It was Peter. She blinked several times before she finally asked, “Peter, what are you doing here?” Of all the people who could be knocking on her front door, he was the last one she expected.
He took off his hat. “May I come in?”
She wanted to say no and shut the door, but that would be terribly rude. Reluctant, she nodded and moved aside so he could come into the entryway.
Her mother walked toward them, looking as uncertain as Jessica felt. “Good evening, Peter,” she greeted, offering a polite smile. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“No thank you, ma’am.” He turned to Jessica. “Can I talk to you in the parlor?”
Jessica glanced at her mother who gave a slight shrug. Though her pulse picked up with nervous dread, Jessica said, “Of course.”
As he stepped into the parlor, her mother told her, “I’ll leave you two alone. If you need me, just holler.”
Jessica wanted to protest and insist she stay with her, but this was for her to deal with. Taking a deep breath, Jessica gathered her courage and followed him into the room. She sat in a chair and folded her hands in her lap. “What do you wish to discuss?”
He sat in the other chair and fiddled with the hat in his hands. “My mother is distraught.”
After a few seconds, his meaning sunk in. “Your mother sent you here?”
“No. Not exactly.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “It wasn’t that bad with me, was it?”
“What?”
“I thought it might be good if we decided to marry after all.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Good for who?”
“Everyone.”
“You mean, it’d be good for her. Then she could have her special day.” Stumping her foot on the floor, she glared at him. “This is why it didn’t work, Peter. It was always about her. She put you up to this, didn’t she?”
“No. She doesn’t know I’m here.”
She couldn’t decide if that was true or not. He’d say just about anything for his mother’s sake. “You don’t need to appease her. What you need is a backbone. Who cares what she thinks? If she wants a special day, let her get married.”
“Have a heart. She’s going through a rough time, and-”
“Have a heart? Have a heart! I didn’t exchange vows with you yet. I had every right to back out of the engagement. Frankly, you need to be a man and find the woman you want to marry instead of letting your mother make that decision for you.”
“Jessica-”
“I’m not done.” She stood up and paced back and forth. “It’s obvious we don’t belong together. Thankfully, we figured it out before we said, ‘I do’. You agree with me on this. And yet, you are going to let your mother’s sour mood compel you to make the worst decision of your life. I don’t understand you, Peter.”
Looking bewildered, he moved his lips but no sound came out.
She stopped and pointed to the door. “Maybe the next woman you find won’t mind playing second fiddle to your mother, but there’s no way I’m going to take that role. I’m going to marry Tom.” She waited for him to say something, but he seemed as if he couldn’t think of anything. Deciding this indicated they were done, she stomped to the front door. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense. You need to either find a woman who’ll do whatever your mother wants or grow a backbone and determine your own fate.” She threw the door open and someone fell to the floor. She gasped. “Mrs. James?”
Connie quickly got to her feet and placed her hat back on her head.
“What are you doing here?” Jessica demanded.
“You’re making a huge mistake,” the woman said. “Peter is a fine young man. He has a good job, a good home, and a caring heart. You can’t do any better than him.”
Jessica turned her face to the kitchen. Now it was time to call in for reinforcements. “Ma!”
Her mother ran out of the kitchen and jerked when she saw Connie.
“Talk sense into her,” Jessica pleaded. “She won’t leave me alone. She even sent Peter over here to convince me to marry him.”
“Mrs. James,” her mother began as she approached the other woman, “perhaps we should sit down and discuss this.”
“Discuss what?” Connie asked. “That your daughter is throwing her life away? She could have my son. She doesn’t need to settle for the likes of Tom Larson.”
“I believe that is her decision.”
“But you’re her mother. It’s your job to prevent her from making ghastly mistakes.”
“What is a grassy mistake?” someone asked.
The three women turned their attention to Joel who sauntered into the house.
“I said ‘ghastly mistake’,” Connie said, cringing as he bent down to pick off a piece of clumped dirt from his boot and flung it out onto the porch. “It means a horrible mistake.”
“Hey, what do you know? Learn something new every day.” Wiping his hand on his pants, he glanced around the hallway and parlor. “Don’t you all sit when you visit?”
They stood in silence for a good moment before Jessica decided to answer. “Well, we aren’t visiting. Not really.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged. “Alright. You townsfolk are strange if this is how you meet up. But I’m here to see Tom. Pa needs his horse so I came to switch ‘em out for shoeing.”
“Switch what out for what?” Connie asked.
