Forever Yours

  Nebraska Series: Book 9

  Forever

  Yours

  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.

  Forever Yours

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright 2019 Ruth Ann Nordin

  V1.0

  Book Cover Design by: Yellow Prelude Design, LLC

  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.

  Tina Grace, this one’s for you!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  More Books Featuring the Larson Family

  All Books By Ruth Ann Nordin

  Where to Find Ruth

  Chapter One

  Omaha, Nebraska

  June 1884

  “Isaac, hand me Adam’s shoe,” Dave Larson said as he kept his arm protectively around the toddler so he wouldn’t wiggle off the saddle.

  Eight-year-old Isaac bent down to retrieve the shoe that had fallen to the grass and handed it to his father.

  Dave slipped the shoe back on Adam’s foot. “Thanks, son. Go on to your horse.”

  Isaac hurried over to his gelding and hopped into the saddle as if he’d been born to ride it. Dave smiled in pride. That was his boy. Someday, Adam would get on a horse with such ease, too.

  As Isaac took the reins in his hands, Dave asked, “Where do you want to ride?”

  “The cornstalks. I want to see how much they’ve grown,” he said as he guided the horse over to Dave and Adam.

  “The cornstalks it is.” Dave got ready to lead them out to the field when Mary called out to him.

  He glanced over at the house and saw that she was on the front porch. He urged his horse to go over to her, and Isaac followed.

  When he reached her, he pulled back the reins to come to a stop. “It can’t be time for supper already, can it?”

  “No, it won’t be ready for another two hours,” Mary replied. “Are you really going to take Adam out for a ride?”

  “Sure. I think he’ll have fun.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. “He’s only two. I’m not sure he’s old enough to be on a horse yet.”

  “Adam will be fine,” he replied. “I took Isaac out on a horse when he was two, and look at him now.” He gestured to their son who was looking at the cornstalks in a way that told Dave he was anxious to get out there. “Isaac’s a natural. You’d swear he was born on that thing.”

  She let out a sigh.

  “You were scared when I first took Isaac out, but everything was alright,” he reminded her. “Adam will be fine, too. Adam has good balance, and I got a good grip on him. I’ve been riding horses since I was a boy. It’s perfectly safe.”

  Adam patted the horse’s mane and giggled. “Feels funny.”

  Their five-year-old daughter ran out of the house and bounded down the porch steps. “I want to pet the horsie!”

  Mary followed Rachel and picked her up so that she could touch the horse’s neck. Giving another uncertain look at Adam, she said, “Alright. You can take him for a ride, but be careful, Dave. Adam looks so small on Jack.”

  Dave hid his amusement at the way she fretted over the children. She was a mother. Mothers were supposed to fret over their children. It meant they loved them. His own mother had been the same way while he and his siblings were growing up.

  “I’ll be careful,” he assured her. He glanced at Rachel. “Do you want a ride when Adam’s done?”

  Rachel wrinkled her nose. “No. I want to help Ma.”

  “At least I can talk one child into staying safe,” Mary replied, not hiding her relief.

  Dave chuckled. “Horses are safe as long as you know what you’re doing. Someday, Rachel will want to learn to ride one.”

  “I’m not opposed to the children learning to ride a horse,” Mary said. “I just think the older they are, the better.”

  “Can we go now?” Isaac asked.

  Since Adam was squirming impatiently, Dave figured it was best that they head on out before Mary changed her mind. Dave often thought part of the reason she was worried about horses was because she hadn’t grown up riding them. And this led him to believe that the earlier he got the children used to being on them, the better off they’d be. Rachel had only been on a horse twice, and while she had seemed comfortable, she hadn’t shown much interest in riding more often. He’d conclude that boys were more interested in horses than girls were if he didn’t have a niece who was always on one. Pushing the observation aside, Dave told Mary they’d return soon.

  He rode beside Isaac past the fenced-in pasture where he kept the cows and horses when the weather was nice. Today was an ideal day. It was sunny and the breeze was strong enough to cool things off.

  The property leading to the cornstalks was level enough to make the horse ride an easy one, but even so, he kept an eye on Isaac to make sure he was doing alright on the horse. Susannah was a good mare. She was the gentlest of all the horses he owned. She was ideal for a new rider. And Isaac seemed to have no trouble leading her. Soon, Isaac would be ready to ride another horse.

  As the cornstalks came into view, Isaac expressed his disappointment. “They’re the same height as they were yesterday.”

  Amused, Dave chuckled. “They don’t shoot up overnight. They take time to grow, much like you do.”

  Isaac frowned. “This isn’t fun.”

  “When you’re older, you’ll be glad they grow at a slow pace. Imagine what it would be like to plant them and then have to harvest everything a week or two later.”

