To Have and To Hold Read online

  To Have

  And

  To Hold

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not

  intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript

  are solely the opinions of the author and also represent the opinions or thoughts of the

  publisher.

  To Have and To Hold

  Al Rights Reserved.

  Copyright 2012 Ruth Ann Nordin

  V1.0

  Cover Photo images Dreamstime. www.dreamstime.com Al rights r eserved – used with

  permission.

  Cover made by Dara England at http://mycoverart.wordpress.com/.

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means

  including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the

  publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Ruth Ann Nordin Books

  http://www.ruthannnordin.com

  Other Books by Ruth Ann Nordin (In Chronological Order)

  Earls Series (Regencies)

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife (coming soon)

  Nebraska Series (Historical Western Romances)

  Her Heart’s Desire (coming soon)

  A Bride for Tom (novel a)

  A Husband for Margaret (novel a)

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband

  Shotgun Groom

  To Have and To Hold

  His Redeeming Bride

  Isaac’s Decision

  South Dakota Series (Historical Western Romances)

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Montana Grooms Series (Historical Western Romances)

  Mitch’s Win (coming soon)

  Virginia Brides Series (Historical Romances)

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Native American Romance Series (Historical Western Romances)

  Restoring Hope

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love (coming soon)

  A Chance In Time (novel a)

  Other Historical Western Romances

  Fal ing In Love With Her Husband

  Meant To Be (time travel: from present to past)

  Omaha Brides Series (Contemporary Romances)

  With This Ring, I Thee Dread

  What Nathan Wants

  Just Good Friends (coming soon)

  Across the Stares Series (Contemporary Romances)

  Suddenly a Bride

  Christian Sci-Fi Thril er

  Return of the Aliens

  Chapter One

  Omaha, Nebraska

  July 1880

  Mary Larson smiled at her husband who brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. It never

  failed to thril her every time he looked at her the way he was now, as if she was the most

  beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  Dave’s gray eyes twinkled and he scooted closer to her on the porch swing. “I love you. You

  know that, don’t you?” he murmured as he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

  “You must if you’d take a break from working just to tel me that,” she replied, her voice hinting

  the pleasure she felt that he’d do such a thing from time to time.

  Their four-year-old son Isaac was chasing a frog that hopped across the grass, and their

  daughter Rachel was taking a nap. So for the moment, they were alone. Mary leaned into

  Dave and, seeing the kiss coming, she closed her eyes in anticipation.

  He cupped the side of her face with his hand and his lips caressed hers. Content, she

  responded to his kiss and the rest of the world slipped away. This year marked their sixth year

  of marriage, but the time had passed so fast, it seemed like it was only yesterday when she

  came out to Nebraska and he found her at the train station. She loved him from the moment he

  introduced himself and asked her to marry him. It was such an impulsive thing for him to do,

  but he said he knew she’d make him a good wife, and he’d struck her as the kind of man who’d

  treat her wel . Little did she know how wonderful he’d be or that he’d even fal in love with her.

  And now as he parted his lips and she responded in kind, her heart soared at the feel of his

  tongue as it interlaced with hers. In the time she’d lived in Nebraska, her past in Maine faded

  until it was as if it’d never happened, something she was eternal y grateful to Dave for. It

  wasn’t that she didn’t miss her family from time to time, but she was so much happier here.

  Here, she was beautiful, loved, and cherished. Every morning when she woke up, she was

  thankful she’d taken the chance on being a mail-order bride.

  When Dave’s mouth left hers, he left a trail of kisses across her cheek to her ear and down her

  neck. Her skin tingled with delight, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pul him

  closer to her. He tightened his hold on her and brought his mouth back to hers where he was,

  once again, kissing her. But this time, there was no denying the desire simmering just below

  the surface.

  She let out a soft moan, her body responding to him as easily as it always did when he touched

  and kissed her this way. Nothing was better than being swept up in his passionate embrace.

  As she was mental y counting down the hours to when the children would be asleep for the

  night so she and Dave could final y be alone in bed together, something tugged at the hem of

  her dress.

  She ended the kiss and turned her gaze to Isaac who proudly showed her the frog he caught.

  “Can I keep him?”

  “No, honey,” she said as she leaned forward to pat the frog on its head. “He needs to be with

  his family.”

  “He has a family?” Isaac asked.

  “Sure, he does. He’s got a ma and pa and probably some brothers and sisters. He’d miss

  them if you kept him.”

  Dave rubbed her back and said, “Or he might be a pa frog and miss his sons and daughters.”

  “But you can play with him for a bit before you set him free,” she added.

  Looking up at her with blue eyes, Isaac asked, “Can Rachel see him?”

  “Not now. She’s asleep,” she replied.