“Tom already has the horse with the new horseshoes on. So I got to switch.” He peered around Jessica’s shoulder and into the parlor. “Isn’t he here yet? He bolted out to town as soon as he washed up.”
Jessica’s heart leapt. That meant Tom did plan to see her tonight!
“Is Tom allowed to be here?” Joel asked.
“Of course, he is,” Jessica said at the same moment that Connie said, “No.”
Joel blinked in surprise.
Jessica glared at Connie. “I’m not marrying Peter.”
“So it’s true?” Joel asked. He shifted from one foot to another, and another clump of dried mud fell off his boot. Snatching it up, he threw it outside. “Tom wasn’t just making up tall tales?”
Connie shot Joel a scolding look. “Tom is going to ruin Jessica’s life. If her mother would be sensible, the poor thing wouldn’t suffer with your kind.”
Jessica’s mother stiffened and straightened her shirtwaist. “I allow her the freedom to make her own decisions...and to be honest, I kind of like Tom.”
“Really?” Joel asked as if he couldn’t believe it.
“But Peter better suits her,” Connie said, ignoring Joel.
“That’s not for us to say,” Jessica’s mother replied.
Jessica groaned. “Peter doesn’t want to marry me either, Mrs. James.” She glanced at Peter—who remained sitting in silence in the parlor. “Tell her!”
He paled and shook his head.
She nudged her mother. “You see what I mean?”
Her mother nodded. “Mrs. James, no woman wants to be married to her husband’s mother.”
Connie pressed a hand to her heart. “Peter, they are being cruel to me!”
He obediently stood and went to her side.
Seriously, the man needed a good kick in the behind, Jessica thought in disgust.
Jessica’s mother sighed but kindly said, “Neither Peter nor Jessica were happy. This is better for everyone.”
Connie grabbed the handkerchief Peter held out to her and dabbed tears from her eyes. “I had my heart set on a wedding. Maureen was impressed, and she’s hard to please, you know. Now everything’s ruined, and I’m the laughing stock of the town.”
“You’re not the laughing stock of the town,” Jessica’s mother soothed.
“You don’t understand. I spent hours planning out every little detail. All my work is gone, and there’s nothing I can do to get it back.”
Joel threw back his head and laughed. “You’re all a hoot. Who’d have thought Tom could cause so many problems?”
Tom knocked on the open door and cautiously peered into the entryway. “Is this a bad time?”
Joel waved him in. “Heck no. Things are just getting good.”
“Watch your language, young man.” Connie pressed her hands to her ears. “There are ladies present.”
Peter, looking uncomfortable, told his mother, “Perhaps we should leave.”
“No!” She uncovered her ears and pointed to Tom. “This is all your fault. If you’d just stayed out of town, I’d still be having my wedding.”
“Would you listen to yourself?” Jessica’s mother asked. “This is not your wedding. You’re not the bride. You’re the groom’s mother.” She stopped and glanced around at those watching her. “I mean, of course, that you were the groom’s mother. Tom’s mother is the groom’s mother now. Uh... That is to say if they get married. Not to say that anything is set yet. So...well...you’re Peter’s mother, and Peter’s no longer getting married, which makes this whole thing a useless debate anyway.” She grunted and threw her hands up in the air. “Well, you know what I mean.”
Jessica nodded. “Ma is right. Tom’s mother is the groom’s mother now.”
“Jessica!” her mother warned.
She shrugged. “Just trying to clear up any confusion.”
“No, you’re not. You’re trying to sneak your wedding past me, and I won’t have it.”
“It’s as good as done,” Jessica insisted.
Joel cleared his throat. “You know that Tom is right here, don’t you?”
They stopped and turned to Tom whose eyebrows rose in interest. Jessica’s face grew warm. It probably wasn’t good that she seemed so eager to marry him in front of everyone.
“I got a response!” someone yelled out.
Everyone’s attention turned to the door, giving Jessica a much needed reprieve from her slip of the tongue.
Margaret ran into the crowded entryway and held up a letter. “I think this is the one!” She nearly bumped into Joel. “Oh!” She quickly went over to Jessica and stared at her audience. “What’s going on?”
“Never mind all that,” Jessica replied, eager to switch topics. “What do you have there?” She pointed to the letter in Margaret’s hand.
Margaret’s gaze lowered to the piece of paper. “Someone answered my ad.”
“Already?”
“I know. I didn’t expect an answer this soon either, but he sounds like a good one. Read it and tell me what you think.”
Jessica took the letter.
Connie groaned. “We have more important things to discuss right now.”