  The logic didn’t impress Isaac since he asked, “When will they be tall?”

  Dave inspected the cornstalks. If Isaac were to stand next to one, it’d be as tall as him. “Just how tall do you want them to be?”

  Isaac thought for a moment then said, “As tall as this horse.”

  Dave glanced at Susannah who snorted as if she was laughing at his reply. “Give it a couple of weeks,” Dave said. “The corn will probably be that tall by then.” A wind blew around them. “That is, of course, as long as the wind doesn’t get too strong. Wind can make the stalks seem like they’re bending over if we get enough storms.”

  One thing anyone could always depend on in Nebraska was the wind.

  Isaac let out a long sigh and brought his horse over to Dave. “Can’t you tell God to make them grow faster?”

  Again, Dave chuckled. “It doesn’t work that way, Isaac. These things take time. You have to be patient.”

  “Patience is hard.”

  “It is for someone young like you. I remember how difficult it was to wait for things when I was a child. There were times when I thought I’d never get what I wanted.” Since Isaac didn’t seem happy with his answer, he added, “When you’re grown up, time will go faster. In fact, some days will pass so fast you’ll swear you didn’t have time to blink.”

  “Do you feel that way?”

  “Sometimes.”
/>
  “Like when?”

  “Well, like with you.”

  “Me?”

  Dave nodded. “It seems like it was only yesterday when you were born. Your ma and I wanted you so badly that we couldn’t wait for you to get here. Then one day you were. And now I find it hard to believe eight years have gone by, and you have a little sister and brother.” He glanced down at Adam and was surprised to note the boy had fallen asleep. No wonder he wasn’t squirming on the saddle anymore. Dave smiled. “If it was up to me, you kids would stay little forever. Being a pa is a lot of fun.”

  “I don’t want to stay little forever,” Isaac said. “I want time to go faster. I want the stalks to be big.”

  “Don’t worry. You won’t stay little forever. And those stalks will be tall soon enough. Let’s get back to the house. I need to put your brother down for a nap. Then you can help me check the henhouse for some eggs.”

  “If I find more than you, can I get a cookie before supper?”

  He winked at him. “It’s a deal.”

  Isaac, seeming much more encouraged by the immediate promise of a cookie, urged his horse to go back to the barn.

  With a smile, Dave kicked Jack in the sides and followed him.

  ***

  After the children were asleep, Mary went to the parlor and continued working on the new dress she was making for Rachel. Her daughter was getting too big for the two she already had.

  Mary had made sure to save all of the old clothes the children had worn so that her future children would have something to wear. So far, the only thing she hadn’t been able to keep was a pair of pants Isaac had worn last year. He’d gotten too close to a stall door, and a nail got caught on his pants, which resulted in his pants ripping from his knee all the way down. She could have mended the pants if the rip had been along the seam, but this had been a zigzag. She’d ended up making it into a rag. Dave had since pounded the nail back into the door and then checked the other stalls to make sure no more nails were sticking out. At the time, she’d been upset to lose the pants, but later, she realized it could have been worse. The nail could have penetrated Isaac’s skin.

  It was nice that Rachel spent most of her time indoors with her. Things were safer in the kitchen than they were out in the barn. Children had a tendency to play without paying attention to what was around them.

  Dave came into the house and took his boots off.

  She couldn’t help but chuckle as she recalled how disappointed Isaac had been when he returned from the ride out to the cornstalks. “Isaac will learn to be patient as he grows up.”

  Dave hung up his hat then went over to her. “I know. I told him time passes faster as you get older, but he didn’t believe me.”

  “He’ll believe you when he has his own farm. As you say, it seems like you’re planting one day and harvesting the next.”

  He sat next to her, put his arm around her shoulders, and put his feet up on the table in front of them. “I’m sure you feel like all you do is make clothes. You’re working on another outfit.”

  “The kids grow fast. Rachel’s dresses are already getting too small.”

  “I’m glad you do the sewing instead of me. I don’t know how you don’t prick your fingers with the needle all the time.”

  “I use thimbles.” She let go of the needle and showed him the ones on her forefinger and thumb.

  He took her hand and kissed the top of it.

  She giggled. “Your lips tickle.”

  “I’m not trying to tickle you.”

  “I know, but it tickles anyway.”

  With a teasing glint in his eye, he kissed the top of her hand again before leaving a trail of butterfly kisses up her arm. She giggled again.

  He grinned and continued kissing her arm.

  She squirmed to get her arm away from him, and in doing so, she ended up falling to her side on the couch.

  “You are really ticklish tonight,” he playfully said as he hugged her. He paused then wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I have you exactly where I want you.”

  “Oh? Was this all a ploy to get me in your arms?”

