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

have a baby, but had never conceived. Month after month, year after year, Madeline had prayed for God to send them the son her husband had so desperately wanted, the child she so desperately wanted, and each month she had been met with nothing but heartbreak. She personally did not care if she had a boy or a girl. She only wanted a healthy baby.
    After their first year of marriage, her husband had begun drinking and gambling. He began to blame her for their lack of a child. Over time, he became downright abusive. It started verbally, but quickly escalated to the physical. Once it had, she decided that this was why she had never conceived. She certainly would not willingly bring a child into an environment like that. Yet her heart still ached to hold a baby in her arms.
    Every time she saw a woman holding a baby, her heart wrenched. After a while, it felt as though they were taunting her with their ability to conceive while she only met with failure.
    Now here she was, comforting and holding another woman’s child because he would never feel his mother’s arms around him again. She may have only known George for just over a week, yet she already loved him dearly and felt a desperate need to protect him. She knew that although she was technically his aunt by marriage, she and Caleb would be raising George as their son.
    Madeline held him until he fell asleep, and then gently laid him down for a nap. She watched over him for a time, to make certain he settled into a deep sleep, then quietly returned to the kitchen to resume her duties. She did leave the bedroom door open, so that she could hear him if he called out or began to cry again.
    As she cleaned up the breakfast mess, Madeline thought about what it would be like to have a baby of her own. She had given up all hope of having a baby after her first marriage had ended and had vowed she would never marry again, but then the factory had burned down and forced her hand. Was she truly a barren woman, as her first husband had called her, or had the fault been on his end? Only time would tell, and first she would need to make her new marriage one in more than just name only.

Chapter 6
    As the days came and went, things settled into a smooth routine. George still had his moments of grief, but began to act more like a typical three year old and started to get into things around the house. Madeline did her best to keep him busy with toys near her or had him help her with her chores when she could. Granted, it always took ten times as long to complete said chore when he was helping, but she enjoyed spending that time with him and watching him learn.
    Madeline took some time one afternoon while George was napping to pen a few letters. She had promised Miss Elizabeth Miller that she would let her know when she was settled, and she felt that she needed to do the same for her roommates, Kitty, Lessie, and Josie. She addressed the envelopes and set them aside to mail the next time someone went into town.
    Caleb was still sleeping with his nephew, but noticed that George was sleeping through the night more often than not now. The thought of being able to sleep in his own bed again, and with his wife, both excited and terrified him. He found himself finding excuses to be near her more often, but little George was around during the day which made getting close to Madeline much harder.
    The shooting lessons Madeline had asked for provided him the perfect opportunity to get close to her without his nephew around. Caleb spoke to Hank and Walter, who agreed to watch George at the house while Caleb gave Madeline her lessons.
    Her first lessons were held in the house in the evenings. Caleb taught her as his father had taught him years before. He started with how to disassemble and clean the weapons, then put them back together again. They talked about the history of the pistol and the rifle, the differences between different types of guns, and which was better for what. Once she had all that