A Bride for Adam

by Barbara Goss

  “Just when I visit Levi.”

  Bethany tossed the doll into Adam’s lap and crawled up on the sofa beside him. “Dolly wants you to hold her.”

  Adam picked up the doll. “She’s a very pretty doll. I bet you take her to bed with you at night.”

  Bethany nodded.

  Adam looked at Greta. “I wondered if you and Bethany would like to go on a picnic with me today. I was thinking the pond on the other side of the woods.”

  Greta’s mouth seemed to be poised to make an excuse.

  Bethany jumped up and down on the sofa. “Yeth! Yeth! A pic-a-nic!”

  Adam and Greta laughed at Bethany, but then Greta sobered and said, “I wish you’d asked me first. I really don’t think—”

  “Dolly wants to come, too,” Bethany said.

  Greta sighed. “I guess now I have to say yes. Next time could you ask me first?”

  Adam shrugged. “How could I when you both came down together?”

  Greta stood. “I’ll let Annie know we won’t be eating lunch at home.”

  Chapter Six

  Adam saddled their horses.

  Greta came out of the house with Bethany and gave him a troubled look.

  He mounted his horse and put his arms out to Bethany, who let him lift her onto the horse.

  “Bethany’s never ridden on a horse,” Greta said. “Couldn’t we take the buggy?”

  “Not through the fields and woods. She’ll be fine. I’ll hold her tight.”

  Greta bit her lip. “Please, be careful.”

  “I wouldn’t let anything happen to her,” Adam said.

  He gave his horse a gentle nudge and led them through the fields while Bethany said, “Go horsey, go.”

  Adam found them a spot near the pond beneath a shade tree. He waited for Greta to dismount, and he handed Bethany to her, slid from his mount, and untied the picnic basket from the back of his horse.

  Greta opened the basket, took out the tablecloth, and spread it out on the grass.

  Bethany plopped down on it. “I’m hungry.”

  Adam tied the horses while Greta removed the food. When Adam joined them, Greta said, “My, you’ve thought of everything.” She opened a cloth napkin filled with sugar cookies painted with frosting faces.

  “I wish I could take credit, but Tilde packed the lunch. She knows what her great-granddaughter likes,” Adam said, sitting next to Bethany. “The small sandwich is Bethany’s.”

  Greta handed the small sandwich to Bethany.

  “Tilde said she likes cheese, but not ham.”

  After they’d eaten their sandwiches, Greta gave Bethany one of the colorful cookies. “Your grandmother is spoiling you, Bethany.”

  “Which one?”

  “Both, I’m afraid.”

  “I think it’s important for a child to be loved by someone other than parents. It gives them confidence and a strong self-image.”

  “I have to agree. Tilde gave me that and more,” Greta said.

  “What happened to your parents that you came to live with Tilde, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Greta leaned back against the tree. “I was born in Pennsylvania. My father was from Fort Worth, but he met my mother during the Civil War. They settled in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he worked in the coal mines. Then, on October 4, 1877, a Pickering Valley train fell from a washed-out embankment near Kimberton, Pennsylvania, killing my parents and my brother, James.”

  “You weren’t with them?”

  “No. They were going to a family reunion, and I’d come down with measles. I had to stay at home with the widow next door.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Greta’s eyes filled with tears, and she jumped up and worked to put the remains of the picnic into the basket. “Yes, it was a horrible time for me, but after being shifted from one relative to the next, Tilde came to bring me to Fort Worth. I was thirteen at the time.” Greta smiled. “Tilde has been and is a wonderful grandmother. She made a good life for me. No one works harder than Tilde. She even took an extra job as a cleaner at the church to give me everything I could possibly want. I thank God for her every night.”

  “She’s a remarkable woman,” Adam said.

  Bethany jumped up and headed straight for the pond. “Birdie!”

  Adam whisked her up and swung her onto his shoulders. “You need a grown-up with you to go near the water, Beth.”