  “To be honest, it wasn’t what I set out to do, but now that you’re here, I see no reason to let the opportunity pass me by.” He lowered his head to hers, and she thought he was going to kiss her neck—another area of her body that was ticklish at times—but he kissed her on the mouth instead. When the kiss was over, he asked, “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

  “I seem to recall hearing you mention something about loving me this morning.”

  “Well, I love you more tonight than I did then.”

  “This morning wasn’t all that long ago. But,” she wrapped her arm around his neck, “I like that you keep reminding me of how much you love me.” She kissed him. “I love you, too.”

  With a smile, he helped her sit back up. He drew her close to his side and let out a contented sigh. “We have it pretty good, don’t we?”

  “You’ll get no complaints from me.” She found the needle and resumed her sewing. “How are the crops doing?”

  “Good. They’re coming along perfectly. I’m hoping this will be a better summer than last.”

  “Last summer wasn’t too bad.”

  “It wasn’t that great, either. The winds damaged half the crops.”

  She shrugged. “The wind didn’t do that much damage. We managed fine. You still made a profit with Ralph Lindon.”

  “Only because I know how to negotiate with him. That man loves to bargain. You’ve seen how his face lights up when he realizes he’s going to get more than he initially expected.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen him at his best. There’s no denying he loves what he does. Connie James and Maureen Brown spent a full half hour debating how much they were going to pay him for flour.” She gave Dave a pointed look. “Flour, Dave. The three were arguing over the price of a bag of flour. Neither one was going to be seriously affected by the transaction regardless of how it went.”

  “I admit that is ridiculous.”

  “But they loved it. Maureen and Connie are going to start a business selling the food they’re making, and they said every little bit saved is more profit in their pockets. Ralph came back with a reply that he also had to watch his profit since he owned the mercantile. They went back and forth for a while on which was a nobler venture then started the bidding war over the flour. I, and others, had to wait in line during this whole thing.”

  He shook his head. “It’s a good thing Sally was watching the kids.”

  “It is. Rachel and Adam would never have stayed still for the entire thing. Isaac’s good about staying still now, but even he would have grown bored.”

  After a moment, Dave asked, “How did the bidding thing end? Who won?”

  “They both did. There was a man behind me who ended up giving Ralph the full price for the flour just so they’d stop.”

  Dave threw back his head and laughed. “The poor man.”

  “He was upset.”

  “I bet he was. They’d been holding everyone else up for a long time.”

  “I just hope it doesn’t encourage the three to keep doing that,” Mary said. “I don’t think it’d be good for Ralph’s business if he keeps customers waiting like that. There’s another mercantile in town now. People might start going there instead.”

  He straightened up in interest. “There’s another mercantile in town?”

  She nodded as she continued to sew. “It just opened up last month. Sally told me all about it before I saw it.”

  “Did you check it out?”

  “I wanted to, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’ve known Ralph for a long time, and he’s sold some of the items I made in the past. It seems like I’d be disloyal if I checked out another store.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Ralph has been good to us over the years. Still, it’s tempting to see what the other place has to offer. Has Sally been in there?”

  “She has, and she s
aid once you’ve been in one mercantile, you’ve been in them all. The new store offers the same things as Ralph’s.” Dave seemed disappointed, so she asked, “What were you hoping would be in the new one?”

  After a moment, he said, “I don’t know. I just thought there’d be something different. Maybe a few items Ralph doesn’t sell.”

  “Sally was with Greg and Laura at the time. She didn’t get to stay in there too long. Laura had to go to the privy.”

  If Mary had learned nothing else from having children, she’d learned that if a child had to answer nature’s call, it was necessary to hurry up and get out of the store as soon as possible. Sally, apparently, had learned the same thing.

  “I think I’m going to get some water,” Dave said. “Do you want some?”

  “A glass would be nice.”

  “You got it.” He kissed her cheek then got up from the couch and went to the kitchen.

  Her cheek pleasantly warm from where he’d kissed her, Mary smiled and kept on sewing.

  Chapter Two

  It was a couple days later when Isaac came running into the kitchen in a panic. “Pa fell off the horse!”

  Mary, who was taking the roast chicken and vegetables out of the oven, had to renew her grip on the pan so she didn’t drop it. Isaac sure could be loud when he wanted to be! She hurried to set the pan on the worktable before she dropped it. She breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the pan was safe. Good. She’d made it.

  Turning to her son, she asked, “What happened to your pa?”

  “He fell off the horse,” Isaac repeated.

  “Your pa knows how to take a fall,” she assured him. “He grew up riding horses. He said he’s fallen off of them a couple of times. It’s why I worry about you and Adam. You’re not as experienced as he is.”

  “He’s not getting up. He said to get you.”

  Dave had never done that before. Alright, now she was worried. She closed the oven door and removed her apron. “Where is he?”

  “By the river.”