“No, we don’t,” Jessica said. “It’s over.”
“What do you know? You’re still a child,” Connie replied. “You don’t know what’s good for you. You’re marrying Peter.”
“No, she’s not,” Tom said. He pushed through the group and put his arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “She’s marrying me.”
“I am!” Jessica added. A quick look at her mother’s exasperated expression made her decide to change her tone. Glancing at Tom, she asked, “I am?”
“Well, if you want to,” he replied.
She counted to three so she wouldn’t seem too anxious. “Yes, I do.”
He smiled and squeezed her shoulders. “There,” he told Connie. “It’s all settled.”
“I don’t believe it,” Joel mumbled, shaking his head. “How did Tom pull it off?”
Connie turned to Peter. “Aren’t you going to stop this?”
Peter sighed. “Jessica’s right, Mother. It’s not meant to be between us.”
She sobbed into her handkerchief. “All my hard work is for nothing.”
“Why don’t you have a Christmas party for your friends?” Tom asked. “That way, you still get to have your celebration.”
“That’s a great idea, Tom,” Peter said. “You can still show Maureen the white roses you made out of those cloth napkins.”
Connie stopped crying and glanced at Peter. “That might work.”
Looking relieved, he replied, “It would work very well. Maureen will be green with envy.”
“She will be, won’t she?” She smiled. “I suppose this might work after all.”
“And it will truly be your day.”
She clapped her hands. “We must continue our planning. And we should send out invitations. December is quickly approaching! Come along, Peter.”
After they left, Joel sighed in disappointment and told Tom, “Just when things were getting good, you had to spoil it. Couldn’t you have bit your tongue for another two minutes?”
“What are you doing here?” Tom asked.
“Oh, Pa sent me to get your horse. You do want new horseshoes on it, don’t you?”
“Yes. Alright. Take it and go.”
“Alright. If that woman comes back, let me know how it goes.” Joel brushed off a piece of dirt that was stuck to his shirt sleeve. “Your house is awful, Tom. I can’t get it all off of me.”
“Don’t dirty up this house.” Tom picked up the small dirt clod and shoved his brother out the door. “Go home and take a bath.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Once Joel headed down the porch steps and Tom threw the dirt into the trashcan, Jessica relaxed. Thank goodness Connie James wouldn’t cause her any more problems. And she got a proposal from Tom.
She smiled widely and glanced at her mother who mouthed, “Spring.”
“Before planting,” Jessica mouthed back.
Her mother rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she said, “Since we’re all here, let’s eat. Supper’s getting cold.”
Jessica winked at Margaret before she turned to Tom. “I even made apple pie. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will,” Tom replied, returning to her side. “Apple pie is a favorite for us Larsons.”
Jessica hoped she did a good job on the pie. Well, she was about to find out. She glanced at the letter. “Margaret, you’ll have to tell us about this one. Is he the first one who sent a reply?”
“Yes. He’s twenty-two and never been married. He’s been looking to come out west to farm.”
“There’s plenty of good land here,” Tom said. “It rains just fine and there’s plenty of sun, too. The only thing he’ll have to worry about is the wind. Sometimes that can be unforgiving. One year, my pa lost some good corn from wind damage. But there are good and bad things no matter where a person goes.”
“But if you like the one you’re with, it makes it all the better,” Jessica added.
He grinned at her. “No truer words were ever said.”
Blushing, she returned his smile.
Her mother headed for the kitchen. “Well, come along. The food’s not going to come to us.”
The others obeyed and followed her to the kitchen.
Chapter Sixteen
April 5, 1869
Jessica examined her reflection in the mirror. Her wedding dress turned out even better than she’d hoped.
Margaret entered the room. “Here are your flowers.”
Jessica took the red roses and smelled them before she placed them on the chair. “Perfect. And they match those in your dress.” She wrapped a pink ribbon around her hair before she put the veil on her head. “It really is a magical day, Margaret. Just wait until that mail-order husband of yours comes in.”
“Two weeks from now,” her friend said, adjusting the thin material of the veil around Jessica’s shoulders. “I don’t know if I’m ready. All this time I’ve watched you and our other friends getting ready for marriage, and now that it’ll be my turn soon, I’m a nervous wreck.”
“Just wait until your wedding day. It gets worse. I couldn’t eat a thing this morning.”
“No one can tell you’re nervous.”
Wendy entered the small room. “Everyone’s ready. Tom’s got a wide smile on his face. I’ve never seen a happier groom.”
