Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Maddie watched from the door as he said a quick prayer and kissed his daughter on the forehead.
    Samuel walked her to the next room over. “I wasn’t rightly sure how you would feel about Lizzy calling you mama.”
    She smiled up at him. “Isn’t that one of the reasons I’m here?”
    Samuel brought his head down and brushed her lips with his. “Only one of the reasons.”
    ****
    Maddie put on a nightdress and lay down in the bed Samuel normally slept in. She knew, after only one day, she could love this man and his daughter. She wanted to be a part of this family. Would he love her? Would he be happy with her? What if he found out about her deception, would he despise her then? Would he make her leave? The last thing Maddie thought about was how she felt when his lips touched hers.

Chapter FIVE
     
    The wagon was loaded while the stars still twinkled in the sky. Right behind the bench seat Samuel had made a bed out of straw so Lizzy could sleep a few hours more. Bessie had made a breakfast of ham and eggs, fruit and leftover biscuits. Plenty of food had been put in a basket for the trip home, so nobody would get hungry.
    “Bessie, if I lived here I would be fat as an old bullfrog before too long.” Maddie gave the woman a hug goodbye. “Thank you for everything.”
    “No need for thanks and you need to fatten up some. You are a slip of a thing.” She gave Samuel a hug too. “It’ll probably be Thanksgiving afore we see ya’ll again.” She looked at Maddie. “We usually come down at that time and stay through Christmas.”
    Gus slapped his son on the back and gave Maddie a hug, then helped her up on the buckboard, “Perfect time for a wedding if you ask me.”
    “Pa,” Samuel said, clicking the reins to get the horses moving, “that’s exactly what I was chewing on myself.”
    “Are you warm enough?” Samuel asked after they had been on the road for a short while. Before they left his folk’s home, Bessie had noticed the thin wrap Maddie had on. She went inside for one of her coats, insisting she had more coats than she knew what to do with.
    “Oh yes, I’m fine. It was so nice of your mother to allow me to take this.”
    “That’s Ma for you. Always trying to help.” Samuel looked at her and grinned. “I believe she was more excited about you coming than I was. Truth be told, it was her that gave me the idea.” He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead, “and I’m grateful she did.”
    Maddie felt her face flush and was a bit disappointed when he removed his arm. After a few minutes she said, “I was really surprised at how big Iowa City was. Not sure why, I just thought it would be a small town.”
    “Iowa City was the state Capital until 1855. They decided to appoint Des Moines the capital because it was more in the center of the state.”
    “What about West Liberty? Is that a big city also?”
    With that question, Samuel threw his head back and laughed, quickly recovering so as not to wake his daughter. “Oh no. Now there is your small farming town, though it’s growing every day. It became a real town in 1868. When I was just a sprout, it was known as Wapsinonoc Township. The story goes there were many folks coming here from Liberty, Ohio. Everybody wanted to be closer to the railroad, so when the town was relocated, the name was changed to West Liberty. It’s still a small community, which is perfectly fine with me.”
    The sky was turning from black to light gray and many of the stars were starting to fade. “Your pa said you have a sister. Where does she live?”
    “Kate,” Samuel relied. “She’s younger than me by a few years. She’s married to Frank Evans, who has a farm just on the outskirts of town. He specializes in shorthorn cattle.”
    The ride was slow going and the rocking of the wagon lulled her to sleep. When Maddie woke, her head was laying on Samuel’s shoulder, his arm wrapped around her, holding her close. The stars were gone and the sun