Mail Order Maternity (Brides of Beckham Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page A

problem.”
    Thomas stood staring off into the distance.  Now the question was did he even want to marry a woman who was pregnant with another man’s baby?  Would he feel like he was doing something wrong every time he touched her?  “You think I should do it?”  He valued his brother’s advice more than any other man he’d ever met.
    “Can’t answer that.  You lonely?  Want a wife?”
    Thomas nodded.  “Yup.”
    “Then do it.  At least you know she can have kids.”
    Thomas looked down at the folded letter in his hands, wondering just what the right thing to do was.  He wondered how he’d feel if he died and knew his wife was pregnant and desperate enough she had to become a mail order bride?  He’d want a good man to marry her and take care of her.  He didn’t know the man she’d married, but he could do something good for him anyway.  “I’m gonna do it.”
    “Good.  Stay for supper.”
    Thomas nodded, and knelt on the ground and started pulling up weeds.  If he was going to stay for supper and get a good home-cooked meal, the least he could do was help his brother work for the rest of the day. 
    He’d make the thirty mile ride into town the next day and send for his new bride.  He just hoped she was pretty enough to make up for the fact that she was pregnant.
     
    *****
     
    During the month since Charlie had died, Esther had made a point of visiting with Harriett every morning after she sold her surplus eggs.  Her father-in-law had taken the farm over and was working it as hard as Charlie ever had.  He’d hired a couple of men to work his own land while he worked his son’s.  If her mother-in-law was going to come for a visit, she always came in the mornings, so Esther made a point of being out of the house whenever possible.
    On a Wednesday in early July, she made the walk to Harriett’s house with her empty egg basket as usual.  She still missed Charlie with everything inside her, but she knew she had done the right thing by responding to Thomas’s letter.  Her baby needed to have a father.
    She was far enough along that the morning sickness had started.  Esther wanted to laugh at the term morning sickness.  It was more like all day long sickness.  It was morning, noon, and night sickness.  It was look at a small piece of food that you needed to eat to nourish your unborn child and get sick sickness.  She’d vomited more times within the past two weeks than she had in the rest of her life put together.
    When she got to Harriett’s house, she knocked on the door with absolute confidence.  She knew now she’d be accepted immediately.  When the door was answered, she smiled up at the tall slim man.  “Good morning, Higgins!  Is she in her office?”  She loved visiting with Harriett.  As soon as she left her house for the day, she began anticipating the next trip to town to see her friend.
    Higgins nodded and opened the door wide for her.  She walked back through the house and stood outside the closed door of Harriett’s office.  “Are you up for tea and cookies this morning, Mrs. Perry?”
    Esther put her hand on her stomach and shook her head.  “No cookies for me this morning, but I’d love some tea.”  Tea was one of the few things she could drink that didn’t make her sick.
    “I’ll bring it straight away.”
    “Thank you!”  She opened the door to Harriett’s office without knocking, something she did on a regular basis, and saw her friend’s face go from sadness to a smile in seconds.
    “I’m so glad you’re here.”  Harriett held up a letter.  “Look what we got today!” 
    Esther stared at the envelope, not certain if the pounding in her chest was from dread or excitement.  She was ready to leave Beckham and start her new life, but she wasn’t ready to be married to a total stranger.  Maybe he’d said no.  “What does it say?”
    Harriett shook her head.  “I don’t open other people’s mail.  You’ll have to see for