At the mention of his name, Jessica’s cheeks flushed. She couldn’t imagine that there’d been a happier bride either, but she kept the thought to herself. Instead, she picked up the roses. “I’m ready, too.”
She followed her friends out the door and went to the church entryway where the groomsmen waited.
As Joel took Wendy’s arm, he glanced at Jessica and shook his head.
“It’s a sure thing. He’s a lot better than Peter, and the best part is Tom’s mother isn’t controlling like Connie is.”
“So he isn’t clumsy all the time?” She sat across from Jessica and folded her hands in her lap.
“He’s clumsy when he’s nervous. Otherwise, he handles himself quite well.”
“Is he nervous around you?”
“Only when I kiss him.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Who would have thought you could be so bold!”
Jessica giggled. “What? If I waited for him to make the first move, it’d never happen.” And how delightful those kisses were. She supposed that it was unladylike to instigate kisses, but the reward was well worth it—and he certainly didn’t seem to mind. “I’ve never felt a desire to kiss Peter like I do to kiss Tom.”
“You never smiled as much when you were with Peter, so obviously, you’re better off.”
She blinked in surprise. “Then you no longer detest Tom?”
“I never detested him,” Margaret argued. “I just wondered how he could possibly be near a woman without knocking her over. Plus, I thought you loved Peter and didn’t think it was right for you to entertain Tom while you were engaged. But since I realized how things really were between you and Peter...” She shrugged. “Well, what’s the point in fighting fate, right?”
“Right.”
“And since things do look promising between you and Tom, I’ll remove the white roses on my dress and replace them with the red ones.”
“Thank you.”
Margaret chuckled. “You know, Connie’s sorely disappointed. She’s been bedridden.”
Jessica glanced up from her veil. “Is she sick?”
“No. She’s been crying. You ruined her special day, you know.”
Forcing aside the urge to roll her eyes, Jessica returned her attention to pulling the thread through the veil. “I’m sure she’ll find another woman to marry her son.”
“Sadly, it won’t be him making that choice.”
“It wasn’t his choice to pick me either. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she was the one who selected me.”
“I wonder what kind of woman he might pick if he had the choice.”
“Who knows?” And who cared? Then she glanced up at her friend. “You aren’t thinking of—”
“Oh, of course not!” Margaret shivered. “I watched what you went through, and there’s no way I’d deal with that. But I was thinking of taking your advice.”
“Really? What advice is that?”
Her cheeks grew pink as she fiddled with her skirt. “To post an ad for a mail-order husband.”
Jessica nearly dropped her veil. “An ad for a husband?”
“Is that really so unusual?”
“Well...” Jessica thought about it. “I don’t recall seeing any of those ads, but once in awhile, I hear of a woman out west posting for one. Mostly, they have children and need a man for financial support and protection. But I don’t see why a single woman can’t post for one. Actually, there’s no reason why a woman can’t take matters into her own hands and post an ad. After all, men do it all the time. It’s only fair a woman be granted the same right.” She finished sewing one of her rose petals before she looked back at Margaret. “Have you posted the ad yet?”
“No, not yet. I was hoping you could help me. I don’t know what to write.”
She smiled. “I’d be delighted to help.”
Margaret relaxed and smiled back. “It’s scary but also exciting.”
“We’ll get started on it once I finish this rose,” Jessica promised.
Then she picked up the pace on getting her work done. It was an exciting prospect to find a suitable husband for Margaret, and she couldn’t wait to see what type of men would respond to a woman asking for a husband. She hoped there would be some good ones to choose from. And, as an added benefit, she’d get to see her dearest friend get married.
***
Tom stacked another dirt brick onto the wall that would finish the last side of his new home. “You did mix the dirt with the right amount of straw, didn’t you?” he asked Joel who was snickering beside him.
Joel turned to him with wide eyes. “Of course I did. The sooner I get rid of you, the better.”
“Then why do you keep laughing?”
Joel patted the brick in front of him. “You really believe you’re going to marry Jessica.”
“Just don’t mess up the bricks, alright?” Tom growled. “If you do and this house becomes one muddy heap, I’ll be moving back. And I’ll be sure to sleep in your room, too. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on my stinky snoring self.”
He gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“As long as my house remains intact, I won’t have to. So be sure you do a good job. Your peace of mind depends on it.”
“You really know how to play dirty.”
“You’ll thank me when I’m living here,” Tom said.
Their father came up to them and smiled. “This place is coming along just fine. We should be done before Christmas.”
Joel breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s exactly what I wanted for Christmas. And to think I wondered if God answered prayers.”
