Read Tabitha: Bride of Missouri (American Mail-Order Bride 24) Online
Authors: Amelia C. Adams
Tags: #Historical, #Romance, #Fiction, #Forever Love, #Victorian Era, #Western, #Fifth In Series, #Saga, #Fifty-Books, #Forty-Five Authors, #Newspaper Ad, #Short Story, #American Mail-Order Bride, #Bachelor, #Single Woman, #Marriage Of Convenience, #Christian, #Religious, #Faith, #Inspirational, #Factory Burned, #Pioneer, #Missouri, #Orphan, #Ten-Year-Old, #Cousin, #Post Office, #Critical Relatives, #Thoughtless Letter, #Broken Heart, #Difference
Tabitha: Bride of Missouri (American Mail-Order Bride 24) (12 page)
Ivy stood with Thomas on the train platform, clutching her ticket. “I will never forget this beautiful week,” she told him. “Granted, things didn’t go as I’d planned, but you’re going to be so happy, and that’s all that matters.”
“I can’t believe how forgiving you’ve been,” Thomas told her. “No other girl in the world would be so kind.”
“Let’s just say, I learned a long time ago that holding on to resentment is a horrible way to live.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Good-bye, Thomas. I’ll always count you among my friends. Be happy.”
“Thank you. And you too.”
She turned and walked toward the train. Just before she grabbed the rail to climb up, Pastor Reed called out from the street, “Miss Wayne! Wait!”
Thomas watched with some amusement as the pastor made his way through the crowd to where Ivy stood. “Miss Wayne, I realize you’re about to leave, but I hoped I could ask you to stay another week. It’s horribly presumptuous of me, but I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent talking with each other, and I’d like to get to know you a little better. If you’d like that too.”
She smiled up at him. “I admit, I’ve enjoyed it too. Yes, Pastor, I’ll stay.”
“Wonderful. I’ll speak to the station master about changing your ticket.”
Thomas watched as they strolled away together, a grin on his face. He hadn’t seen that coming, even though, he realized, he should have. They would be perfectly suited.
Then he grinned again. It seemed he had a proposal of his own to make.
***
Herbert’s funeral had been the day before, but Tabitha couldn’t bring herself to remove the black crepe from the door handle. She should, as the post office was a place of business and needed to be welcoming to the public, but taking it down felt like bringing an end to the commemoration of his life, and she wasn’t ready for that. He and Clara had only really come to know each other on a deeper level over the last week—far too late.
When the door to the post office opened, she automatically called out, “I’m sorry. We’re closed until tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I guess I’ll have to come back.”
“Thomas?” She looked up and saw him standing there, his hat in his hands. “I thought you were seeing Ivy off on the train.”
“I was. But she wouldn’t get on. And I didn’t have the heart to make her go.”
Tabitha’s heart stuttered in her chest. She’d been afraid of this—that he’d change his mind at the last minute. “Oh,” she said, unable to form any other word.
“Yes, it was rather sweet. Pastor Reed came running up and begged her to stay.”
“Pastor Reed?”
“That’s right. Turns out, they got along quite nicely during her visit here, and he’d like to see where that might lead.”
Tabitha chuckled. “And if they did marry, they’d each be getting the mail-order match they wanted, only with different spouses than they thought.”
“That’s right.” Thomas leaned on the counter, his cap dangling from the fingers of his left hand. “So, I was thinking. With Pastor Reed otherwise occupied, and Ivy otherwise occupied, and you and I just standing here, with nothing better to do . . .”
Tabitha liked the twinkle in his eye—it meant he was up to something. “Yes?”
“Well, what if you and I were to get married?”
She met his gaze, her eyes wide. “You want to marry me? After everything?”
“Yes, after everything. What do you say?”
She knew what she wanted to say, and yet, something held her back. “I . . . I don’t know. I don’t think I can make a decision like that right now, what with Herbert, and Clara needing me . . .”
“Just say yes!” Clara hollered from the kitchen.
Tabitha and Thomas both laughed.
“All right then, yes. I say yes.”
Thomas rounded the corner and scooped her into his arms, covering her face with kisses. “Thank you, Clara,” he hollered back, then kissed Tabitha again, this time long and slow.
The End
If you enjoyed
Tabitha: Bride
of Missouri
, you might also like the other forty-nine books in the American Mail-Order Brides series. You can learn more about them by
visiting this link
. Be sure to download the books about Roberta, Trinity, Lilly, Isabella, and
Hope
so you don’t miss out on what happened to Tabitha’s friends!
Other Books by Amelia C. Adams:
The Kansas Crossroads Series:
And many more to be announced …
The Nurses of New York series:
And many more to be announced …
Visit Amelia Adams’ website at
www.ameliacadams.com
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