Free Yankee Mail Order Bride by Susan Leigh Carlton Page A

told Josiah, “I’ll have something to do. I would bet your Ma also had some patterns. I’ll have to go looking. I really don’t know what’s in the house.” She raised on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Josiah.”
     
    They had a light lunch in the cafe, sitting at the same table they had when she arrived. “Have I only been here a week?” she asked. “It feels so normal, I feel at home here.”
     
    “Anna, you are home. Cheyenne and Diablo. They are your home, and blessed to have you.”
     
    “What a sweet thing to say,” she said and squeezed his hand in promise of things to come.
     
    Back home…
     
    They walked into the kitchen, where Beulah was hard at work as usual. “Beulah, I picked up a little something for you at the store”, and handed her a new head scarf and the sack of jelly beans. “You don’t have to share with Rebecca because she has some also.”. Then she called out, “Rebecca, we’re home. Come see what we brought you.”
     
    Rebecca came running into the kitchen, dutifully hugged both of them and asked, “What did you bring me?”
     
    Anna handed her the small doll, and then handed her the sack with the jelly beans. “Now don’t eat them all at one time. I don’t want you to spoil your appetite for supper.”
     
    Rebecca said, “Thank you, Papa.”
     
    “Thank your Mama. She’s the one that got them,” he said.
     
    “Thank you, Mama,” she said.
     
    Two days later…
     
    A wagon carrying two men and something with a quilt covering it and tied down with heavy rope, pulled into the yard at the Diablo ranch. Beulah came to the door and greeted the men/ “Where do you want this?” one asked.
     
    “What is it?” she asked.
     
    ‘It’s a piano,” the man said.
     
    “My land, I don’t know. Let me ask Miss Anna.” She turned and went back into the house and called out, “Miss Anna, you need to come out here.” She returned to the porch.
     
    “What is it?”she asked as she came through the door.
     
    “These gentlemen want to know where you want this here piano,” Beulah answered.
     
    “Piano, what piano?” she asked.
     
    One of the men removed the blanket and untied the ropes. “This one,” he said.
     
    Now, beside herself with the unexpected gift, she was having trouble coming up with words to answer. Josiah came around the corner of the house. “What’s going on out here?”
     
    “You bought me a piano. You actually bought the piano,” she said through the tears coursing down her cheeks.
     
    “Oh yes, I guess I did.” Turning to the men, he said. “We’ll put it in the parlor. Do you need any help?”
     
    “Yes sir, it’s kind of heavy,” the wagon driver said.
     
    Josiah called for one of the hands at the corral to come over and give them a hand. The four of them turned the piano on its side and easily carried it up the steps and into the parlor. Beaulah moved one of the chairs already there to make room. After it was in place, Josiah thanked the men, who then left.
     
    “What do you think?” he asked.
     
    “I think you are wonderful. I haven’t done anything to deserve something as extravagant as this, but I love it,” she said.
     
    “Play something for us,” he said.
     
    She sat, flexed her fingers and began playing one of Chopin’s concertos, her eyes closed, a rapt expression on her face. Josiah picked Rebecca up, and holding her on his lap, they sat and listened to the impromptu concert.
     
    Anna took Rebecca to bed and read her a story from a new children’s book she had also purchased in Cheyenne. After the traditional “happily ever after” ending, Anna tucked Rebecca in. Rebecca said, “I love you, Mama.”
     
    Anna said, “And, I love you my darling,” and kissed her good night. When she left the room, her eyes were glistening with tears.
     
    When she returned to the parlor, Josiah looked at her closely. “Are you all right?”
     
    “Yes,” she answered, “It’s a girl