To Have and To Hold Read Online Free PDF

They had two children, after al , but she couldn’t bring
    herself to expose anything personal to him, at least not yet.
    He came back into the room with two cups. “I brought you some water.” He set them on the
    dresser and started to unbutton his shirt.
    Furrowing her eyebrows, she said, “I thought you were going to get the kerosene lamp.”
    He paused on the fourth button of his shirt and sighed. “Right. I was going to do that. I’l be
    right back.”
    As he left the room a second time, she couldn’t help but giggle. And here she thought she was
    the one with the memory problem. Laughing helped her relax so that by the time Dave returned
    with the lamp, she wasn’t as nervous as before.
    “I even remembered the matches,” he proudly stated as he set them by the lamp on the
    dresser. “Would you like me to light it?”
    “No. I just want to go to sleep.”
    He nodded and shut the bedroom door. “It’s been a long day.” As he resumed the task of
    unbuttoning his shirt, he asked, “Do you stil feel alright?”
    “You asked me that a moment ago.”
    He shrugged out of his shirt. “I know, but I worry about you.”
    When he pul ed his undershirt over his head, her cheeks grew warm and she averted her gaze
    from him. Surely, he didn’t intend to get completely undressed in front of her! She chanced a
    glance in his direction and saw him unbuttoning his pants.
    “I was going to ask you if you wanted to visit my sisters, but I suspect they’l be coming out
    tomorrow to see how you’re doing. Maybe they’l say or do something that wil spark a
    memory.”
    She watched as he took off his pants and socks. How could he undress in front of her as if it
    was no big deal? Wel , of course, it wasn’t a big deal. Not to him. He probably did this out of
    habit. Even so, she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t see if he took off his underwear.
    She heard him walk across the room and then felt the bed shift as he settled next to her. Since
    her back was to him, she opened her eyes, glad the daylight was quickly fading into night. Now
    if she had to rol onto her back or anything, he wouldn’t be able to see her.
    “Can I hold you?” he whispered. “Ever since we’ve been married, I got used to holding you at
    night. I don’t know if I can sleep otherwise.”
    She glanced over her shoulder so she could look at him, surprised he wanted to hold her when
    it was warm in the room. Was it wise to let a man who was either ful y naked, or almost
    naked, hold her in bed? She saw the hopeful look in his eyes and it occurred to her how much
    it would mean to him if she said yes. “You can hold me.”
    He smiled and snuggled up to her, pressing her back against his chest. “Thank you.”
    She expected the experience to be an awkward one, but it wasn’t. In fact, it was comfortable,
    as if she was supposed to be in his arms. She even remembered that being with him like this in
    the past had been peaceful.
    After a couple of minutes, she closed her eyes. The breeze drifting in through the open window
    did cool her off as she’d hoped. As she was drifting off to sleep, she heard him murmur, “ I love
    you, Mary.” Her skin warmed in pleasure, and though she was now wide awake because of his
    words, she didn’t mind it.

    ***
    The next day just as Mary was col ecting dishes to wash after lunch, there was a knock at the
    front door. While Dave and Isaac went to answer it, she placed the remaining plates on the
    worktable. She checked the water in the pot on the cook stove. It wasn’t hot enough yet to
    dump into the two sinks so she turned to Rachel and wiped her hands clean.
    Isaac ran back into the kitchen. “Can I help Pa look for bugs in the corn?”
    Glancing up from Rachel as she wiped her mouth clean, Mary asked, “Shouldn’t you ask him
    that?” After al , she didn’t remember if he usual y did that or not.
    “If you ask him, he’l say yes,” Isaac replied. “He can’t tel you no.”
    Surprised that she