  Adam stood near the shore, and they watched a duck floating on the pond. “That’s a duck.”

  He turned to see Greta sitting on the tablecloth, watching them.

  Adam removed Bethany’s shoes and stockings and brought her to the pond to get her feet wet. She laughed and splashed in the shallow water while Adam held her hand.

  He brought her back to the tablecloth, used a cloth napkin to dry her feet, and put her stockings and shoes back on. “There you go,” he said, and he kissed her cheek. He looked at Greta. “She’s already stolen my heart.”

  ~~~***~~~

  Greta tossed and turned that night in bed. She didn’t know what to make of Adam. He seemed happy enough away from the sea. Did he really plan on staying? Or would he soon tire of Fort Worth and go back to the sea? She had to protect her heart and Bethany’s.

  Every time their eyes met she felt her pulse quicken. She knew if she let herself, she’d fall hard for Adam, and she had to be sure he meant to stay on land before she allowed herself to go where her heart beckoned.

  Every time Greta went into town, she ran into Miles Tanner, who worked at the lumberyard. He seemed anxious to court her and kept asking if her annulment had come through yet. What would happen if she let him court her? What might Adam do? How might her in-laws react? She’d probably have to leave the delightful home which had been built for her and Seth and was supposed to now be for her and Adam. She knew she was always welcome to live with Tilde in her small cottage, but taking Bethany from the Sutherland’s would be heart-wrenching. She’d have to assure them they could see her at any time.

  Adam had asked her to dine with him at the hotel. What if they ran into Miles?

  Greta punched her pillow and tried to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She’d led a rather sheltered life and wasn’t used to making big decisions or facing any problems bigger than what to make for dinner.

  Dinner at the hotel was delightful. Adam ordered them both a thick steak. She tried to keep her eyes on her plate as she melted whenever she looked into his dark eyes. Greta wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. She wouldn’t, of course; at least not until she knew if he planned to stay on land.

  She finally asked him, “Do you plan to go back to sea?”

  Adam seemed to take forever to answer. “I guess that depends on how things play out here.”

  “I understand you love the sea. I’ve wondered how long you’ll be able to stay away from it.”

  “I could. That run-in with the pirates sort of soured me on sailing, but if things don’t work out here, I may go back.”

  “Things…meaning?”

  “You and I, of course.” He took a long look at her before continuing. “If you decide to run off with Miles Tanner, I may just return to the sea because there would be nothing here for me, then.”

  “What would you do for a living if you stayed in Fort Worth?”

  “I’d buy a business in town.”

  “What kind of business would you choose?”

  Adam tapped his chin in thought. “I like horses. I could start a horse breeding ranch, or I could take over running the family’s shipping company. I’d need to take a few trips to Philadelphia a year, but it would be better than being away at sea.”

  Greta liked his answers—they gave her hope. “What’s it like sailing on a ship? Do you ever get bored?”

  “It’s never boring—relaxing, maybe, at times. Sleeping with the roil of the waves is soothing. Waking up and going up on deck to see the sun gleaming on the waves is breathtaking. Nothing is more peaceful than earl
y morning on a ship. Later, it gets noisy when all the hands are working the sails and such. I guess mornings and nights are my favorites aboard a ship.”

  He still yearned for it. She could tell by the excitement in his voice and the sparkle in his eyes when he spoke of the sea and the ship.

  “Does your ship have a name?” she asked.

  “I named her Eve. We bought her used. The name painted on her side was The Everest, so I painted over all but the ‘Eve.’”

  Greta laughed. “Adam’s Eve.”

  When the couple walked back to Adam’s buggy, he took her hand in his, looked down at her, and said, “This was the most pleasant evening I’ve ever had.”

  She smiled up at him. “It was pleasant, wasn’t it?” She pulled her hand from his and he helped her into the buggy.

  When they were almost home, he pulled the buggy to a stop. “Greta, please reconsider the annulment.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “I want to keep my family together. I think we could make a good team, and I love Bethany.”

  “That’s very noble of you, but it takes more than that to make a marriage. What about love?” Greta was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see her blush at the words.

  “Love would come, I’m sure of it. You have to water a garden to make the plants grow; we’d need to work at it.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “For a start...like this.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  Greta’s heart thumped in her chest, and it took every bit of control she had to not react to the kiss or return it. “I think we’d better get home so I can tuck Bethany in.”

  Adam stared at her as if he couldn’t believe his kiss had no effect on her. “Yes, ma’am.“ Adam slapped the reins, and the buggy jerked forward toward home.