“Ha ha,” Tom replied. Even if his brother was being his usual pesky self, Tom didn’t mind. He was building this home for him and Jessica. It was too bad he couldn’t bring her with him when he moved in. But he’d wait, just as his father suggested.
“Are you going to see Jessica tonight?” his father asked.
“She did invite me over for supper,” Tom replied. “I told her that I’d try to make it. I wasn’t sure how late we’d be working.”
“We’re making good progress. Go on and see her.”
Joel rubbed his flat stomach. “That means more pot roast for me! I’m hungry enough to eat a horse.”
“All you ever do is eat,” Tom said. “I’m surprised you’re not rolling on over back home.”
“Now, Tom, you ate a lot when you were his age,” their father intervened with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Your poor ma can’t keep enough food on the table to handle all you boys. Frankly, I’m looking forward to the day when all of you are out of the house.”
Joel shook his head and glanced at Tom. “And to think we gave him the best part of our lives.”
Tom gave Joel’s shoulder a firm pat. “Don’t worry. Someday you’ll get to move out, too.” He looked at his father. “Do you think this is good for today?”
“Sure is. Tomorrow we start on the roof.”
“Great!” Tom couldn’t wait to see Jessica.
Joel pinched his nose. “Make sure you clean up before you go see her.”
Dave came from his side of the house. “Is there anything else to do today?”
“No,” Joel answered. “We’re getting ready to dump Tom into the tub so he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of Jessica.”
“The house is going to be quiet without you there, Tom,” their father said.
“Yep,” Dave began, “I don’t know what Joel’s going to do without you.”
Before anyone could reply, Dave started loading the supplies to take into the newly built barn on the property.
Joel glanced at Tom and their father. “Between us, I don’t know how any woman’s going to handle being married to Dave. He’s so boring.”
“No kidding,” Tom agreed before he gathered his things to put away for the night.
Chapter Fifteen
Jessica put a bow in her hair and inspected her reflection. Tom may not come over but then again, he might. He told her he’d be busy working on their home. Their home. She loved the sound of that. Alright. So in fairness, he hadn’t used the word “their”, but it was implied. After all, he had planted apple trees for her. It was just a matter of time before she used those apples for baking.
Her mother happened to pass by her bedroom as Jessica checked the butterfly cameo Jenny had made for her. She glanced up at her mother and smiled. “Isn’t this a pretty cameo? Jenny does have a talent for this kind of thing.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t mention Tom.”
“Why would I? He didn’t make it.”
“Maybe not, but ever since he started courting you, you’ve been talking nonstop about him,” she said with a trace of humor in her voice.
“I’m not that bad.”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Oh no?”
She grinned. “No. I talk about Margaret. She and I worked on that ad. She’s posting for a husband, you know.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Well, that proves it. I can talk about things other than Tom.”
“Except when you discuss Margaret looking for a husband, you usually finish the conversation by asking if there might be a double wedding. You seem to think you can get married before planting season begins since your plan is for Margaret’s man to arrive around that time.”
She sighed. “What is wrong with marrying before Tom plants?”
“It seems to me that last time we had this conversation you mentioned marrying in June.”
“If I do that, I can’t wear the dress I already made. It has long and thick sleeves.”
“Roll them up.”
“So you’re saying I no longer have to wait until September?” she asked, excited.
Her mother’s eyes grew wide as she gave a sharp intake of breath. “You’ll be the death of me yet,” she muttered as she hurried off down the hallway.
“I’ll take that as a yes!” Jessica called out.
The woman grumbled but didn’t stop.
Smiling, Jessica picked up her brush. She hoped Tom would show up tonight. It was hard to be away from him. This feeling of missing a man as much as she missed Tom was new to her. Not once did she ever have the intense longing for Peter that she had for Tom. Honestly, it was the most wonderful feeling in the whole world.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts of a lovely spring wedding. Oh good! Tom did make it after all! She quickly placed her brush down and pinched her cheeks. She inspected her reflection and grinned. Perfect.
She rushed out of her room, nearly knocking her mother over as the older woman left the parlor. “Sorry, Ma,” she quickly called out then opened the door. To her surprise, Tom wasn’t on the porch. It was Peter. She blinked several times before she finally asked, “Peter, what are you doing here?” Of all the people who could be knocking on her front door, he was the last one she expected.
He took off his hat. “May I come in?”
She wanted to say no and shut the door, but that would be terribly rude. Reluctant, she nodded and moved aside so he could come into the entryway.
