Brides of Iowa by Connie; Stevens Read Free Book Online Page B

why.”
    Flossie unwrapped her hand, and Tessa crossed the kitchen to inspect the wound. The inflamed red flesh didn’t appear to be healing as fast as Tessa hoped. “Flossie, you must go see the doctor.”
    The woman shook her head. “Even if I had the money for a doctor, I couldn’t take the chance of Kilgore finding out.”
    Tessa wondered if Gideon carried a burn remedy at the mercantile. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
    The thought of Gideon ignited a warm rush of feelings—the same feelings she’d experienced when his face appeared in her awful dream a week ago. Having Gideon close by felt comfortable. Maybe because he wanted to be her friend. She refused to entertain thoughts of his being anything more.

    The bell on the door jingled, and Gideon looked up to see his sister, Martha, entering the mercantile. A radiant blush glowed on her cheeks, and her green eyes sparkled. “Good afternoon, big brother.” She planted a kiss on Gideon’s cheek.
    He grinned at her. “You certainly look like there’s nothing wrong in your world today.”
    “What could be wrong?” Martha extended her arms and pirouetted. “God has answered my prayers, and in a few weeks, I’ll be Mrs. Theodore Luskin.”
    Gideon smiled as peace filled his heart. Martha was marrying a fine, hardworking, Christian young man who adored her. “So what brings you to our establishment today?”
    “This week’s mail.” She pulled the envelopes from her reticule and laid them on the counter.
    She pressed her palms against the worn wood and beamed. “I just came from the hotel dining room. Their desserts are wonderful. The chocolate cake … mmmm.” She closed her eyes and smiled as though she could taste the confection from memory.
    Gideon leaned against the counter. “Did you and Ted have lunch there?”
    Martha shook her head, and the gold tendrils that framed her face danced. “No, his mother came to town today so we could discuss the wedding with Pastor Witherspoon, and she took me to the hotel for lunch. We asked if the cook could make a wedding cake, and she said yes.”
    Gideon frowned. He didn’t wish to deny his sister, but even the smallest luxuries cost money. “Did you happen to get a price for this cake?”
    Martha’s countenance fell, and her voice lost some of its joy. “She said two dollars and a half.”
    Gideon felt like a cad. His declining business wasn’t Martha’s worry. How could he rob her of her happy anticipation? He reached over and patted her hand. “Go ahead and order the cake, honey.”
I’ll manage to pay for it somehow.
    His sister came around the counter and hugged him. “Oh, thank you, Gideon. I’ll see you tonight at supper.”
    He bid her good-bye and watched her dash up the stairs to their living quarters. He wished his parents could have lived long enough to see their daughter married. How pleased Pa would have been to walk Martha down the aisle.
    Troubling thoughts of Tessa arose once again. The way her father hurled horrible accusations at her sickened him. Gideon puzzled over Langford’s unreasonable attack on Tessa. How could the man possibly blame her for her mother’s death? He couldn’t imagine his own father telling Martha she was worthless. On the contrary, his father adored his daughter. He shook his head and breathed a prayer for Tessa’s safety and comfort. Her welfare had become a regular request whenever he communed with God.
    He sorted through the mail. The return address on one envelope made his heart leap—the long-awaited answer from a horse breeder in Illinois. He tore open the flap and extracted the missive. A smile climbed into his face as he read. The man was willing to sell him a Belgian stallion at a reasonable price. The letter included terms and suggestions for taking delivery.
    The only thing standing between him and his dream of owning a spread and breeding horses was the sale of the mercantile. Now with the promise of a stallion, he allowed himself to daydream about a