Free The Widow's Mail Order Husband (Mail Order Brides) by Susan Leigh Carlton Page B

Emily.”  He squeezed her, and said, “I love you, Emily Hartness.”
     
    “I love you too,” Papa, said Emily.
     
    Tears welled in Mary’s eyes.  It was the first time she had heard Tom express a feeling of love for his daughter.  It was genuine.  About this, there was no question.  She had known he loved her, but she had never heard him tell her so. 
     
    As far as the two of them, they had progressed quite a distance themselves.  Tom openly displayed his affection for her.  Mary had come from a touching family and she had missed it in her years of living alone.  Tom would touch her hair as he passed her chair.  When she came home from school, tired from a day of standing, he would massage her shoulders as she sat in the kitchen.  Rosa beamed when this happened.  Her bambino, Tomas was happy again.  All was well in the Hartness family.
     
    At breakfast one morning…
     
    Tom came in for his breakfast.  Mary was sitting at the table, while Rosa prepared breakfast.  Tom thought Mary looked a bit off her feed, but said nothing.  Rosa sat a plate of huevos rancheros in front of him.  Mary looked at the plate and turned a little green.  “Whoops!” she said, jumped up and ran for the back door, barely making it before she spewed the coffee she had been sipping over the edge of the porch.  She was still retching when Tom came out.
     
    “Are you all right,” he asked.  “You don’t look so good.”
     
    There was nothing more to come out, but the retching continued.  Finally, she said, “I don’t know what came over me.  Just all of a sudden, I had this uncontrollable urge.  Almost didn’t make it either.”
     
    The same thing happened three mornings running.  “Senora Mary,” Rosa said with a smile on her face, “I think you are with child.”
     
    “I couldn’t be,” Mary said.  “Well, I guess I could be, but I don’t think so.” 
     
    Rosa smiled knowingly. “You are with child, Senora.”
     
    Mary told Tom what Rosa had said.  “How could that be?” he asked.  Then, “Oh, I understand, how it could be.  We haven’t been careful lately have we?”
     
    Mary shook her head.  “How would you feel if I am?” she asked.
     
    “Feel?  I would be delighted.  It will be nice to have another little one around here,” he said.
     
    “I’m really glad.,” she said. “You know, I feel as if Emily is my own little girl, but I would like to give birth,” she said.
     
    “We’ll have to get you checked out by the doctor,” he said.
     
    “I’m fine,” Mary insisted.  “It’s not as if this were the first baby ever born.”
     
    “It is for you.  You may think I’m being controlling, but I want you to be checked out by the doctor.”
     
    “Yes, darling,” she said, patting his cheek.  “I wonder how Emily will react?”
     
    “Are you kidding?”  She’ll love having a little brother to boss around,” she said.
     
    “So it’s going to be a little boy is it?”
     
    “Fifty fifty chance, ” she said.  “I guess we’ll know when he’s born won’t we?
     
    Dr. Jonah Williams office in Grapevine…
     
    Dr. Jonah Williams graduated from Tulane Medical School in New Orlean in 1870.  After his internship, the son of a prominent rancher  returned to his hometown of Grapevine.  Tom Hartness knew him from their days together in the Grapevine school.
     
    After introducing him to Mary, Tom waited outside while Dr. Williams examined Mary.  He called Tom back into the examining room.  “Well, Tom,  as I already told Mary, it looks to me as if you are going to be a Papa again.  Mary looks to be in perfect health.  For the time being, I would like to check her every six weeks.”  He extended his hand and congratulated Tom.
     
    “Jonah, when the time comes, will you deliver our baby?” Tom asked.
     
    “Yes, of course.  When she goes into labor, send for me and I’ll be right there.  Rosa is still with you isn’t she?” Doctor