Bonus Material from the Nebraska Series Read online

  Ruth: Isaac, you’re one snarky comment away from getting married to Eva Connealy, so watch it. I can change the plot of this book. That would make your father happy.

  Isaac: *grimaces* I’ll be good. Okay. Fine. You want the truth? I’ll say it. My father doesn’t want me to talk to Emily.

  Ruth: But you want to talk to her?

  Isaac: It doesn’t matter what I want. I’ve been warned over and over to stay away from “the Craftsman girl”. If I hear Pa say that one more time, I might scream.

  Ruth: Now we’re getting somewhere! Why would you scream?

  Isaac: Because it makes no sense. What could Emily possibly have done that was so bad that my father wouldn’t want me to talk to her?

  Ruth: What would you say if you could talk to her?

  Isaac: *shrugs* I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve talked to her that I’m not sure where to begin.

  Ruth: So why not move on and put her behind you?

  Isaac: You obviously haven’t seen her.

  Ruth: Sure I have. She was interviewed not too long ago. In face, there were two interviews.

  Isaac: Can I read them?

  Ruth: Nope. You can’t find out what’s going on until later in the book.

  Isaac: Figures. I heard you like to keep your characters in the dark as you destroy their lives.

  Ruth: What? Who said that?

  Isaac: Joel Larson. He’s pretty upset about what’s happening in Shotgun Groom, and tomorrow is the dreaded wedding day, from what I hear.

  Ruth: It is. I’m looking forward to it.

  Isaac: Because you love to make people suffer?

  Ruth: No. I’m looking forward to it because the romance part will finally start to unfold. But this isn’t about me and what I’m doing with Shotgun Groom. It’s about you and your upcoming “date” with Eva Connealy.

  Isaac: *shivers* It is not a date. My pa invited her over for supper.

  Ruth: You don’t sound excited about it.

  Isaac: Why would I be? Not only is she my teacher, but I have no interest in her.

  Ruth: Why not? She’s not that bad.

  Isaac: I don’t know. There’s just no chemistry going on between me and her. What’s worse is that I think she has a crush on me.

  Ruth: She does.

  Isaac: Good grief. Why? I don’t do anything to encourage her.

  Ruth: I guess there’s something about you that renders women helpless.

  Isaac: Very funny. I’m not that good looking.

  Ruth: You’re right. You’re not. I don’t understand why she likes you either.

  Isaac: Now who’s being snarky?

  Ruth: Payback, buddy. Payback. If you can’t handle the snarky retorts, then don’t dish them out. But seriously, you need to stand up to your father if you expect him to stop playing matchmaker. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a woman you don’t want.

  Isaac: So I need to tell my father that I’d rather court Emily than Eva?

  Ruth: You could try that, but how do you know you even want to court Emily when you haven’t talked to her since you were fourteen?

  Isaac: It’s not that I haven’t said anything to Emily. It’s just that I keep my distance. I have to. My little brother Jacob is the biggest blabbermouth on the planet.

  Ruth: You have to give Jacob a break. He’s only eight. Granted, you said a couple words to Emily in chapter five. But it’s hardly enough to substantiate a reason for you to want her.

  Isaac: It’s hard to explain. Okay. There is one thing that’s obvious. She’s beautiful. It’s impossible to walk into a room and not notice her. But there’s more to her than how she looks. I sense that, deep down, there’s a person worth loving. I don’t think many people allow that part of her to come to the surface. When they see her, they see how she looks. With Emily, there’s more to her than meets the eye.

  Ruth: I think we’ll end this interview on that high note. Thanks for coming, Isaac. I’ll talk to you again later.

  Photo credit:

  Isaac: File ID: 10797649, © Elena Rostunova | Dreamstime.com, date of purchase 08/28/2011, no longer available

  ***

  Story Excerpt from Isaac’s Decision and an Interview with Isaac (Hero in Isaac’s Decision)

  (Excerpt posted on 09/28/2011; Interview posted on 09/29/2011)

  Here’s the Excerpt:

  Toward the end of supper, Dave resumed his questions to Eva, this time focusing on her family.

  “Your parents are friends of my brother Tom’s family,” he began. “If I remember right, your mother has been friends with Jessica since they were children.”

  “You are correct,” Eva said. “In fact, Daisy and I are good friends.”

  At the mention of Tom and Jessica’s youngest daughter’s name, Dave’s eyes lit up. “You are? I wonder why Tom never mentioned it.”

  “He probably didn’t think about it,” Mary filled in. “How often do you tell people Isaac, Clayton, and Wiley are friends?”

  “I see your point,” Dave conceded. “But all the same, it’s nice to hear that you’re friends with my niece.”

  Eva shrugged and pushed her glasses up her nose. “The bond that links us together is our mutual appreciation of literature and art. We adore the library.”

