Free Jedadiah's Mail Order Bride by Susan Leigh Carlton Page A

said.
     
    “Isn’t she just the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen,” Jed asked Grace.
     
    “She is beautiful,” Grace said.
     
    “Helloooo, I’m right here and you are embarrassing me,” Sarah said. They ignored her.
     
    * * *
     
    Luke and Clara were having dinner with Jed and Sarah. “Sarah, what did you do with these potatoes? They are delicious,” Clara asked.
     
    Sarah said, “I just added some herbs to them, a little garlic and rosemary.”
     
    “I’ve never heard of that. Would you show me? I only use salt and pepper.”
     
    “I would be glad to. I’m growing my own herbs now. Mother sent me some seeds and I have a spot in the garden. This winter, I’ll move some of them into the house in a window box.”
     
    “Luke, Sarah and I have talked about hiring some help. The herd and the garden are getting too much for me. Do you have any suggestions?”
     
    “Let me think about it. Did you ask John if he knew of anyone?”
     
    “I didn’t even think of it. I’ll do that next time we go into town. I’d like to have two young fellows. I don’t know if I could keep them over the winter though.”
     
    “You need to be able to do that. They need something to keep them going. If you can find some low on experience, you can probably get them for $20 and found. Anyone with experience is going to be $30. If you had help, you’d be able to expand faster and they would pay for themselves soon enough. You could make some changes in the barn to bunk them.”
     
    “I appreciate the ideas, Luke. I’m going to need to do something or quit growing. Now that I’m married, we can add more land with Sarah’s homestead rights. We could wind up around 1500 acres. That would let us move a herd around and not worry about over grazing.”
     
    “You’re beginning to sound like a rancher now..
     
    * * *
     
    Late one afternoon, Sarah quietly said, “Jedadiah, would you go get Clara and tell her I think it’s time.”
     
    Continuing to work on the saddle he had brought in, he said, “Time for what?”
     
    “My water just broke. I think the baby is coming.”
     
    He jumped up, “Oh that time. It’s that time. Omigod… Omigod. It’s time.”
     
    “Jedadiah, go get Clara please. He ran out of the house toward the barn.
     
    Two minutes later, he came back. “I need my saddle,” he said. He grabbed the saddle and went out the door again. She heard him galloping out of the yard and toward the Hastings ranch. She smiled to herself. He was so excited, he could hardly stand it.
     
    Forty minutes later, she heard the galloping of the horse and the creaking of a wagon. Clara burst into the house. “How far apart are the pains?” she asked.
     
    Sarah said, “About 10 minutes.”
     
    Clara said, “Jed, put some water on the stove.” To Sarah she said, “That should keep him busy for a while.” Seeing Sarah grimace, she asked, “Another one?”
     
    Sarah nodded, Clara looked at the clock and when the next one came, she said, “They’re seven minutes apart.”
     
    Two hours later, Clara opened the door to the kitchen where Jed and her husband sat, each with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. “You have a son,” Jed.
     
    He jumped up, “Is Sarah okay?”
     
    “She’s very tired but she’s fine. Your son is perfect, ten fingers and ten toes. Sarah did well, as she does everything,” Clara added.
     
    “Can I go in?”
     
    “Go, go.” She walked over to her husband and kissed him full on the lips.  “Makes me want another, big guy.”
     
    “I’m trying.”
     
    “I’ll stay here the rest of the night and you can come get me tomorrow morning,” she said.
     
    “I’ll be fine,” he said and picked up the saddle Jed had been working with and put it on the floor.
     
    She walked to the bedroom and opened the door a crack and peeked in. What she saw made her want to cry. Instead, she went back to the kitchen and motioned for Luke to join her. They peeked in the door and