Free Bride of Paradise by Katie Crabapple Page A

Cheevy.  She pushed the table out of the kitchen area and put the chairs onto it, before getting down on her knees to scrub the kitchen floor. 
    By the time Samuel got home from work, she had scrubbed every window, the kitchen floor, the stove and the work table.  The kitchen practically sparkled, and she eyed it proudly.  He carried the trunks that were to be picked up out onto the front lawn and helped carry in the bookshelf Mr. Cheevy brought with him.  Kristen rushed over to scrub the shelf off, and then she carefully placed her books, the books of Samuel’s she’d found in various places while she’d cleaned, and the prized possession she couldn’t leave behind.
    She smiled proudly at how the shelf looked when she was finished.  The house was really starting to look better.  Samuel came to her and said, “I’ve hitched up the wagon.  I’m going to the mercantile to see if I can get Mr. Davidson to buy a couple of the trunks from us.  That will give us a little extra money, and get the trunks out of our house.”
    She nodded, happy with the solution.  If he bought two, that would only leave four to get rid of.  She walked to the kitchen to start dinner, but just as she started to dig through the cabinets, there was a knock at the door.  She rushed to the door, throwing it wide.  She’d expected to see Adelaide or her husband, but instead, it was another older woman.  “Mrs. Benner, I brought dinner for you and the pastor.”  She handed Kristen a pot filled to the top.  “It’s beef stew.  He loves my stew.”
    Kristen smiled, hoping it didn’t look strained.  She couldn’t complain that the sweet ladies of their church were feeding them, but she had hoped to make dinner for her husband.  She wanted to make a meal other than breakfast sometime soon.  “Thank you!”  Kristen took the pot and the small basket that held a loaf of bread.  “I’ll make sure you get your things back at church on Sunday, Mrs.?”
    “Allen.  Nancy Allen.”
    “Thank you, Mrs. Allen.”  Kristen put the things on the table, and when she turned, she saw that Mrs. Allen had already left.  Kristen sighed, putting the stew on the stove to heat.  Someday, she’d be able to cook for her new husband.  She knew she would.
    When Samuel got home from the mercantile, he was grinning from ear to ear.  “He was about to order five trunks.  That means that we only have one left to get rid of.  I’ll take the other three over in the morning.”
    Kristen smiled.  “I can always use that one to store things in.  I’m sure when we have a baby on the way, I’ll be doing a lot of sewing for him or h er and having a place to put things will be nice.”
    Samuel seemed to consider it before nodding.  “That’s fine.  We’ll keep three then.”  He sat down at the table.  “Dinner smells good.”
    “Mrs. Allen brought it.  She said you love her stew.”
    He nodded.  “I do love her stew.”  He waited while she served him and sat across from him.  “You’ve gotten a lot done today.  Thank you.” 
    She smiled at him.  “I was happy to do it.  I want our home to be comfortable for both of us.”
    He thought about that.  He hadn’t spent any time trying to make his home comfortable.  He was happy she thought about those things.  After their prayer, they ate the dinner Mrs. Allen had brought over. 
    While he ate, he looked around the room.  “You had time to wash the windows today?” he asked in surprise.
    She shrugged.  “They needed it, so I made the time.  There’s so much I need to do that I didn’t have time to get to, but it doesn’t all have to be done today, I don’t guess.”  She thought the stew had a bit too much salt, but she didn’t say anything.  She couldn’t wait to start cooking herself.  When would the women stop bringing over every meal?
    Once she’d finished the dishes, she found Samuel sitting on the sofa on the other side of the main room of the house,