  As she rambled on, Isaac ate the rest of his pot roast. He couldn’t imagine why going to a library was, as Eva put it, stimulating. It sounded like a boring way to spend a pleasant afternoon, but he supposed that was why she agreed to be a teacher. She enjoyed that kind of thing.

  He glanced at his father and noticed how attentive Dave was to every word Eva spoke. Looking at his mother, he saw that she focused on the twins and helping them when they needed it. Currently, she was buttering one of their rolls. Across from him, Rachel chewed on her potato and Adam rolled a carrot around on his plate, appearing as bored as Isaac felt. Isaac couldn’t imagine doing this for the rest of his life. Not that he’d have dinner at his parents’ every night, but he’d be stuck with Eva and would have to participate in the conversation.

  From beside him, Jacob lightly kicked him and snickered. Knowing he was going to regret it, Isaac’s gaze shifted to his brother, who pursed his lips as if he was going to kiss someone. With a roll of his eyes, Isaac went back to ignoring him. He was not going to kiss Eva. Ever. There was no way he could do it. He wasn’t attracted to her at all. If only she was Emily…

  Isaac swallowed the last bite of his food and drank the rest of the milk in his glass. He watched as his father nodded and smiled as Eva went on and on about the artwork she and Daisy had seen. Since when did artwork interest his pa? Ever since Eva showed an interest in it. What was more frustrating than anything else was knowing that if it had been Emily sitting next to him, his father wouldn’t have showed the slightest interest in what she said. And all because of something that happened before he was born?

  His mother stood up and went to the kitchen to get the pies she made for the occasion. One thing Isaac looked forward to was her apple pie. If nothing else, it made the rest of the meal bearable. Afterwards, it was time for Isaac to take Eva home, and he was relieved when Mary insisted that Rachel and Adam go along.

  “Isaac can take her by himself,” Dave argued as Mary collected the dishes from the table. “Rachel should stay and help you while Jacob and Adam help me in the barn.”

  Here’s the Interview:

  Ruth Ann Nordin: Yesterday, I posted the excerpt from the story, Isaac’s Decision, where Dave had invited Eva Connealy over for supper in hopes of starting something between her and Isaac. While I think it’s cute Dave is playing matchmaker, Isaac isn’t so happy about it.

  Isaac Larson: Why would I be happy about it? I’ve told him I don’t want to marry Miss Connealy.

  Ruth: You mean, Eva Connealy.

  Isaac: No, I mean Miss Connealy. She’s my teacher, not a love interest. That part of this story bites.

  Ruth: I didn’t realize that “bites” was a historically accurate term for di
sgust in the late 1800s.

  Isaac: Do I look like I care about historical accuracy when my dad is ruining my life?

  Ruth: Fair enough. So why don’t you like Miss Connealy?

  Isaac: She’s boring. All she wants to talk about is art and books, and not even interesting books either. She rambles on about some nonsense that I can’t fully make heads or tails of. I think it has something to do with what’s proper, but I end up zoning out so I miss a lot of what she says. What’s worse is that my little brother kept bugging me all through the supper. Did you have to make him so annoying?

  Ruth: I kind of like Jacob. He reminds me of Joel when Joel’s giving Tom a hard time.

  Isaac: *rolls eyes* Lucky for me the author of my book happens to have a sick and twisted sense of humor.

  Ruth: It’s a gift.

  Isaac: If you say so.

  Ruth: It’s not like you’re going to end up with Miss Connealy. This is just a bump in the road on your way to a happy ending with Emily.

  Isaac: I don’t see how that’s possible since I’m still not talking to her. Well, not enough to make a difference. Handing her a dime novel and saying I wouldn’t tell Miss Connealy what she was reading doesn’t make any difference.

  Ruth: You might have said more if Jacob wasn’t right there in the schoolhouse.

  Isaac: That’s because he tells our parents everything, and even though my mother can handle it, my father gets uptight whenever it comes to Emily.

  Ruth: At least your other brothers and sisters don’t give you grief. Anyway, I thought I’d bring your father in to talk to him while we’re doing this interview.

  Isaac: Do I have to stick around for this? I just know he’s going to go on and on about how great Miss Connealy is.

  Ruth: Oh, come on. He won’t be that bad.

  Isaac: He actually dressed up for the supper. Dressed up! He’s never put on his church shirt and jacket for supper before, and he had my mother put out her best dishes. It was ridiculous. The only thing worse than all of that was how he pretended to be interested in books and art. He rarely reads, and he doesn’t care about art. He only did all of that to make Miss Connealy think I was interested in her. It was horrible. I’m leaving. If I stick around for this, I think I’ll throw up.

  Ruth: And they say women are dramatic. Okay. Thanks for stopping by.

