Instant Prairie Family (Love Inspired Historical)

by Navarro, Bonnie

  “Abby, sweet, beautiful, darling Abby,” he whispered, his finger having silenced her ramblings, relishing the feel of her sweet breath across his fingertips. “There is nothing lacking in you. You had my attention from the day you fell into my arms at the train station.”

  “I—I did? But I—”

  “Shush. Yes, you did. I did everything I could to keep from showing you how I felt because I thought you needed to move back East. I thought... I was a fool. Jake and Colin both told me, but I didn’t listen to them. I didn’t believe you could come to love us enough to want to stay. I do love you, Abby. I’ve loved you for a long time. That’s why I wanted you to go, so you would be safe, not because I didn’t care for you or want to be married to you. It was tearing my heart out to even think about letting you go.”

  Her bright eyes turned up to meet his, glinting in the semidarkness of the barn, the lantern he had hung down below sparkling off the green-blue specks in her eyes. Eyes filled with wonder and tears. “You—” she swallowed hard, staring at him “—you said you love me?”

  “Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Hopkins. I love you.” His fingers smoothed over her cheek, tucking her hair back behind her ear. She shuddered, whether it was from his touch or the cold he wasn’t sure. “I’m a fool for not telling you or showing you before. I’ll try and make up for that.”

  He grinned, wondering at how the cold and wind seemed to be in another time and place. Even his throbbing fingers as they thawed out didn’t bother him nearly as much as they normally did. He needed to get her back to the house, back into the warmth of the kitchen and to the rest of their family so they could stop worrying, but he didn’t want to spoil the moment.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered softly, her eyes closed, her face turned away. “I want to be your wife.” Her voice almost inaudible.

  “Do you, Abby?” Will asked, hoping she knew what she was saying. His fingers pulled her face back toward him. “Do you really want to be my wife? To live your life here, with me? To let me love you like a man loves his wife?” He held his breath for her response.

  Instead of words, she nodded. Unable to keep her at arm’s length anymore, he surged up over the lip of the loft and unceremoniously sat on the floor next to her. Without warning, he slid his hands once again over the softness of her cheeks and into her silky hair. Then he guided her lips to his own. Gently at first; he didn’t want to scare her. She was precious to him. So precious he wanted to treat her like fine china. He let his kiss confirm his declaration of love for her. She might not understand how much she moved him or how much he had come to love her yet, but he was bound and determined to show her. It might take years, but someday she would know.

  Finally, his lungs burned for lack of air and he knew he needed to give her a chance to catch up, to tell him to back off if she wanted to. He pulled his head back slightly, his arms around her shoulders, holding her to his heart, right where she belonged. He breathed in the scent of her hair and felt her shudder as he buried his face in the curve of her neck.

  “Abby, we need to get back to the house. You’re gonna catch cold out here and the boys have got to be worried by now.” He sat up slowly. “Now, how did you get up this ladder in those skirts?” he wondered out loud as he started back down.

  Instead of answering, she blushed. He grinned at her sweet innocence. “Here, let me help you.” He showed her how to sit on the edge and find her footing as she turned. He let his body serve to protect her as they backed down the ladder, her back to his chest, his arms around her. A foreshadowing of how he would protect her in any way he could from now on. Once on the floor, he stepped back and waited for her to turn away from the ladder, right into his arms.

  “Oh, I’m sorry—”

  He stopped her apology midsentence with a kiss. Good thing Gerty started nibbling at his hat or he might have kept Abby there for a long time. Placing a final kiss on her nose, he sighed as he turned her around. “Let’s go see what your boys are up to, Mrs. Hopkins.”

  Tucking her under his arm, he led her out of the barn, stopping only to put out the lantern and to bar the door. As they entered the kitchen, both boys raced up and tugged on her, pulling off her gloves and peppering her with questions.

  “Did you get lost?”

  “Did you go sledding?”

  “Are you all right?”

  “When are we going to eat dinner? I’m hungry.”

  Laughing, she smiled down at them. “One thing at a time, boys. I went out to the barn and couldn’t get back right away. We’ll eat as soon as I can get the table set and the food out of the oven. Go wash up while I get out of my coat.”

  Jake stood by the table, grinning from ear to ear. When Will looked at his nephew, the boy had the audacity to wink and nod as if in approval. “Auntie Abby, is there anything I can do to help?”

  “You never call her ‘auntie,’ just Abby,” Tommy corrected.

  “Well, she’s my uncle’s wife now, so she’s my auntie, as well, I figure.” Jake smiled at her surprise and stared to set the table.

  Abby’s eyes shone with happiness as she rushed around getting dinner on the table. Will watched her from a corner of the kitchen, a cup of tea warming his hands, and felt his heart expand with love for this beautiful housekeeper who came to keep his house and ended up capturing his heart.

