Isaac's Decision Page 27

  “That’s a good thing.”

  He stopped at the front door, kicked the snow off his boots and opened the door for her. She wiped her boots on the mat and accepted the invitation to go into the house first. The house smelled of turkey and apple cinnamon pie.

  Elizabeth and Rachel, who were watching the younger children in the parlor as they played around the Christmas tree, looked over at them. “I’ll tell our mothers that you’re here,” Elizabeth told Emily and Isaac before she headed for the kitchen.

  Emily blinked at the flurry of activity that erupted as Stan, Luke, Jacob, Adam, Harriett and Rose surrounded her and Isaac to check on their niece. Rachel picked up her contented baby brother, Eli, and broke through the crowd.

  “There sure is a lot of you,” Isaac said as he took his boots, hat and coat off. “I didn’t realize I had so many brothers and sisters.”

  Rachel motioned to Esther and told her baby brother, “Eli, this is your niece, Esther.”

  Emily smiled at a happy Eli. “He’s big already. Why do babies grow up so fast?”

  Rachel sighed but grinned. “My ma says the same thing all the time. I hope I never say something like that. If I do it’s a sign I’m old.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Emily teased. Glancing at Isaac she added, “I suppose now that we’ve had a child, we’re old.”

  “For an old lady, you look good,” Isaac said.

  Rachel looked at Eli and then at Esther. “Eli, would you believe you’re only a month older than your own niece?”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “She says that all the time.”

  Rachel shrugged. “Well, I think it’s fun that an uncle can be so young.”

  “You think the strangest things are fun,” Jacob replied.

  Isaac helped Emily out of her coat while she slipped off her boots. “Don’t give Rachel a hard time,” he said as he hung everything up on the hooks by the door. “She’s in charge now that I’m no longer here.”

  “Show me Eser,” Harriett said, jumping up to get a better look at her.

  Emily handed her hat to Isaac to hang up and knelt down so the younger children could see Esther.

  “Does she do anything yet?” Jacob asked.

  “What do you mean?” Adam replied, motioning to the baby as she stared at everyone. “She’s doing something.”

  “What?” Jacob asked, peering closer.

  “She does the same thing Eli does. She’s watching us,” Adam said.

  “That’s not doing nothing.”

  “That’s not doing anything,” Rachel corrected. “Move aside you two so Harriett can see her niece.”

  Jacob obeyed but muttered something under his breath about what a bossy big sister he had.

  While Harriett patted Esther on the head, their mothers came down the hall with Elizabeth. Emily’s mother reached them first and held her arms out for her granddaughter, so Emily stood up and let her hold Esther.

  “I still can’t believe you’re a mother,” her mother said, tears in her eyes as she examined the baby. “I remember when you were seven and going out hunting with your pa.”

  “See? I turned out to be a lady after all. You worried for nothing,” Emily quipped.

  “Can I hold her?” Mary asked.

  “Sure,” her mother handed the baby to Mary.

  Noting the way the two grandmothers were peering down at her child, Emily grinned. “I want you two to go to the parlor and enjoy your grandchild. I’ll set the table this time.”

  “Oh, Emily, we can’t ask you to do that,” Isaac’s mother protested.

  “Are you saying that you’d rather be setting out the dishes instead of spending time with your grandchild?”

  She glanced up from Esther. “You know that we’d rather be with our granddaughter.”

  Her mother indicated her agreement as she took Eli from Rachel’s arms. “Babies are so wonderful.”

  “Aren’t they?” Mary added.

  “Then be with them,” Emily motioned to the couch in the parlor. “I believe there’s enough room for two women and two babies.”

  The two women exchanged looks and nodded. “Alright, Emily,” her mother began, “but I must say motherhood has made you bossy.”

  Mary laughed. “It’s a trait she’ll need as Esther tries to get into trouble.”

  Her mother giggled before she hugged Emily. “It’s so nice to see you with your family.”