  Mary noted his disappointment and brushed his dark blond locks. Dave’s hair was a tad lighter

  than their son’s, but anyone could tel by looking at them that they were father and son. Rachel

  was a little more like her with her blue-green eyes and round face, except Rachel inherited the

  Larson good looks, something Mary was grateful for.

  “I have an idea,” Dave said as he stood up. “Let’s go to the barn and see if we can find a box

  to put him in, and then when Rachel wakes up, she can see him. But after that, you need to let

  him go, alright?”

  Isaac’s face lit up and he nodded. Dave winked at Mary and then led their son to the barn.

  Chuckling as Isaac ran to keep up with his father, she remained on the swing for a little longer.

  The tree next to the porch gave her adequate shade this time of day. It was one of the things

  she requested when Dave said it was time to lea
ve their sod house and build one made of

  lumber. Their new house was painted blue with white trim, something Mary had always fancied

  but never thought she’d live in. She glanced at Dave and Isaac who entered the barn. Their

  dog Jasper, who’d been resting by the barn door, got up and fol owed them in.

  Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the summer breeze and swung back and forth for a couple

  minutes. When she heard Dave and Isaac, she opened her eyes and saw that they had left the

  barn with a happy Jasper who walked beside Isaac. Isaac held a box that was half his size and

  struggled with carrying it. His father reached down to help him, but he protested so Dave

  shrugged and waited for him to get a better grip on it. It was so cute to see how much Isaac

  wanted to be able to do the things his pa did.

  With a sigh, she got up from the swing and peered through the open window so she could

  check the clock hanging on the wal . It was almost time to get Rachel up from her nap.

  Figuring it was a good idea to get started on dessert so she could put it in the oven to bake,

  she headed for the front door. As she did, a squirrel darted across the porch and Jasper

  bolted for it. She tried to get out of the way but lost her balance as the squirrel ran under her

  feet. She grabbed for the beam by the porch steps but missed and fel . The world around her

  tilted and her head hit something hard before everything went black.

  ***

  Dave checked out the parlor window to make sure Isaac was staying on the porch before he

  turned back to Mary who remained unconscious on the couch. He went back to her side and

  gently lifted her head. There was a large bump but no bleeding. No bleeding was a good thing,

  right? It meant she was alright. Her breathing was normal and her skin color was good. So

  she was fine. She just had a bump. How many times had he or his brothers gotten a bump

  while growing up?

  Gently setting her head back on the pil ow, he heard Rachel fuss from upstairs. As much as he

  hated to leave Mary, he didn’t see how he had much of a choice. He hurried up the stairs and

  found the seventeen-month-old girl ready to climb out of her crib.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” he kindly admonished as he stopped her.

  He picked her up and realized she needed a new diaper. Frowning, he debated whether to

  wait until Mary woke up or take care of it himself. He’d never changed one before and didn’t

  exactly relish the opportunity to do so now. Mary should do it. She knew what she was doing.

  After he set Rachel down, he took her hand and led her down the stairs.

  “Want to see your ma?” he asked her.

  “Ma. Cookie,” she replied with a large smile on her face.

  He chuckled. If Mary hadn’t been so skil ed in the kitchen, then Rachel might not feel the need

  to mention food every time she spoke about her mother. But it was one of the things Mary was

  known for, so he couldn’t blame the little girl.

  When they reached the parlor, he glanced out the open window where Isaac was showing

  Jasper the frog. “Isaac, why don’t you bring that frog in here and show it to your sister?”

  Hopeful y, Rachel would be entertained enough with the frog so he could focus on Mary.

  “Yes, Pa,” Isaac said and put the frog back into the box.

  Dave strode to the storm door and opened it so Isaac could come into the house. “Rachel,

  check out the frog Isaac caught.”

  “Fog?” Rachel asked from where she stood next to the table.

  “It’s a ‘frog’,” Isaac said as he entered the parlor and set the box on the floor. “And it’s in the

  box.”

  She peered into the box. “Fog.”

  Isaac groaned. “No. It’s frog. Fr… Say ‘fr…’”

  Looking at him, she said, “Fog.”

  Amused, Dave turned back to Mary and tried to figure out what he should do. Maybe a cool,

  wet cloth would help her wake up. Glancing at his children who were touching the frog while

  Isaac continued his vain attempt to teach Rachel how to properly say the word, he headed for

  the kitchen. Once there, he found a dry washcloth and dipped it into the bucket of water

  resting on the worktable. When he returned to the parlor, he saw Mary’s eyelids flutter and

  eagerly sat on the table next to her. He wasn’t sure if he should put the cloth on her forehead

  or not, so he decided to wait and see if she needed it.

