A Husband for Margaret Read Online Free PDF

make
cookies?”
    “ Well, yes, she did mention
making those too,” Joseph said.
    “ And I bet she won’t burn
‘em like Pa does,” Bob told Doug.
    “ That wasn’t my fault,”
Joseph inserted. “If I hadn’t been changing a diaper and trying to
break up you two fighting, those cookies would’ve been just fine.
Now sit down and get ready to eat.”
    They obeyed him.
    “ We’ll be real good, Pa,”
Doug assured him. “Don’t you worry none.”
    Joseph could only hope they would
follow through on that promise. The last thing he wanted to do was
scare Margaret off.
    ***
    Margaret got out of Jessica’s buggy and
scanned the Larson property. The men were hard at work in the
fields with their horses and plows. She looked at her friend who
set the brake. “Do you like being out on a farm?”
    “ It’s alright,” Jessica
replied. “It’s more work than being in town was, but it’s good
work. It certainly beats having to be with Peter and his dreadful
mother.” She smiled and looked out in the distance. “I do enjoy
being with Tom.”
    She rolled her eyes but grinned. “I
know. He’s all you talk about.”
    “ Oh, I talk about other
things.”
    “ Really?”
    “ Sure. Didn’t I just mention
working on a farm and Peter and his mother?”
    “ Because I asked a
question.”
    “ Well, not everyone hides
their enthusiasm as well as you do.”
    Margaret waited for Jessica to get out
of the buggy before she said, “I show my feelings.”
    “ Yes, but no one would know
you’re excited about today.” Jessica nudged her in the side. “It’s
alright for you to look excited.”
    She shrugged.
    “ I hope you let Joseph know
you enjoy being with him. Men need to know we like having them
around.”
    Margaret sighed. “I don’t
know.”
    Jessica gave her a good look. “You
don’t know what? Are you having doubts about him?”
    “ No, it’s not that.” Unable
to look her friend in the eye, she studied her fingernails. “He
almost seems too good to be true, that’s all. I can’t help but feel
that something bad is going to happen.”
    “ Well, there are four
boys.”
    “ It’s not even that.” She
took a deep breath and set her hands at her sides so she’d stop
picking at her nails. She hated that nervous habit. “It’s just...
It’s going too smoothly, don’t you think?”
    “ Seriously, Margaret.”
Jessica chuckled. “You are the only person I know who can’t accept
the fact that something good is happening to her. You need to
lighten up. Not everything is gloom and doom. Why, you have me for
a friend, and we’ve known each other since
kindergarten.”
    “ Yes, but everything good
happens to you. You’re like a good luck charm. You smile and the
sun shines.”
    Jessica laughed even harder.
    Breaking into a sly smile, she pointed
to the sky. “Oh look. That cloud is leaving. Jessica laughed, so
it’s time to make more room for the sun.”
    “ So that’s why I’m your
matron of honor at your wedding. You want to make sure it doesn’t
rain.”
    They paused while Joel approached them.
“I came to take care of the horses,” he said.
    “ Thank you,” Jessica
replied.
    They watched in silence as he unhitched
the steeds.
    He glanced over at them with an uneasy
expression on his face. “You weren’t talking about me, were
you?”
    Jessica blinked. “Of course not, Joel.
We were just discussing some personal things.”
    Still looking uncertain, he nodded and
took the animals to the pasture.
    Margaret raised an eyebrow. “You know
he’s going to spend the rest of the day wondering if we were
talking about him.”
    Jessica’s eyes widened. “I assured him
we weren’t.”
    “ He didn’t believe
you.”
    She sighed and shrugged. “I can’t help
what he does or doesn’t think.” She waved her hand in his
direction. “He’ll be fine.” Taking her friend by the elbow, she led
her to the porch. “Aren’t you glad we’re here? You’ll get to see
Joseph.”
    She cleared her