  ~~~~***~~~~

  When Adam went into the house, his parents were sitting before the fireplace, sipping tea.

  Rhea stood when she saw him. “How was your evening?”

  Adam shrugged. “It was pleasant.”

  “Rhea,” Sam said, “leave him be.”

  Rhea moved to stand in front of Adam. “How are you two hitting it off?”

  “Rhea,” Sam warned again.

  Rhea ignored her husband. “Tell me. I need to know. The whole situation concerns all of us.”

  Adam sighed and sat down on the sofa.

  Rhea sat beside him. “Is she warming up to you?”

  “No, she isn’t. I’m thinking she cares for this Tanner fellow.”

  Rhea looked down at her lap. “Oh, dear. That’s not good. Have you tried to get close to her?”

  “Dear Mother,” Adam said, taking her hands in his, “I know how you want things to go, but it might be too late. I kissed her, and it seemed to mean nothing to her. I won’t try that again.”

  “Blast that Tanner!” Rhea said.

  Adam stood. “I think we all need to pray about the situation, and let God do the rest. I’m going up to bed.” He went upstairs, leaving Rhea with her head in her hands.

  “Sam, we need a plan.”

  Chapter Seven

  Sam and Adam sat down to breakfast. “I have bad news, son.”

  Adam had been about to take a bite of toast, but he dropped it onto his plate and rolled his eyes. “Now what?”

  “We need to get a shipment of cotton from South Carolina to Liverpool. There’s only one ship in the dock and it’s yours. All of our other ships are in transit. The cargo is worth a lot of money. Could you possibly do this one job for me?”

  Adam—who had brought the toast back to his mouth—dropped it back onto his plate. “No, I can’t. I have just a few weeks to win Greta over before the annulment is final. She’s already fearing I’ll go back to the sea.”

  Rhea entered the room. “I have the perfect solution.”

  Adam rolled his eyes again and finally took a bite of his toast. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Rhea sat beside him and touched his arm. “You can take Greta with you. It would be cozy. Just the two of you on a cruise—it might spark a romance.”

  “Just the two of us and a whole crew.” Adam laughed sarcastically. “I can’t see that as romantic.”

  Sam said, “Take a skeleton crew. It’s a short jaunt, and you won’t be hauling anything on the trip back.”

  Rhea squeezed Adam’s arm. “It would be perfect. It will give you both a chance to get acquainted without Tanner or anyone else interfering.”

  Adam raised one eyebrow. “What about Bethany?”

  “We’d keep her, of course.”

  Adam laughed. “I doubt you’ll convince Greta to leave her daughter for that long.”

  Sam spoke up. “Your clipper can make the trip from Charlestown to Liverpool in two weeks if you get a good head wind. Eve’s our fastest ship. The trip home, even without cargo, will take you about eight to ten days, so you’d only be gone a little over three weeks, four at the most.”

  Adam took a long sip of his coffee. “I’ll agree to take the job if you can convince Greta to go along. If she doesn’t, then I refuse. I really need to stay and fight for her. I’ve even been thinking of buying a business here, in Fort Worth, to convince her I aim to stay.”

  Rhea looked at Sam. When he nodded, she said, “If you take this trip, we’ll pay for half of whatever business you decide to buy.”

