Brides of Iowa

Brides of Iowa Read Free Page B

Book: Brides of Iowa Read Free
Author: Connie; Stevens
Ads: Link
Mama kept them in the cabinet, she let her hand linger on each one. Caring for her mother’s things was a privilege.
    When she opened the opposite cabinet door, she saw Mama’s Bible wedged into one corner. She withdrew it and traced the edge of the worn leather cover with her finger. Mama taught her to believe and pray from the time she was a young child, but a troubling thought now clouded her mind. Mama always said God would never forsake them. Yet here she sat, in a barren patch of dirt, with nothing more than a handful of belongings and a bewildered heart full of memories. Was this the way God cared for His children? Leaving them alone in the midst of strangers?
    She pressed the Bible against her chest. “Mama, I miss you so much. Papa’s left me, too. I wish you could tell me what to do.”
    The tears she’d held back for the last two days finally released as her grief and fear sought expression. She fell on her face beside the cabinet, clinging to the Bible and sobbing into Mama’s apron. The surrounding trees and underbrush afforded enough privacy to erase any fear of onlookers, and she no longer cared to control the emotions she’d kept hidden far too long.
    By the time her sorrow was spent, her eyes burned and raspiness grated her throat. She lay on the ground hugging the Bible and apron for a time. There was no hurry. She had no place to go. Perhaps if she stayed right here, God might decide to reach down and take her, too.

    After an undetermined time, Tessa pulled herself to a sitting position and leaned against the trunk. If wishes could undo circumstances, she’d wish enough to erase her entire life, but whims didn’t affect reality. She could choose to sit under this elm tree and die, or she could choose to survive.
    The memory of Mama’s voice whispering encouragement and telling her how precious she was despite Papa’s tirades invaded her heart. Mama didn’t choose to die. She didn’t give up. She gave out, but not until she’d fought as hard as she could. Tessa could do no less.
    Carefully brushing the dirt from Mama’s Bible, she returned it to the cabinet and tucked the apron into the trunk. She dug past the few articles of worn clothing and located a small leather pouch buried at the bottom of the trunk. It contained a few coins Mama managed to keep hidden from Papa. Tessa untied the strings and dumped the contents into her hand. A pitiful amount of money, but it was enough to buy a handful of crackers and a bit of cheese.
    Tessa rose and brushed off her skirt. She walked to the livery watering trough where she dashed some water in her face and smoothed her hair. After she retied the old ribbon holding her hair away from her face, she headed down the street looking for a general store.
    She passed a half dozen buildings, some freshly painted, others weatherworn, until she came to Maxwell’s Mercantile. The place looked similar to the store where she and Mama traded back home. The brick front encased a large window displaying assorted kitchenware and household items. Barrels of apples, milk cans, and brooms lined the boardwalk outside. A neatly lettered sign proclaiming the store’s name hung overhead. Double doors with slightly chipped green paint stood open in a friendly invitation.
    She stepped inside. The storekeeper, his back turned, measured coffee beans into the large grinder behind the counter. Two ladies chatted as they examined yard goods. Nobody noticed her, so she wandered through the store and sniffed the aroma of freshly ground coffee. The storekeeper spoke to his customers, but Tessa paid no attention as she fingered the cuff of a blue calico dress hanging next to a small display of bonnets.
    “May I help you?”
    Tessa jumped at the nearness of the voice, spun around, and came face-to-face with the man who’d handed her the wildflowers yesterday. Surprise registered on the man’s face as well. What was his name? Her mind was too muddled to think.
    “Your name’s Tessa,

Similar Books

A Heart to Heal

Synithia Williams

Ghost Image

Ellen Crosby

Alone

Kate L. Mary

A Twist of Fate

Christa Simpson

Freddy and the Dragon

Walter R. Brooks

A Wedding for Wiglaf?

Kate McMullan