Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37) by Mia Blackwood Page B

pumpkin and fruits she made this past summer and fall. I think there’s some canned plum and crabapple, too.”
    Caleb knew she was trying to change the subject and joined in. “Those sound delicious. We’ll have to get you some seeds for a garden, too. Maybe we could all go into town together and see what the mercantile has? It’s been some time since we went in for supplies.”
    George grinned from ear to ear at the prospect of going into town. Although he rarely went to the mercantile, he knew that if he behaved he would get to pick out a stick of candy at the counter. His mama always let him.
    Madeline watched the grin start to fade from George’s face and saw the haunted look return to his eyes. She quickly tried to change the subject, as it appeared to have upset him. “I made a molasses cake for dessert, although I don’t know if either of you like cake,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
    George immediately perked up. “I like cake!”
    Caleb grinned and teased his nephew. “Better eat your dinner or I’ll eat up all the cake.”
    As George dove into eating his meal, Caleb glanced at Madeline and mouthed a silent, “Thank you.” He had also seen the sad look in George’s eyes and was pleased that Madeline knew how to distract the boy. She truly was a godsend.
    *****
    Shortly after dessert, Caleb took George upstairs and put him to bed. They went through their usual routine, which ended with Caleb singing George to sleep.
    Caleb looked down at his nephew and stroked a strand of hair away from his eye. George looked like a little angel snuggled under the quilt his mother had made him last year. Caleb was pleased that Madeline had thought to get it and George’s pillow, along with some clothes and toys, from George’s old house. He seemed so much happier having some things from home around him.
    It was still too hard on Caleb to go back to his brother’s house, though it was clear now that someone needed to live there. Hank had been talking about sending for a mail order bride himself, now that he had seen how happy Madeline was making Caleb. Maybe he should ask Hank if he would like to move into the place.
    He kissed George softly on the forehead, tip-toed out of the room, and made his way downstairs to the parlor, where he knew his wife would be waiting. He smiled to himself as he entered the room and saw her sitting in the rocking chair, sewing. He marveled once again at how beautiful she was. Why on earth had he waited so long to get married?
    Madeline, who had been mending some shirts while she waited for Caleb to join her, set her work down when he walked in the room. “Is he asleep?”
    Caleb nodded. “Out for the night. Why don’t we head to bed, too?” he murmured in a sultry voice. He reached for her hand and looked deeply into her eyes as he asked, eager to make love to his wife once again.
    Madeline found the sound of her husband’s voice intoxicating. It took everything inside her to not stand up and take his hand. Thankfully she had a lap full of sewing, which helped her to take a moment and remember what she had wanted to talk to him about. She smiled up at him tenderly. “Soon,” she promised. “I wanted to talk to you for a moment first.”
    Caleb sighed heavily and sank into the armchair across from her. He prayed that whatever she had to say would not take long, because he was having a hard time thinking about anything besides taking her upstairs.
    She looked down at her sewing to keep herself from giggling and picked it up once again, determined to finish the bit she was working on before heading to bed. She was so close to finishing this shirt, it would be a shame not to. She sewed as she spoke, her needle flashing expertly in the light from the fireplace.
    “I was thinking that it might be nice to get a dog,” she began, eager to see what her husband thought of the idea.
    It took a moment for what his wife said to register in Caleb’s mind. “A dog?”
    She nodded.