It was a windy afternoon, and the farmhouse’s windows were wide open in an attempt to catch any cooler air that might pass by. They also broadcast the crew’s considerable noise all over the yard. Melinda was on the back porch, bracing herself for the racket just beyond the kitchen door, when the foreman suddenly popped through.
“There you are! How was the tea party?”
In an effort to make small talk with the strangers who had taken over her home, she’d tried to explain to Joe where she was going. But now, she was too tired to clarify everything.
“It was good.” She set a container of cookies on the table. “I thought you guys might want a few leftovers.”
To her surprise, Joe barely glanced at the tray of treats. “I’m glad you got back when you did, we’ve been watching for you. Hey Al,” he shouted over his shoulder. “Bring that thing in here, will ya?”
“Oh, no,” Melinda groaned. “This was going so well. I was afraid you’d find something bad. Whatever it is, just tell me.”
“It’s not like that.” Joe grinned mischievously. “Wait until you see this!”
An older man in a gray tee shirt wandered into the kitchen with something under his arm. “This was in the crawlspace, back behind that little door in the office.” Al handed her a faded cigar box. “We found it tucked between some rafters.”
She held it gingerly in her fingers, squeamish about the dirt and cobwebs that covered it as well as what might be lurking inside. “Don’t tell me there’s something dead in here. Or a snake.”
“Open it!” Joe rubbed his hands together. Both guys were smirking.
“They’re love letters!” Al burst out, unable to keep the secret any longer. “She wrote them, and he kept them. Once they married, she must have been too sentimental to throw them out, even though she’d gotten her guy.”
Melinda flipped back the lid. Just as the men said, the pressboard container was crammed with faded letters and postcards.
“What I can’t figure out,” Joe mused, “is how they got back in that nasty crawlspace. From our experience,” he raised an eyebrow at Melinda, “women always hide their secret treasures under a loose floorboard, or in the back of a closet.”
“Not somewhere as dirty as where we found that.” Al wrinkled his nose. “I tried to wipe off most of the mouse poop.”
“Oh, wow, just look at these!” Melinda eyed the cigar box’s contents. “I bet Ada wrote these to Henry. There’s so many, they must have really been in love.” She set the cigar box on the table and unfolded the first piece of paper.
June 9, 1947
My dearest Horace …
The kitchen started to spin. Joe gently pushed her into a chair. “Geez, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He caught the letter before it could fall to the floor. “Who’s this Horace, anyway? The girl’s name’s not on there, at least the ones on the top that we looked at.”
“Horace lived here all his life, until just last year.” She was so stunned, she could barely get the words out. “But he was never married.”
The men’s eyes widened with shock. “You sure?” Joe’s skepticism was all over his face.
Melinda closed her eyes for a moment. “Yes.”
“Is he still alive?” This from Al.
“Yes. Very.” She sat there for a moment longer, then grabbed her phone.
“Who’re you calling?” Joe put the letter back and pushed the cigar box across the table, as if suddenly afraid to touch it. “That Horace guy?”
Melinda shook her head. “Absolutely not. Not yet, anyway.” Her heart began to race as she scrolled through her contacts. “Not until I talk to someone else first.”
“The Bright Season” arrives in late 2019. It will be available in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions.
About the books
Don’t miss any of the other titles in this heartwarming rural fiction series! All are available in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions
“ ... It’s hard not to fall for the plucky Melinda and her quirky and kind friends and neighbors. ... Melinda’s reinvention of herself isn’t without its bumps, making her a relatable heroine whom readers will want to follow to her next adventure.”
- Publishers Weekly praise for ‘Growing Season’
Growing Season (Book 1)
Melinda is already at a crossroads when the “for rent” sign beckons her down a dusty gravel lane. Downsized from her job at a Twin Cities ad agency, she’s struggling to find her way forward when a phone call brings her home to rural Iowa. It’s not long before she’s living in a faded farmhouse, caring for a barn full of animals, and working at her family’s hardware store. And just like the vast garden she tends under the summer sun, she soon begins to thrive.
Harvest Season (Book 2)
Two months into an unexpected sabbatical from her life in Minneapolis, Melinda’s efforts at her rented farmhouse are starting to pay off. But even in tiny Prosper, nothing stays the same. One member of the hardware store’s coffee group shares a startling announcement, and a trip back to the city makes Melinda realize how deep her roots now run in rural Iowa. As the seasons change, she must choose between the security of her old life or an uncertain future.
The Peaceful Season (Book 3)
When a reflective hush falls over the harvested fields, Melinda turns her thoughts toward the coming holidays. She has a list of what will make the season perfect: Prepare her acreage for the coming winter, host her family’s Christmas dinner, and use her marketing smarts to upgrade Prosper’s charming holiday festival. But when a mysterious visitor arrives, she is reminded there is more to the Christmas season than elaborate celebrations and expensive decorations.
Waiting Season (Book 4)
Melinda finds herself struggling to keep the worst of winter’s threats from her door. She pushes on because Horace’s offer still stands: If she wants to stay, he’ll sell her the farm in the spring. But as winter tightens its grip on rural Iowa, her biggest challenges are still to come. A series of events threatens to break her heart and shatter her hopes, and it will take all of Melinda’s faith and the support of her family and friends to see the season through.
Songbird Season (Book 5)
The first blush of spring finds Melinda filled with great expectations and lofty goals. But as the songbirds return, not everything’s coming up roses: A no-nonsense housing inspector claims her sweet deal with Horace could come at a high cost, and her latest idea to improve life in her rural community meets with skepticism from some of the locals. And when Uncle Frank makes a shocking discovery in the town’s archives, friendships are tested and family ties start to fray.
A Tin Train Christmas
From the author of the heartwarming “Growing Season” rural fiction series comes this old-fashioned story of family and faith to brighten your holidays!
The toy train in the catalog was everything two young boys could wish for: colorful, shiny, and the perfect vehicle for their wild imaginations. But was it meant to be theirs? As the Great Depression’s shadows deepen over the Midwest, Horace and Wilbur begin to worry that Santa might not stop at their farm. But with a little faith and their parents’ love, the boys just might discover the true spirit of Christmas. And there's more: At the end of the story, you'll discover three holiday recipes handed down in the author’s family!
A Tin Train Christmas is available in Kindle and paperback formats
About the author
Melanie Lageschulte grew up on an acreage in northern Iowa with a menagerie of four-footed friends. She’s spent much of her professional life telling the stories of Iowa and its residents, including several years as a features reporter and editor for the Des Moines Register. Lageschulte holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in American history from the University of Iowa.
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