  “Thanks, Ma, for everything you’ve done for me,” Emily whispered, tears filling her eyes.

  After her mother released her, Mary hugged her. “Esther’s lucky to have you for a mother,” she whispered.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Larson,” Emily replied.

  Isaac grimaced. “I think I’ll go to the barn. This is too sappy for me.”

  “While you do that, I’m going to the kitchen,” Emily said as she started down the hallway.

  “On second thought, I think I’ll help you,” he replied, quickly following her.

  “Are you sure?” she softly asked, noting that everyone went into the parlor.

  He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “Yes, I’m sure. You’re better to look at than horses anyway.” After he kissed her, he added, “Plus, it gives me some time to be alone with you. I love you, Emily.”

  “I love you, too, Isaac.” Hand in hand, they went to the kitchen.

  More Books in the Nebraska Series

  If you would like to read about Isaac’s and Emily’s parents, their books are below…

  Eye of the Beholder

  Mary Peters despairs that she will never get married. At nineteen, she has no prospects of finding a husband, so she takes matters into her own hands and becomes a mail-order bride. When she arrives in Omaha, Nebraska to meet the man she's due to marry, he takes one look at her homely appearance and rejects her.

  But fate has other plans for Mary. Dave Larson happens to be nearby and thinks she will make a good wife. Though she is stunned that someone as handsome and as kind as Dave would ask her to marry him, she accepts. She knows that this marriage will not bear the fruits of love. Love, after all, is for beautiful women. Isn't it?

  His Redeeming Bride

  When Sarah Donner learns she's pregnant, she hopes this blessing will be the thing to make her husband finally love her. But to her horror, he announces that she will go live with her overbearing mother-in-law. Weeks before she is due to give birth, they are traveling to her mother-in-law's when some thieves kill him.

  Ready to give birth, she has to rely on the aid of the one man others had warned her about: Neil Craftsman. She knows of his tarnished past, and no respectable woman will go near him. But when she learns her husband left her with no home and no money, she has nowhere else to go but to the one man she's shunned.

  As she gets to know Neil, she learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. But when his past comes back to haunt him, will her newfound love be enough to redeem him - or will he always be a shunned man?

  ***

  Coming Soon…

  To Have and To Hold

  This is Dave and Mary Larson’s second story. Mary will get amnesia and have to adjust to being a wife and mother. In an effort to help her recover her memory, Dave will go with her back to Maine where she'll be reminded of the more unpleasant aspects of her past which will test their marriage.

  In the Nebraska Series timeline, To Have and To Hold comes before His Redeeming Bride. Here is a list of the books in the Nebraska Series:

  Her Heart’s Desire (Sally Larson’s romance) – coming May 2012

  A Bride for Tom (Tom Larson’s romance)

  A Husband for Margaret (Joseph Connealy’s romance)

  Eye of the Beholder (Dave Larson and Mary’s first romance)

  The Wrong Husband (Jenny Larson’s romance)

  Shotgun Groom (Joel Larson’s romance)

  To Have and To Hold (Dave and Mary’s second book) – coming March 2012

  His Redeeming Bride (Neil Craftsman’s romance)

&
nbsp; Isaac’s Decision (Isaac Larson’s romance)

  *More books to be added in the future

  ***

  Preview of To Have and To Hold

  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 thrill 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 tell 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 one-year-old 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 well. Little did she know how wonderful he’d be or that he’d even fall 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 eternally 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 pull 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 mentally counting down the hours to when the children would be asleep for the night so she and Dave could finally 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?”

  “You can’t right 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 tell by looking at them that they were father and son. Rachel was a little more like her with her brown hair and blue-green eyes, 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 leave 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 followed 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 wall. 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 tried to grab the beam by the porch steps but missed and fell down the steps. 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 while growing up?

  Gently setting her head back on the pillow, 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 skilled 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?” Hopefully, Rachel would be entertained enough with the frog so he could focus on Mary.

  “Alright, 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…’”
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  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.