Mail Order Romance Bundle #1 Read Online Free Page A

into furnishing his house. As luck would have it, there was a large family, the Dodds, that were leaving Oak Grove and heading back East, deciding that homesteading wasn't for them. They didn't have room to carry most of their possessions back with them, so they sold a lot of their stuff to Jesse for an extremely discounted price-the oak table, their big cast iron stove, an armchair and rocking chair, and end tables, curtains, rugs...most of the furnishings that Jesse owned came from the Dodds.
    Beyond the large front room were two small bedrooms. Jesse brought her bag into the one next to his. It was a small room with a bed against the wall under the window. Next to it stood a washstand that held a cream colored pitcher and bowl.
    Enid followed Jesse into the room and thanked him again for his kindness, then she stopped when she saw the bed. She stared for a moment, looking confused. “Why are the letters 'T.D.' carved into the bedframe?” she asked Jesse.
    “Theodore Dodd” Jesse said. Enid looked even more confused.
    Jesse smiled as he told her the story about how he got his furniture and she laughed. She had a nice, strong, contagious laugh and he couldn't help but smile, too. It was quite humorous, now that he thought about it.
    “I'm going to leave you to get settled. There's fresh water in your wash bowl so you can wash up. I'm going to go out to the barn and see to the animals for the night.”
    Enid nodded and smiled politely. “Is there anything I can do to help? I feel I need to pay back your kindness, so feel free to put me to work.”
    Jesse smiled at her and without looking directly at her deformities, wondered how much pain she was in. She hadn't mentioned a word about how hard it was to walk or any pain in her back.
    “Naw, I can take care of everything, just make yourself at home.”
    “Do you really run this farm all by yourself? No cook or housekeeper? No hired hands?”
    “Most of it I do by myself,” he answered. “The Weber farm is down the hill behind mine, they're another homesteading family, one of the first ones in Oak Grove, they've been very kind to me and taken me in as one of their own. Folks out here tend to stick together and help each other, it's good to see. There are a dozen kids in the family so come harvest time and spring planting season, I hire a couple to help me out. I do all the cooking and cleaning, but Mrs. Weber is kind enough to do my washing and mending for me, I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. They have me over for Sunday dinner and I spend Christmas with them, as well. They are good people.” 
    “They sound like it,” Enid said with a smile. “Say, are you hungry?” she asked him, “I haven't eaten since that stale sandwich I had on the train. I'm good in the kitchen, can I whip us up something while you tend to the animals?”
    Jesse hadn't even realized how hungry he was until just that moment. “That would be fine, Enid, I'd be much obliged. I don't have much in the kitchen, though,” he started but was interrupted by a wave of her hand.
    “Don't worry about it, I'll find something, I'm sure!” she said cheerfully.
    Jesse set out to the barn, thinking to himself how different this day had turned out than he had planned. He thought he would be spending the night with his new bride and all that anxiety and excitement had built up so high that it was just as much of a let down and he realized that wasn't to be the case. But he tried to do as Enid had said, and focus on the positive. He would get this whole situation figured out and would soon have the bride who was meant to be his. It was just a bit of a delay, that's all. And it would teach him patience. After all, what was a little more wait, really, for someone he'd be spending the rest of his life with. Though he didn't get to be with her tonight, at least he had some company. Even though at first he had wanted Enid to stay at the church, the thought of having someone to talk to instead of