Gabrielle: Bride of Vermont (American Mail-Order Bride 14) Read Online Free PDF Page B

through his home. He’d always thought of it as large, and it was, compared to the cabin he’d lived in when he was first married. That cabin outside of Topeka really had been small, but it was all that he and Amanda had needed. She’d given birth to Buck, their only son, in it, and they’d lived there until she’d fallen off the horse that caused her death.
    As he thought about the woman, a complete stranger, who was coming to live with him, it crossed his mind that she might not think his home was much to look at.  After all, she was a city girl. Would she expect a fancy house? In the letter he’d told her it was a large house. He stood now, slowly walking around, wondering if maybe his choice of words might have given off the wrong impression.
    He was thankful they’d added indoor plumbing years ago. The little room had more than a toilet; thank goodness for that. On a whim, he’d decided a bathtub would be nice to have, so he’d purchased one. Buck had enjoyed playing in it when they’d first installed it, when it was still a novelty. Boone shook his head at the memory of Buck when he was around thirteen years old. Getting him to bathe back then had been just shy of a miracle.
    Buck had done quite a bit of growing up since that time. Boone walked into his son’s bedroom. It still didn’t look right to him. It wasn’t just that Buck had moved out. It was fairly clean. There weren’t piles of dirty clothing and random instruments strewn about anymore. No guitar, no banjo, no harmonica. It was too neat to be Buck’s room. At least the old quilt on the bed remained, as well as some odds and ends that had long since lost their appeal for a young man. When she came to live in his home, the woman could take over this room and give it some feminine touches. It should do just fine for her.
    Boone took a few steps down the hall toward the back of the house and turned into his own room. It was much larger than Buck’s. A little messier now, too. He tried to see what the woman, his wife, would see. At the thought of the word “wife,” Boone sat on the bed, then slowly laid down on his back and stared at the ceiling.
    Amanda, dear. I’m sorry. You know I’ll never stop loving you or missing you. It’s just that I’m lonely, and it’s too quiet around here with Buck grown and gone. I thought I’d be able to live out the rest of my life without ever remarrying, but I just can’t do it. Forgive me, darling. I promise she’ll never take your place. I hope she’ll be a partner and maybe even a friend, but she’ll never replace you. You still occupy the part of my heart that was capable of true love.
    He walked back to Buck’s room. The woman would likely own more clothing than he. More things for sure. Girls had perfume and hairbrushes and stuff like that. She’d probably need more space than he did. Impulsively, he decided he’d take Buck’s room and give her the larger one and hurried to begin moving his clothes. He wouldn’t worry about fancying it up. She could do all that once she settled in and decided what she’d need and would want to make herself feel comfortable.
    He’d leave some of his collections exactly where they were, though. After all, she might appreciate having some of them. The glass jars on the shelf would probably appeal to a woman.
    When he finished all he could think to do, he was pleased with himself. He’d be leaving first thing Monday morning to fetch her from Wiggieville and he was ready.
     
    *******
     
    After church service the next morning, Boone remained and helped tidy up as had become his custom over the years.
    Clyde’s wife, Mattie, approached him. “So, tomorrow is the big day. Is that right?”
    Boone smiled sheepishly. “Yes, ma’am. Hard to believe, isn’t it?”
    “Are you sure you don’t want me to come out and give you a hand getting your place ready for her? I really don’t mind.”
    “Well, thanks, Mattie. I think I’m ready for her. I’ve made a