Sarah: Bride of Minnesota (American Mail-Order Bride 32) by Katie Crabapple Page B
Book: Sarah: Bride of Minnesota (American Mail-Order Bride 32) by Katie Crabapple
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Authors: Katie Crabapple
Tags: Fiction, Humorous, Romance, Historical, Saga, German, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, Bachelor, Minnesota, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, immigrant, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, strong, Stubborn, Compromise, Thirty-Second In Series, God's Guidance, Homely Woman
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went out to her. "Is your health good?" she asked softly, feeling there was something that was being left out of the conversation.
The older woman shook her head. "Not at all. My heart is going to give out at any time, but I don't want poor Simon to be raised in an orphanage."
Sarah shook her head. "I'm sure that won't happen."
"I'm sure it will," Mrs. Billings said sadly. "When my daughter died I went all over town hoping to find someone who could take him in, but no one would."
Sarah bit her lip for a moment, knowing she was doing the wrong thing, but she did it anyway. "If something happens to you, and there's no one else, Karl and I will take him in."
Mrs. Billings gawked at her. "You've never even met the boy. You can't say that."
Sarah shrugged. "No, I've never met him, but I know what it is to be orphaned young with nowhere to go. So does my husband. We'll take him." She would tell Karl what she'd agreed to as soon as he got home, and she prayed he wouldn't be angry with her. She would do whatever she could for the boy.
Mrs. Norman smiled at Sarah and nodded, as if she'd known that would be Sarah's answer. Sarah only hoped her husband wouldn't want to have her head when he heard what she'd said.
There was a knock at the door, and the small work-party began, with Sarah hovering and getting drinks and snacks for everyone.
Amelia looked around the parlor and nodded, her face excited. "I don't think it matters how big our meetings get if you're willing to always host them here, Sarah."
Sarah nodded, knowing she was probably agreeing out of turn. In less than an hour she agreed to take on a teenage boy to raise and open her home three days a week. Surely Karl would do his best to understand before he strangled her.
They were able to make six pairs of socks that afternoon as the sound of laughter mixed with the clickety-clack of a dozen knitting needles. As everyone left, Sarah looked around at the house, realizing that all of the ladies had taken the time to pick up after themselves. She only had to wash the few dishes they'd used, and the house would look normal — well, after she got the chairs back into the kitchen that was. Surely three times a week having the ladies there wouldn't interrupt their routine too much.
She was putting dinner on the table when Karl came in. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, going to him and kissing his cheek.
He nodded. "How was your day?"
"Busy! I finished your socks."
"Oh, good." He seemed surprised, as if he hadn't thought she could do it and keep up with all the other things she had going. "Did anything exciting happen?"
Sarah bit her lip, sitting down to explain about Mrs. Billings and her promise. "I couldn't let the woman keep fretting over what would happen to the boy if she died."
Karl shook his head. "I wish you'd asked me first."
Sarah frowned, wringing her hands together. "What would you have said?"
He sighed. "I'd probably have agreed, but I would have liked to at least be consulted about it!"
"I understand. Please forgive me."
He closed his eyes, annoyed, but not angry. "I know why you did it." He was sitting at the table, and he caught her at her waist, pulling her to him. "I just want us to have some time alone together." He cupped her cheek with his hand and pulled her down for a sweet kiss. "I feel like you're jumping into life here with both feet and without a look forward. For a little while, I want to be the most important thing in your life."
Sarah smiled. "Well, God comes first, but you're only a little below him," she said with her eyes twinkling. "Karl, I put you before everything and everyone. I spent all morning thinking about how you would be least affected by people being in our home all day."
He frowned at that. "I'm not trying to make things harder on you, but I do want you to consider me before you do all these things." He sighed. "I feel like I'm having to compete with the whole world for my new wife's attention."
"So you'll take
The older woman shook her head. "Not at all. My heart is going to give out at any time, but I don't want poor Simon to be raised in an orphanage."
Sarah shook her head. "I'm sure that won't happen."
"I'm sure it will," Mrs. Billings said sadly. "When my daughter died I went all over town hoping to find someone who could take him in, but no one would."
Sarah bit her lip for a moment, knowing she was doing the wrong thing, but she did it anyway. "If something happens to you, and there's no one else, Karl and I will take him in."
Mrs. Billings gawked at her. "You've never even met the boy. You can't say that."
Sarah shrugged. "No, I've never met him, but I know what it is to be orphaned young with nowhere to go. So does my husband. We'll take him." She would tell Karl what she'd agreed to as soon as he got home, and she prayed he wouldn't be angry with her. She would do whatever she could for the boy.
Mrs. Norman smiled at Sarah and nodded, as if she'd known that would be Sarah's answer. Sarah only hoped her husband wouldn't want to have her head when he heard what she'd said.
There was a knock at the door, and the small work-party began, with Sarah hovering and getting drinks and snacks for everyone.
Amelia looked around the parlor and nodded, her face excited. "I don't think it matters how big our meetings get if you're willing to always host them here, Sarah."
Sarah nodded, knowing she was probably agreeing out of turn. In less than an hour she agreed to take on a teenage boy to raise and open her home three days a week. Surely Karl would do his best to understand before he strangled her.
They were able to make six pairs of socks that afternoon as the sound of laughter mixed with the clickety-clack of a dozen knitting needles. As everyone left, Sarah looked around at the house, realizing that all of the ladies had taken the time to pick up after themselves. She only had to wash the few dishes they'd used, and the house would look normal — well, after she got the chairs back into the kitchen that was. Surely three times a week having the ladies there wouldn't interrupt their routine too much.
She was putting dinner on the table when Karl came in. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, going to him and kissing his cheek.
He nodded. "How was your day?"
"Busy! I finished your socks."
"Oh, good." He seemed surprised, as if he hadn't thought she could do it and keep up with all the other things she had going. "Did anything exciting happen?"
Sarah bit her lip, sitting down to explain about Mrs. Billings and her promise. "I couldn't let the woman keep fretting over what would happen to the boy if she died."
Karl shook his head. "I wish you'd asked me first."
Sarah frowned, wringing her hands together. "What would you have said?"
He sighed. "I'd probably have agreed, but I would have liked to at least be consulted about it!"
"I understand. Please forgive me."
He closed his eyes, annoyed, but not angry. "I know why you did it." He was sitting at the table, and he caught her at her waist, pulling her to him. "I just want us to have some time alone together." He cupped her cheek with his hand and pulled her down for a sweet kiss. "I feel like you're jumping into life here with both feet and without a look forward. For a little while, I want to be the most important thing in your life."
Sarah smiled. "Well, God comes first, but you're only a little below him," she said with her eyes twinkling. "Karl, I put you before everything and everyone. I spent all morning thinking about how you would be least affected by people being in our home all day."
He frowned at that. "I'm not trying to make things harder on you, but I do want you to consider me before you do all these things." He sighed. "I feel like I'm having to compete with the whole world for my new wife's attention."
"So you'll take
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