  Adam shook his head. “Not unless you can convince Greta to come along.”

  Rhea grimaced. “I’ll have to think of something. This won’t be easy, especially if she has a thing for this Tanner fellow.”

  “I think she’ll argue that she can’t leave Bethany for that long,” Sam said.

  “Are you adamant about winning Greta because you’re in love with her?” Rhea asked with a hopeful look.

  “Love? No,” Adam said. “I hardly know her. It’s because of my promise to Seth. I stood at his grave and promised him I’d take over where he left off and rear his child as my own.”

  Rhea gave him a thoughtful look. “And are you willing to stay on land for as many years as that takes?”

  “Yes. If I get involved with a business it will take my mind off of the sea,” Adam answered.

  Adam tapped his chin. The more he thought about taking Greta on his clipper, the more he liked the idea. “Mother, I’ll let you off the hook. Let me convince Greta to go sailing with me.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Positive. I have an idea. I’ll need you to sit with Bethany while I take her mother for a buggy ride.”

  ~~~***~~~

  Greta handed Bethany to Rhea. “Be a good girl for Grandmother.” She waved as Rhea carried her daughter across the meadow to the main house. Greta turned and ran into the house and up the stairs to dress for her outing with Adam.

  She enjoyed her outings with Adam against her better judgement. If only she was sure he’d stay on dry land, she might cave in and let herself fall in love with him...well, more in love with him. Being with him was as pleasant as it was painful. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and beg for another kiss, only she’d return it this time. The only problem was that she couldn’t. What if she did and he decided to return to the sea? Both she and Bethany would be broken-hearted. She had to be smart about it and keep her daughter’s feelings in mind.

  What had Isaac told her at her wedding to Seth? She tried to recall his exact words: “Adam was born to sail, and he is married to the sea.”

  She slipped on a blue and white striped dress, and Sadie braided her hair and wrapped it around the top of her head like a crown.

  Greta looked at her reflection in the mirror and said, “I like it, Sadie.”

  Sadie beamed. She always appreciated it when Greta complimented her.

  Annie knocked on the door. “Your prince charming has arrived. He’s in the parlor.”

  Once Adam helped Greta into the buggy, he nudged the horse forward.

  “Where are we headed?” she asked.

  “I thou
ght we’d visit the Trinity River. I packed a supper and we can sit on the bluffs and enjoy the view while we eat.”

  Greta couldn’t help but smile. He’d picked one of her favorite places.

  After Greta and Adam had eaten, they sat on a large rock overlooking the river. Adam propped his feet on the large rock in front of him. “Do you like horses?”

  “I love them,” she answered.

  “I could tell.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I was thinking of building a large stable and buying some prime breeding horses. We could sell them by having horse shows and auctions. I’ve seen it done in Philadelphia.”

  Greta loved the idea, but what made him so sure there would be a “we?” She gave him a puzzled look. “We?”

  Adam became animated. “Yes. You and I.”

  “I don’t understand—the annulment is due to be final in a week or two. How can there be a ‘we?’”

  “By a partnership. We don’t have to be married to run a business together. I could live with my folks, and you could stay in your home. We get along well together—what do you say?”

  Greta thought it over. It might work. “And we’d split the profits?”

  “Of course.”

  Greta frowned. “But I don’t have anything to invest in the business.”

  “You could earn it, easily.”

  “How?”

  “My father needs a load picked up in Charleston and taken to Liverpool. The trip would take three weeks to a month. If you go with me and help me make this delivery, you’d be contributing to our partnership.”

  Greta frowned again. He was finding an excuse to go back to sea; she knew it. There was no way she’d go on a ship or leave her daughter for that long. “I’m afraid it won’t work. As much as I love the idea of being your partner in a horse breeding ranch, I have some reservations.”

  “Such as?” he asked.

  “What if I remarry?”

  “We’re business partners. I might marry, too. It would have nothing to do with our business arrangement.”