  *Isaac leaves and in comes Dave*

  Ruth: *laughs* You really did dress up for the supper with Eva.

  Dave: Of course, I did. I think she’ll be my future daughter-in-law. I’m really excited about where things are heading in this story. Personally, I think she will make Isaac very happy. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and comes from a good family.

  Ruth: Dave, you do understand that it’s not up to you to pick your son’s wife, right?

  Dave: I’m not picking his wife out. I’m just showing him what his options are.

  Ruth: Yes, but you’re pushing hard on this particular option. I mean, you’re putting on the pressure.

  Dave: I’m not pressuring him. I’m just encouraging him.

  Ruth: There’s a fine line between encouragement and pressure.

  Dave: I don’t see what the problem is. She’ll make a good wife. She reminds me of Mary, and a man can’t do any better than Mary. I don’t expect Isaac to ask to court her until she’s finished with her teaching contract. I understand the rules and won’t overstep them.

  Ruth: And if Isaac doesn’t want to court her when her contract is up?

  Dave: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Once Isaac stops thinking of her as his teacher, it’ll be fine. You’ll see.

  Ruth: Or maybe you will. Okay. Well, thanks for coming in for the interview and feel free to take that suit jacket off. It just doesn’t fit who you are.

  Dave: Alright.

  Ruth: Boy, are both of these guys in for a surprise. *chuckles* Sometimes it’s fun to throw the characters for a loop with an unexpected twist.

  ***

  Showdown Between Emily Craftsman and Eva Connealy and an Interview

  (Isaac’s Decision Excerpt posted on 10/07/2011; Interview posted on 10/11/2011)

  The reason why I wanted to give a part of this scene in Isaac’s Decision is because it shows the contrast between Emily and Eva. From Emily’s perspective, Eva’s boring. From Eva’s perspective, Emily doesn’t understand the necessity of being a proper young lady. I love both Emily and Eva, but these two will never be friends. Their personalities conflict way too much. I wrote Eva’s romance, and it’s called Boaz’s Wager in the Montana Collection.

  But without further ado, here’s the excerpt, followed by the interview. Eva is the teacher, and she has asked Emily to write a book report. Eva’s not happy with Emily’s book choice, so she wants her to read a different book.

  Excerpt

  “I’m not arguing about the moral lesson you gained from this book. I’m saying the serial killing is too violent, especially for a young woman.” After a very tense moment, Eva handed the pages to Emily. “I refuse to turn this into the school board as an example of what you’re learning under my guidance.”

  Crossing her arms, Emily said, “And I refuse to do a report on Emma.”

  Eva set the papers on the desk and made eye contact with her. “If you intend to keep going to school, you’ll do what I say.”

  It took Emily a moment to realize what Eva was telling her. She narrowed her eyes at the teacher. “Very well, Eva. Have it your way.”

  Eva stood up, her shoulders back and a look of indignation on her face. “When we are in the schoolhouse, you will address me as Miss Connealy. It is a matter of respect. I would never refer to an instructor by the first name.”

  “Well, that’s the difference between us, Eva. I don’t get uptight when it comes to opening my mind to new ideas, like what a woman should and should not be allowed to read. You will keep your mind closed to new possibilities, and in doing so, you will live a pathetic and lonely life as an old maid since no man wants to be with a woman who’s continually uptight.”

  Eva gasped. “I’d watch your words, Emily! It is not befitting for a proper lady to talk in such a way.”

  “I’ve got better things to do with my time than to spend it on etiquette, Eva. I want to enjoy my life, not waste it away with my nose stuck in a boring old book while I criticize those who don’t share my reading taste.”

  Eva’s lips formed a thin line, but Emily decided she’d had enough. She wouldn’t waste one more minute in this place or with Miss-Holier-Than-Thou Eva Connealy. Spinning on her heel, she ignored the stares of the students who had stopped their work to listen to her argue with Eva. She made her way over to Isaac who had the good sense to keep his gaze on the paper on his desk. The fact that he’d stopped writing was a dead giveaway that he’d been listening along with the others.

  “Take me home,” Emily demanded, her anger prompting her to hold back her tears.

  Isaac’s head shot up, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock.

  The silence hanging in the air was so profound that Emily swore time stood still. She maintained eye contact while she waited for him to respond. When his gaze flickered to Eva, she snapped, “Either you take me home, or I’ll walk.”

  “Oh, Emily, be serious,” Eva called out. “You can’t walk all the way home in the cold weather.”

  Still looking at Isaac, she said, “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do. I’m not a child!”

  Interview

  Ruth Ann Nordin: Eva, I see you’re not too happy about the argument you and Emily had.

  Eva Connealy: How can I be? I hate confrontation, and I knew with a person like Emily, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.