Free Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Weaver by Kit Morgan

pie.”
    “I’m sure you won’t, child. Which is why I’ll have you help me set the traps.”
    Daniel groaned. “I ain’t even married yet and Ma’s turning my wife against me!”
    Ebba laughed again. Daniel joined her and together they started to eat their pie.
----
    T he next morning Ebba awoke at the crack of dawn. Or rather, Ma Weaver woke her by banging on her door at the crack of dawn. “Time to get going, Ebba girl! Let’s not waste daylight! Do what you have to do, gather your things and meet me downstairs!”
    Ebba sat up, stretched and yawned. She’d slept like the dead – she hadn’t realized how tired she was. Of course, all the laughing last night had helped relax her. She realized that she’d never shared such laughter before, not even with her own family. It felt good, and she was eager to share it again. She hoped the opportunity presented itself during that day, or at the very least, that night.
    She got out of bed, washed her face, dressed and ran a comb through her hair, then quickly braided it. She began to hum as she wrapped the braid around her head and pinned it in place. Gathering her things, she noticed her wedding dress wasn’t there and almost panicked before remembering Ma had taken it the day before to try and fix it for the wedding. She sighed in relief.
    Then the unwanted thought returned: would there be a wedding? Would her allergies be an insurmountable barrier? What good would fixing the dress do if she was just going to stuff it back into her bag again? She hoped she wouldn’t have to find out, but …
    Downstairs, Ma was waiting with Aunt Betsy. “Do you have all your things, child?”
    “Yes. Do you still have my dress?”
    “Of course, dear – I’ve taken care of it.”
    “It’s a shame you already have a dress,” Aunt Betsy said. “I just love helping a bride get ready for her wedding! So does Leona, Sheriff Hughes’ sister. But maybe we could come a day early, Mary, what do you think?”
    “There’s no need for that,” Ma said. “This poor child will have enough to worry about without the two of you fussing over her.”
    “Fussing?” Ebba said. “Why would they be fussing?”
    “On account so many people are coming to the wedding,” Ma said. “Land sakes, I think half the town will be there at this point.”
    Ebba’s eyes went wide as platters. What was she saying? “Half the town? But I thought it would be too far away?”
    “That’s what I thought too,” Ma remarked calmly. “But it seems lots of people are willing to make the trip. Let’s see, there’s the Rileys – you know, Leona and her family – the Johnsons, the Turners, Harlan … I mean, Sheriff Hughes … now who else?”
    Ebba could only stare. “There’s more?” Well, she supposed it really didn’t matter how many people attended their wedding. After all, they were friends of the family – of course they would want to see Daniel married. “That’s not so bad.”
    Aunt Betsy chuckled. “That’s because there’s only so many places for folks to camp out.”
    Ebba glanced nervously between the two women. She wasn’t even going to comment on that one. Better to wait and find out for herself when the time came. Until then, she planned on enjoying the trip to what she hoped would be her new home.

Chapter 7
    W hen Ma said the trip to the farm would take an entire day, she wasn’t exaggerating. It was dark before they arrived, and Ebba had no idea how the horses found their way the last couple of miles. Lots of practice, maybe? Whatever it was, she was glad for it. Her backside was killing her. They didn’t even stop at the Gundersons’ for lunch, though Daniel explained that was their usual routine. But he and his mother wanted to get home, and that was that.
    The one stop they did make was near a pond to rest at midday. It was a beautiful spot and Ebba hoped she could go back there someday. She suspected they skipped the Gundersons’ just to be able to picnic for an hour