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  As soon as Will walked into the kitchen, Abby snatched the telegram from his hand and tore into it. He inhaled the fresh scent of his wife as he circled her small waist with his big arms. Pillowing his chin on her head, he gazed out to the barnyard from the kitchen window. He had gone over to Colin’s homestead early in the morning to help Colin clear a field, and Colin had given him the telegram that had come to the church the day before. It was almost dusk and there were chores to do, but for just a moment, he held his wife close. Spring was forcing its way into their beloved prairie. Snow was melting, leaving puddles of mud and slush everywhere. But there was a promise of new things as green shoots started to push out of the frozen ground.

  Ma and Pa had sent word that they planned to come out for a visit later in the summer. His poor, sweet wife had been in a flutter for days after the letter arrived. Abby foolishly worried they wouldn’t like her. If only she knew how much they already loved her.

  “Um, Will?”

  “Yes, sweetheart?” he answered absentmindedly, his thoughts still on her meeting his parents.

  “Remember about how I talked with you about an addition?” she asked, her voice sounding pinched.

  They had lain in bed one night last week, talking about how they could expand the house if they added to their family. It was Abby’s desire to have more children and Will couldn’t have been more pleased. He wondered if there would be time to put a full addition on before his folks arrived with all the work that it took to get the fields planted. But they hadn’t come to any decisions, except one. He and Jake had finally opened the door to Mathew and MaryAnn’s room after so many years. Abby had cleaned it and Will suspected she was sewing a quilt to put on the bed for when his parents arrived. If they already had a room for his parents, why would she be talking again of expansion so soon unless...?

  “Yesterday you said that you weren’t...” he started, spinning her in his arms, his hand going to her flat belly, expecting to see her eyes alight with joy. Instead she looked worried.

  “It’s not that. The telegram is from my niece, Megan. She said she’ll be arriving April fifth with her sisters and brothers for a visit.”

  Will studied Abby and then pulled her closer to the table, sitting on the closest chair and tugging her on to his lap. “So why the worried look?” he whispered against her ear. She shivered and he sensed she needed his reassurance.

  “It’s just that your parents are coming in a couple of months and I wanted t
o have everything ready for them. Now, what are they going to think about your wife who comes and brings all her family along, as well?”

  “They’ll love her all the more when they see how good she has been to their son and grandsons. Don’t worry about the space. We’ll figure something out. How many kids are there anyway?”

  “There’s Megan, Hanna, Peter, Harold and Katie.” She leaned back into his arms and he smoothed his thumb over her elbow.

  “We can have the boys sleep together and the girls can share Jake’s room. He can take the parlor. My folks can still have Mathew and MaryAnn’s room. See, honey, it’ll all work out.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead.

  “Will.” She sat up a little straighter. “Today is the third.”

  “That means they’ll arrive the day after tomorrow. I’ll go get them,” he promised, wishing he could do more to reassure Abby.

  “Thank you, Will.” She ran her fingers over his rough cheek, sending a shiver down his back. “I think God’s blessed me so much more than He’s blessed you. He gave me an instant prairie family.” She punctuated her statement with a kiss, but before he could return the favor, small footsteps thundered into the room.

  “Ma, I’m hungry. You ever gonna stop smooching with Pa and make dinner?” Tommy demanded, pulling at her arm.

  “I think you’re just jealous,” she teased with a glint in her eyes. “Come here and I’ll kiss you, too!” To which Tommy ran shrieking, only to collapse in a puddle of giggles when Abby caught him in the living room and peppered his face with butterfly kisses.

  “Young man, you’d better be nice to my wife. You hear?” Will pretended to be stern, masking his smile behind his hand.

  “You can have her. I don’t like yuckie slobbery kisses. Uck!” Tommy yelled just before he broke out in a gale of giggles again.

  “I’m gonna go see about my chores, Abby,” Will announced from the doorway to the front room, smiling at his wife and son playing so contentedly.

  “Hurry back, dinner’s almost ready.” Abby came into the room and stole another kiss from him, one he forfeited gladly. “I love you, Mr. Hopkins.”

  How could he have possibly thought he could let her walk away? “I love you too, Mrs. Hopkins.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of A Baby Between Them by Winnie Griggs!

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so glad you chose to read Instant Prairie Family. As I first sat down to write about Abby’s journey, I prayed God would use her story to touch others’ hearts and lives. Hopefully, you smiled (if you didn’t laugh out loud) with some of Tommy’s antics or maybe Willy’s I-know-everything attitude. As much as I wanted to entertain you, I also hoped you could identify with Abby and her need to be loved. I suspect all of us can relate to the fact that life never plays out as we expect.