  “Mary?” he softly asked as he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

  She stirred and a sigh escaped her lips.

  “Ma?” Rachel left the box and waddled over to Mary. She tapped her mother’s arm. “Ma?”

  “It’s alright, honey,” Dave told his daughter. “She’s waking up. We just need to be patient.” He

  stroked the back of Mary’s hand with his thumb.

  Holding the frog, Isaac walked over to them and leaned toward his mother. “When wil she

  wake up?”

  “She’s waking up right now,” Dave said. “Put that frog back into the box. She doesn’t need

  that thing shoved in her face when she opens her eyes.”

  Isaac hurried to obey his father while Rachel tapped her mother’s arm again.

  “Rachel, I told you not to do that,” he kindly admonished.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s rude to poke people.”

  “Poe?”

  As he thought of how he could explain this to a one-year-old, Mary’s free hand went to her

  forehead and she groaned. He released her other hand and stopped Rachel from poking her

  mother a third time. “Go see the frog. Your mother’s fine. She just needs some space,

  alright?” Turning to Isaac, he added, “Get your sister over to the box.”

  Isaac, who had put the frog back in the box, sighed but went over to her and led her away from

  their parents.

  Relieved, Dave turned back to Mary and, noticing that she had removed her hand from her

  face, placed the cloth to her forehead.

  She opened her eyes then and touched the cloth. Her eyebrows furrowed and she scanned the

  room.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  Her gaze went back to him and she frowned. “Where am I?”

  “In the parlor. You fel down the porch steps and went unconscious, so I brought you in here.

  Do you need anything? Can I get you a glass of water?”

  She swal owed and looked at their children who watched her even though they stayed by the

  box. “I don’t understand…”

  “You were on the porch, turned and fel down the steps. Jasper must have seen you trip or

  something because he ran over to you.”

  “Jasper?”

  He let out a slight chuckle. “Yes. He always seems to be watching over you, doesn’t he?”

  “Who’s Jasper?”

  The chuckle died in his throat and he frowned. “What do you mean ‘who’s Jasper’? He’s our

  dog.”

  “Our dog?” She struggled to sit up, so he got up from the table and helped her. When she

  placed the cloth in her lap, her eyes darted from him to Isaac and then to Rachel. “I don’t see

  a dog.”

  “He’s outside.” He settled next to her and studied her. “Mary, are you alright?”

  Blinking, her head snapped in his direction. “Mary? Is that my name?”

  If she’d been the type to joke, he would have laughed, but the problem was, in al the time he’d

  known her, she wasn’t one to do such a thing. Concerned, he reached for her hand a
nd held

  it. Though she didn’t resist his touch, she didn’t give him the familiar gentle squeeze he’d come

  to expect.

  He glanced at their children. “Do you know who they are?”

  She turned her gaze in their direction and slowly shook her head.

  “What about me?” he whispered.

  Darting a look at their hands which were clasped together, she said, “No, but I think we’re

  close. Are we married?”

  “Yes.” Taking an uneasy breath, he careful y thought over his next question. “Do you

  remember anything?”

  She bit her lower lip and scanned the room. After an uncomfortable moment, she sighed. “No.

  Al I remember is waking up here.”

  Al he could do was stare at her and wonder how she couldn’t remember him or their children.

  They’d been such an important part of her life, and in one moment—just like that—she didn’t

  know who they were? Apprehensive, he glanced at the children who were unusual y quiet as

  they watched her, probably understanding something was wrong but not knowing what.

  “We have to see the doctor,” he final y decided and stood up.

  Rachel walked over to her mother and held her arms up. Despite the uncertain expression on

  her face, Mary lifted her up and studied her daughter.

  “Wet,” Rachel said.

  “What?” Mary asked.

  “I think she means she needs a new diaper,” Dave answered. “Do you remember how to

  change a diaper?” He certainly hoped so because he didn’t have the faintest idea, and realizing

  something was seriously wrong with her didn’t put him in the clearest of minds to attempt the

  task.

  “I know,” Isaac said as he left the frog in the box and went over to them. “I can tel you how,

  Ma.”

  Nodding, Mary got up from the couch, stil holding her daughter. “What’s your name?”

  Dave winced but didn’t interrupt as Isaac answered her.

  “Alright, Isaac.” She shifted Rachel to her other arm and cleared her throat. “Where are the

  clean diapers?”

  As Isaac led Mary up the stairs, Dave stood stil for a moment. How could this be happening?

  Al Mary had was a fal . It shouldn’t have been serious. It was just a bump on the head. There

  wasn’t even any blood. He rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out what to do. The doctor.

  He’d just said they needed to go see the doctor. He wasn’t thinking clearly. It wasn’t like him