Her mother walked toward them, looking as uncertain as Jessica felt. “Good evening, Peter,” she greeted, offering a polite smile. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“No thank you, ma’am.” He turned to Jessica. “Can I talk to you in the parlor?”
Jessica glanced at her mother who gave a slight shrug. Though her pulse picked up with nervous dread, Jessica said, “Of course.”
As he stepped into the parlor, her mother told her, “I’ll leave you two alone. If you need me, just holler.”
Jessica wanted to protest and insist she stay with her, but this was for her to deal with. Taking a deep breath, Jessica gathered her courage and followed him into the room. She sat in a chair and folded her hands in her lap. “What do you wish to discuss?”
He sat in the other chair and fiddled with the hat in his hands. “My mother is distraught.”
After a few seconds, his meaning sunk in. “Your mother sent you here?”
“No. Not exactly.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “It wasn’t that bad with me, was it?”
“What?”
“I thought it might be good if we decided to marry after all.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Good for who?”
“Everyone.”
“You mean, it’d be good for her. Then she could have her special day.” Stumping her foot on the floor, she glared at him. “This is why it didn’t work, Peter. It was always about her. She put you up to this, didn’t she?”
“No. She doesn’t know I’m here.”
She couldn’t decide if that was true or not. He’d say just about anything for his mother’s sake. “You don’t need to appease her. What you need is a backbone. Who cares what she thinks? If she wants a special day, let her get married.”
“Have a heart. She’s going through a rough time, and-”
“Have a heart? Have a heart! I didn’t exchange vows with you yet. I had every right to back out of the engagement. Frankly, you need to be a man and find the woman you want to marry instead of letting your mother make that decision for you.”
“Jessica-”
“I’m not done.” She stood up and paced back and forth. “It’s obvious we don’t belong together. Thankfully, we figured it out before we said, ‘I do’. You agree with me on this. And yet, you are going to let your mother’s sour mood compel you to make the worst decision of your life. I don’t understand you, Peter.”
Looking bewildered, he moved his lips but no sound came out.
She stopped and pointed to the door. “Maybe the next woman you find won’t mind playing second fiddle to your mother, but there’s no way I’m going to take that role. I’m going to marry Tom.” She waited for him to say something, but he seemed as if he couldn’t think of anything. Deciding this indicated they were done, she stomped to the front door. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense. You need to either find a woman who’ll do whatever your mother wants or grow a backbone and determine your own fate.” She threw the door open and someone fell to the floor. She gasped. “Mrs. James?”
Connie quickly got to her feet and placed her hat back on her head.
“What are you doing here?” Jessica demanded.
“You’re making a huge mistake,” the woman said. “Peter is a fine young man. He has a good job, a good home, and a caring heart. You can’t do any better than him.”
Jessica turned her face to the kitchen. Now it was time to call in for reinforcements. “Ma!”
Her mother ran out of the kitchen and jerked when she saw Connie.
“Talk sense into her,” Jessica pleaded. “She won’t leave me alone. She even sent Peter over here to convince me to marry him.”
“Mrs. James,” her mother began as she approached the other woman, “perhaps we should sit down and discuss this.”
“Discuss what?” Connie asked. “That your daughter is throwing her life away? She could have my son. She doesn’t need to settle for the likes of Tom Larson.”
“I believe that is her decision.”
“But you’re her mother. It’s your job to prevent her from making ghastly mistakes.”
“What is a grassy mistake?” someone asked.
The three women turned their attention to Joel who sauntered into the house.
“I said ‘ghastly mistake’,” Connie said, cringing as he bent down to pick off a piece of clumped dirt from his boot and flung it out onto the porch. “It means a horrible mistake.”
“Hey, what do you know? Learn something new every day.” Wiping his hand on his pants, he glanced around the hallway and parlor. “Don’t you all sit when you visit?”
They stood in silence for a good moment before Jessica decided to answer. “Well, we aren’t visiting. Not really.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged. “Alright. You townsfolk are strange if this is how you meet up. But I’m here to see Tom. Pa needs his horse so I came to switch ‘em out for shoeing.”
“Switch what out for what?” Connie asked.
“Tom already has the horse with the new horseshoes on. So I got to switch.” He peered around Jessica’s shoulder and into the parlor. “Isn’t he here yet? He bolted out to town as soon as he washed up.”
Jessica’s heart leapt. That meant Tom did plan to see her tonight!
“Is Tom allowed to be here?” Joel asked.
