*****
Samuel woke at four on the morning of August thirtieth to make the long drive to Dallas. He hoped he wouldn’t have to stop overnight, but he had prepared as if he would. He had several sandwiches packed that would last him until he got to Dallas along with a huge jar of water. He hated making long drives like this, but he’d do it for his future bride. Whoever she was.
The drive was monotonous. He headed east following the dirt road toward Grapevine. He’d have to drive through Grapevine to get to Dallas, and he’d probably take a quick break for lunch there. It was his halfway point. He’d made the drive only once before, when he’d left the seminary and moved to his first assignment as a pastor in May, but of course, he’d been going the other direction.
It started to rain about an hour into his drive, and slowed him down more than he would have liked. Just before he reached Grapevine, he felt the jolt of the wagon, and he stopped the horses and jumped down, shaking his head. A broken wheel. He sighed. He’d brought two extras along, of course, because you never knew when something would happen. He believed very strongly in God taking care of him and protecting him, but he also felt like he should always help God out by being prepared for emergencies.
He got the wheel changed, wishing he’d thought to bring along a towel to wipe off his muddy hands. He wiped them on his slacks. It was raining hard enough that his pants would be clean by the time he got to Dallas, right? It was a good thing he wasn’t meeting his bride as soon as he got to Dallas. He’d have a chance to clean up before meeting her in the morning.
By the time Samuel pulled his wagon up in front of the seminary, it was six in the evening. The drive shouldn’t have taken more than eight or nine hours and instead, between the rain and the broken wheel, it had taken thirteen. He was tired and grumpy. He hoped that Sally and Albert were waiting for him, because he desperately needed a hot meal and a bed, hopefully in that order.
He knocked on the door to the seminary, and it flew open. “You made it!” Sally beamed at him, obviously thrilled he was there. “Oh. What happened?” She took in his disheveled appearance. “Did it rain?” She peered up at the sky in wonder. They’d only had a few sprinkles there.
He sighed, carrying his carpet bag into the house. “It started raining just after I left paradise around five this morning. I had a broken wheel just outside of Grapevine, and then there was a dog stuck in the mud, a puppy really. His little foot was so deep in the mud that he couldn’t get it out, so I helped him.” He looked down at himself, laughing. “I know I’m a mess.”
Sally nodded. “Yes, you are a mess.” Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at him.
“I’m sorry. I just really need to eat and sleep. I’ve been on the road for thirteen hours and I feel like a train hit me.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck, wishing he could get the crick out of it. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with anyone but you and Albert tonight. I’m really not up for it.”
“Well, about that…” Sally gestured over her shoulder to the pretty brunette sitting at the table.
Samuel bit his tongue, not wanting to say what was really on his mind. He studied the young woman sitting there staring at him intently, her eyes going again and again to the mud covering him. She had brown eyes that seemed to study him as if he were a specimen in a glass, making him feel very uncomfortable. She was dressed immaculately, her mint green skirt and matching flowered blouse fitting her perfectly. He hoped she sewed, because otherwise, she’d never get such well-fitting clothes again. A pastor didn’t have the means to pay a seamstress to make his wife’s clothes.
He took a step forward and offered his hand to shake. “I’m Samuel.”
She looked at his hand for a moment, as if she were trying to decide if she wanted to touch him. Finally her eyes met his, and she smiled, not taking his hand. Instead she put her hands behind her back. “I’m Kristen. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
He all but laughed, taking the hint and walking to the basin to wash up. He hoped she didn’t think he was usually that dirty, but by the look on her face, he could tell she did. He washed his hands and face, but could do nothing for his dirty clothes without excusing himself before dinner, and he was starving. He’d dropped half of his sandwiches in the mud sometime between changing the wheel and rescuing the dog, and he’d given one to the dog, because he was unsure how long the poor thing had stood there trapped.
So he’d eaten a total of two sandwiches in the past twelve hours, and he was starving. Not even to make his future bride happy would he change his clothes before eating. He sniffed the air and smiled happily. Sally had made his favorite, a beef stew with carrots that she always served over rice.
He turned from washing up and saw that she’d put it on the table, and he sank down into an empty chair across from Kristen. Albert came into the room then, patting his shoulder before sinking into the chair beside him. “Rough trip?”
Samuel laughed sourly. “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.” He shook his head.
Albert grinned. “I’ll pray then.”
They bowed their heads for Albert’s prayer, and when they were finished, Samuel served himself a huge helping of the stew over rice. Sally pushed a plate of fresh bread she’d sliced and a small bowl of butter toward him and he buttered two pieces resting them on the side of the small bowl. He knew he should be paying more attention to his bride, but he was so hungry. He took a huge bite of the stew, marveling at how the flavors exploded on his tongue. He’d missed Sally’s cooking almost more than he’d missed the companionship of the seminary.
“This is wonderful, Sally. Thank you.”
Sally gestured to Kristen. “Kristen made it. I’ve been teaching her to cook all of your favorite dishes.”
Samuel looked at Kristen with surprise. So there was more to her than met the eye. “Thank you.”
Kristen blushed and looked down. “You’re welcome.” She took tiny little bites of the food in front of her.
“So tell me about your family, Kristen.” He didn’t want to have to make conversation, but hopefully he could get her talking and she would just keep going. Women liked to talk, from his experience, and while sometimes it was annoying, while he was eating, it would be perfect.
“I’m the oldest daughter of two immigrants. My mother is from Norway, and looks like your typical Norwegian woman. Tall, blond, blue eyes. Sometimes I wish I’d gotten her looks…” She looked at him as if waiting for him to say something, but he just kept eating, waiting for her to tell him more. She frowned. “My father is from Germany. He manages one of the textile factories. I have one sister, Laura. She’s sixteen.”
He nodded, hoping she’d just keep talking and not expect him to answer as he served himself a second bowl of the stew. He just wanted to eat and sleep. Was that too much to ask after driving for over twelve hours? He kept eating until she said in a rather annoyed voice. “Well?”
He glanced up. “Well, what?” Was she already done talking? What did she want from him?
“What’s your family like?”
He shrugged. “My father died in the war between the states when I was six. I was raised by my mother and my grandparents until I was fifteen when my mother remarried. She had two daughters with her new husband, but I never quite felt like I fit in with them. I moved on when I was of age and came here to Dallas to go to school.” He took another bite. “I went back once for the summer, and while they never said anything, I could tell they really didn’t have room for me or any desire to feed an extra mouth. Albert and Sally have pretty much been my family since then.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Kristen told him, obviously upset. “Families should never be that way.”
“I’m an adult now. They no longer have any obligation to me.” He just kept eating, hoping she’d talk about something else. When she kept looking at him, he asked, “Is there anything I need to
do to help get ready for the wedding?”
“Oh, no. I’ve got that under control! I would like you to come to lunch at my house tomorrow to meet my family. They feel like they need to meet the man who’s going to take their daughter away from them.”
He nodded. “That’s fine.” He didn’t much care what he did then, he just cared about now. Dinner, hot bath and bed in that order. Nothing else mattered much at that point in time.
When it was time for Kristen to leave, Samuel knew he should offer to walk her home, but he needed a bath more than he needed to be polite. It was still light out, and he was sure she could find her way. She left, obviously put out with him, but he was too tired to care.
Bride of Paradise: Book 1 in Mail Order Ministers Page 8