  Only by trusting God to have a bigger and better plan than the one we have for ourselves can we face the bumps along the way. Jeremiah 29:11 and 12 are some of my favorite verses and played in my head as Abby’s mantra as her story took shape. “‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ saith the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.’”

  My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you may know the peace and fulfillment of being loved by God. He loves you more than anyone else ever will. I hope His love is the refuge you seek, just like Abby did, when life doesn’t give you what you expect. I pray God will use my humble, often inadequate words to minister to your life. If you have never taken the opportunity to accept Jesus as your Savior like little Tommy did, do it today. No matter where life may have led you, you are not alone. God is waiting to answer your prayers and be your comfort. Seek Him in the Bible. He longs to chat with you today.

  May you be wise and number your days. May God bless you richly.

  I look forward to meeting up again with you, sometime soon. Maybe when Abby’s nieces and nephews arrive. Until then, you can contact me c/o Love Inspired Books at 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279. Or email me at bonnie12navarro@gmail.com.

  In Christ,

  Bonnie Navarro

  Questions For Discussion

  Abby flees her sister’s home thinking she is coming to live with a widow. When she learns of her misunderstanding, what does she do? What should she have done? What would you have done if you were in her place?

  Will almost sends Abby back. Why didn’t he want her to stay? What should he have done?

  Have you ever had to face something unknown? Moved to a new place, changed jobs, tried something new? How did it help you grow? Did it strengthen or hurt your walk with God?

  I love to read historical fiction but must confess I like my indoor plumbing, central heat and air, cell phones and computers…. What part of your life now (creature comforts) would you find the hardest to give up if you were to go back in time and live as the sodbusters did?

  Caroline, Will’s first wife, was obviously a bitter woman. Do you think she was always like that or did it happen over time? What kind of legacy did she leave her children and those around her?

  Is there someone in your life who once said something to wound your spirit like Caroline did to both Will and Jake? Have you come to the point of forgiving them? Do you know that God sees you as His son or daughter, holy, precious and worthy of love? Have you ever been guilty of being a “Caroline,” letting your bitterness poison those around you?

  Why do you think Will was jealous of Colin? Did Colin purposefully do anything to provoke Will? Do you think Colin was interested in Abby? Why or why not?

  Will debated sending his boys back to the East so his parents could raise them and give them a better education. Do you think it would have been better for the boys? What would they have gained? What would they have lost? Why didn’t he send them back? What was his true motivation?

  Colin preached about numbering one’s days. What did he mean by that? In our modern, chaotic world, is it possible to number our days? If you adopted that custom, how would it change the way you live? Would it have an impact on other people’s lives around you? Why or why not?

  Colin also preached on faith as being something we hope for but sometimes don’t see in this lifetime. Can you relate to this? Have you ever had hopes crushed and realized you won’t see the attainment of your dreams until you are face-to-face with your maker? How did that make you feel? Did it inspire you to press on or give up?

  What was Will’s biggest obstacle in letting Abby close? What was he trying to do by sending her away? What lies did Abby believe about herself? Why?

  Do you think that Abby will make a good farm wife or will the harsh climate, hard conditions and loneliness break her down after a few years? What other things could change her opinion of the prairie? Do you think Will really would have moved to the city if she had wanted him to? Do you think they should move?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical story.

  You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

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  Chapter One

  Faith Glen, Massachusetts, August 1850

  Nora Murphy looked at her two younger sisters across the room and tamped down the pinprick of jealousy that tried to intrude on her joy at their good fortune.

  After all, this was her sister Bridget’s wedding day to Will Black, a good and honorable man who loved her dearly. Everyone in town was gathered to celebrate here at Will’s home—Bridget’s home now, too. It was a joyous occasion and it would be selfish to put her own feelings above her sister’s.

  So what if just a scant month ago Maeve, the youngest, had also married a wonderful man? No matter how it felt, Nora assured herself, it wasn’t truly pitiable to be the oldest and the only one still single and with no marriage prospects. After all, at twenty-five she had a few years left to her before she’d have to don her spinster cap.

  Strange how in just a little over two months—a seeming eyeblink of time—her whole world had changed. Back then they’d lived in Ireland amidst the terrible burdens of the potato famine and the sickness that had taken so many of their friends and neighbors, and finally their beloved da. Suddenly orphaned and facing eviction, they’d been left all but destitute and desperate. The startling discovery of a possible inheritance across the ocean in America from an old suitor of their mother’s had been an answered prayer. She, Bridget and Maeve had left their homeland, headed for the land of promise with only their faith and the hope of finding a new home in the small town of Faith Glen, Massachusetts, to keep their spirits up.