“Of course, he is,” Jessica said at the same moment that Connie said, “No.”
Joel blinked in surprise.
Jessica glared at Connie. “I’m not marrying Peter.”
“So it’s true?” Joel asked. He shifted from one foot to another, and another clump of dried mud fell off his boot. Snatching it up, he threw it outside. “Tom wasn’t just making up tall tales?”
Connie shot Joel a scolding look. “Tom is going to ruin Jessica’s life. If her mother would be sensible, the poor thing wouldn’t suffer with your kind.”
Jessica’s mother stiffened and straightened her shirtwaist. “I allow her the freedom to make her own decisions...and to be honest, I kind of like Tom.”
“Really?” Joel asked as if he couldn’t believe it.
“But Peter better suits her,” Connie said, ignoring Joel.
“That’s not for us to say,” Jessica’s mother replied.
Jessica groaned. “Peter doesn’t want to marry me either, Mrs. James.” She glanced at Peter—who remained sitting in silence in the parlor. “Tell her!”
He paled and shook his head.
She nudged her mother. “You see what I mean?”
Her mother nodded. “Mrs. James, no woman wants to be married to her husband’s mother.”
Connie pressed a hand to her heart. “Peter, they are being cruel to me!”
He obediently stood and went to her side.
Seriously, the man needed a good kick in the behind, Jessica thought in disgust.
Jessica’s mother sighed but kindly said, “Neither Peter nor Jessica were happy. This is better for everyone.”
Connie grabbed the handkerchief Peter held out to her and dabbed tears from her eyes. “I had my heart set on a wedding. Maureen was impressed, and she’s hard to please, you know. Now everything’s ruined, and I’m the laughing stock of the town.”
“You’re not the laughing stock of the town,” Jessica’s mother soothed.
“You don’t understand. I spent hours planning out every little detail. All my work is gone, and there’s nothing I can do to get it back.”
Joel threw back his head and laughed. “You’re all a hoot. Who’d have thought Tom could cause so many problems?”
Tom knocked on the open door and cautiously peered into the entryway. “Is this a bad time?”
Joel waved him in. “Heck no. Things are just getting good.”
“Watch your language, young man.” Connie pressed her hands to her ears. “There are ladies present.”
Peter, looking uncomfortable, told his mother, “Perhaps we should leave.”
“No!” She uncovered her ears and pointed to Tom. “This is all your fault. If you’d just stayed out of town, I’d still be having my wedding.”
“Would you listen to yourself?” Jessica’s mother asked. “This is not your wedding. You’re not the bride. You’re the groom’s mother.” She stopped and glanced around at those watching her. “I mean, of course, that you were the groom’s mother. Tom’s mother is the groom’s mother now. Uh... That is to say if they get married. Not to say that anything is set yet. So...well...you’re Peter’s mother, and Peter’s no longer getting married, which makes this whole thing a useless debate anyway.” She grunted and threw her hands up in the air. “Well, you know what I mean.”
Jessica nodded. “Ma is right. Tom’s mother is the groom’s mother now.”
“Jessica!” her mother warned.
She shrugged. “Just trying to clear up any confusion.”
“No, you’re not. You’re trying to sneak your wedding past me, and I won’t have it.”
“It’s as good as done,” Jessica insisted.
Joel cleared his throat. “You know that Tom is right here, don’t you?”
They stopped and turned to Tom whose eyebrows rose in interest. Jessica’s face grew warm. It probably wasn’t good that she seemed so eager to marry him in front of everyone.
“I got a response!” someone yelled out.
Everyone’s attention turned to the door, giving Jessica a much needed reprieve from her slip of the tongue.
Margaret ran into the crowded entryway and held up a letter. “I think this is the one!” She nearly bumped into Joel. “Oh!” She quickly went over to Jessica and stared at her audience. “What’s going on?”
“Never mind all that,” Jessica replied, eager to switch topics. “What do you have there?” She pointed to the letter in Margaret’s hand.
Margaret’s gaze lowered to the piece of paper. “Someone answered my ad.”
“Already?”
“I know. I didn’t expect an answer this soon either, but he sounds like a good one. Read it and tell me what you think.”
Jessica took the letter.
Connie groaned. “We have more important things to discuss right now.”
“No, we don’t,” Jessica said. “It’s over.”
“What do you know? You’re still a child,” Connie replied. “You don’t know what’s good for you. You’re marrying Peter.”
“No, she’s not,” Tom said. He pushed through the group and put his arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “She’s marrying me.”
