West For Love (A Mail Order Romance Novel) by Karolyn James, Claire Charlins

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    “Whoa,” Thomas said as his big,
strong arms scooped Anna up at the last second.
    One hand touched between Anna’s
shoulders, the other at her lower back.
    “Are you okay?”
    Anna nodded.
    “I like your dress,” Thomas said.
“Is that new?”
    Anna nodded again.
    Thomas helped Anna stand. He then
slid his hands off her and started to walk. Anna walked alongside him and kept
looking down at his hand. Just hanging there. Anna wanted to grab. But she
didn’t. She respected the situation and knew it was up to Thomas to make those
kinds of moves.
    “Your house is beautiful,” Anna
said, the real first thing she said to Thomas.
    “Thank you,” Thomas said. “A lot of
work went into the house. The land has been fertile from the day I planted the
first seed. A real blessing.”
    Anna smiled. It seemed odd to hear
Thomas use the word blessing considering all that he had gone through.
    At the porch Thomas paused and
allowed Anna to walk up to the house first. Anna looked back and down at Thomas
and noticed how long his face suddenly appeared.
    “I have something for you,” Anna
said. “In my suitcase. I’d like to give it to you.”
    “Sure,” Thomas said. “We’ll get
there. Why don’t you go meet my son. I have to get back to work.”
    Thomas didn’t look ready to work,
but Anna knew that when it came to tending land there weren’t options. You
either took care of the land or didn’t. Thomas stared at Anna for a few more
seconds and Anna waited to see if there was anything else to say.
    There wasn’t.
    Thomas turned and slowly walked
towards the large fields.
    Anna took a deep breath and crossed
the threshold of her new home by herself. It was exactly how she envisioned to
pass through into such a beautiful home, but she carefully reminded herself of
why she was there. Of what events that had taken place to bring her there and
to allow Thomas the chance to marry again.
    A small cry echoed and Anna smiled.
    found the infant in Jo’s arms as
she stood in the kitchen. The second Anna saw him, her heart melted and began
to reshape itself. The baby blinked and stared at Anna, almost a perfect copy
of Thomas. The shape of the baby’s head, the dark hair, the eyes, the face.
    “This is Thomas Jr.,” Jo said.
    “He’s beautiful,” Anna said. “Oh
my...”
    “Yes he is,” Jo said.
    Thomas Jr. let out another wail and
Jo started to bounce him.
    “He’s also very hungry right now,”
Jo said. “Would you like to assist me for a second?”
    “Of course,” Anna said. “Do you
have a room...?”
    “Doesn’t matter to me,” Jo said.
She then turned her head and looked out the window to the fields. “But for this
time, let’s go to my room. I put your suitcase there for right now. I’ll let
Thomas properly show you to your room.”
    Jo had a little smile on her face
and Anna wasn’t sure if that smile came with implications. Just thinking about
being in a bedroom with Thomas gave Anna an odd feeling in her body. She was
obviously instantly attracted to Thomas, his look and physique much greater than
William.
    In the bedroom, Jo sat on a small
bed, holding Thomas. She looked at the baby then at Anna.
    “Here, hold him for a second,” Jo
said.
    Not a question but a request.
    Anna stiffened and hesitated.
    “He doesn’t bite,” Jo teased.
“Trust me, I’d know if there were teeth!”
    Anna giggled and her cheeks flushed
again. She reached for the infant, holding him by his sides and pulling him
towards her. She gently held Thomas Jr., feeling her heart race in a way it
hadn’t in a long, long time. It was holding life. It was holding something that
meant so much more than just a baby. Anna closed her eyes and smelled the baby.
That warm, fresh smell. Anna hadn’t had much experience with babies and it
still made her mind scramble to think she was supposed to be a mother to this
one.
    Thomas Jr. started to move, making
noises as he did so. His arms moved in opposite directions to his legs.