“I am!” Jessica added. A quick look at her mother’s exasperated expression made her decide to change her tone. Glancing at Tom, she asked, “I am?”
“Well, if you want to,” he replied.
She counted to three so she wouldn’t seem too anxious. “Yes, I do.”
He smiled and squeezed her shoulders. “There,” he told Connie. “It’s all settled.”
“I don’t believe it,” Joel mumbled, shaking his head. “How did Tom pull it off?”
Connie turned to Peter. “Aren’t you going to stop this?”
Peter sighed. “Jessica’s right, Mother. It’s not meant to be between us.”
She sobbed into her handkerchief. “All my hard work is for nothing.”
“Why don’t you have a Christmas party for your friends?” Tom asked. “That way, you still get to have your celebration.”
“That’s a great idea, Tom,” Peter said. “You can still show Maureen the white roses you made out of those cloth napkins.”
Connie stopped crying and glanced at Peter. “That might work.”
Looking relieved, he replied, “It would work very well. Maureen will be green with envy.”
“She will be, won’t she?” She smiled. “I suppose this might work after all.”
“And it will truly be your day.”
She clapped her hands. “We must continue our planning. And we should send out invitations. December is quickly approaching! Come along, Peter.”
After they left, Joel sighed in disappointment and told Tom, “Just when things were getting good, you had to spoil it. Couldn’t you have bit your tongue for another two minutes?”
“What are you doing here?” Tom asked.
“Oh, Pa sent me to get your horse. You do want new horseshoes on it, don’t you?”
“Yes. Alright. Take it and go.”
“Alright. If that woman comes back, let me know how it goes.” Joel brushed off a piece of dirt that was stuck to his shirt sleeve. “Your house is awful, Tom. I can’t get it all off of me.”
“Don’t dirty up this house.” Tom picked up the small dirt clod and shoved his brother out the door. “Go home and take a bath.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Once Joel headed down the porch steps and Tom threw the dirt into the trashcan, Jessica relaxed. Thank goodness Connie James wouldn’t cause her any more problems. And she got a proposal from Tom.
She smiled widely and glanced at her mother who mouthed, “Spring.”
“Before planting,” Jessica mouthed back.
Her mother rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she said, “Since we’re all here, let’s eat. Supper’s getting cold.”
Jessica winked at Margaret before she turned to Tom. “I even made apple pie. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will,” Tom replied, returning to her side. “Apple pie is a favorite for us Larsons.”
Jessica hoped she did a good job on the pie. Well, she was about to find out. She glanced at the letter. “Margaret, you’ll have to tell us about this one. Is he the first one who sent a reply?”
“Yes. He’s twenty-two and never been married. He’s been looking to come out west to farm.”
“There’s plenty of good land here,” Tom said. “It rains just fine and there’s plenty of sun, too. The only thing he’ll have to worry about is the wind. Sometimes that can be unforgiving. One year, my pa lost some good corn from wind damage. But there are good and bad things no matter where a person goes.”
“But if you like the one you’re with, it makes it all the better,” Jessica added.
He grinned at her. “No truer words were ever said.”
Blushing, she returned his smile.
Her mother headed for the kitchen. “Well, come along. The food’s not going to come to us.”
The others obeyed and followed her to the kitchen.
Chapter Sixteen
April 5, 1869
Jessica examined her reflection in the mirror. Her wedding dress turned out even better than she’d hoped.
Margaret entered the room. “Here are your flowers.”
Jessica took the red roses and smelled them before she placed them on the chair. “Perfect. And they match those in your dress.” She wrapped a pink ribbon around her hair before she put the veil on her head. “It really is a magical day, Margaret. Just wait until that mail-order husband of yours comes in.”
“Two weeks from now,” her friend said, adjusting the thin material of the veil around Jessica’s shoulders. “I don’t know if I’m ready. All this time I’ve watched you and our other friends getting ready for marriage, and now that it’ll be my turn soon, I’m a nervous wreck.”
“Just wait until your wedding day. It gets worse. I couldn’t eat a thing this morning.”
“No one can tell you’re nervous.”
Wendy entered the small room. “Everyone’s ready. Tom’s got a wide smile on his face. I’ve never seen a happier groom.”
At the mention of his name, Jessica’s cheeks flushed. She couldn’t imagine that there’d been a happier bride either, but she kept the thought to herself. Instead, she picked up the roses. “I’m ready, too.”
She followed her friends out the door and went to the church entryway where the groomsmen waited.
As Joel took Wendy’s arm, he glanced at Jessica and shook his head.
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