Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(59)
“I do worry. I’m your husband.”
“I’m glad to say.” Hannah rolled onto her stomach. “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be alright.”
“We are so sorry,” the young man said.
“I’m Seth and this is my wife, Hannah,” Seth replied.
“I’m Lawrence and this is my wife, Susannah.”
“I’m pleased to meet you. When did your house start collapsing?”
“About half an hour ago after the last tremor. I think the earthquake must have weakened it. We shouldn’t have stayed in it. It was a stupid thing to do.”
“You need somewhere to stay,” Hannah said from where she still lay on the ground. “We’re going on honeymoon to Owen Lake near Keeler. You could stay in our house until we get back.”
“I have parents nearby,” Susannah said. “We can go there.”
“Is their house constructed with adobe?” Hannah asked.
“No. It’s wooden.”
“We could take you,” Seth said.
“No,” Lawrence replied. “We have a cart and they’re not far.”
“We’ll follow you and make sure everything is alright with your parents,” Seth said. “Just let Hannah recover first.” He went to the cart and opened a bag. “I want to clean up her arm.”
He worked carefully while Lawrence and Susannah went for their horses, his face creased in a frown of concentration. What if what had hit her had hit her head? What if the house had collapsed on them all? He loved her so much but all he had brought her was trouble by writing to her in the first place. She sat up when he finished with her arm and he bent to lift her.
“You’ll break your back,” she said.
“That will be the third time then. I’m going to put you in the cart and you can relax.”
“I’m alright now,” she said. “It was the pain that made me faint, I think. It’s eased which it always does. Can you thank the Lord out loud for keeping us and for saving Lawrence and Susannah?”
He walked over to the cart with her in his arms and spoke out loud while he did it. “Dear Father. Thank You. Thank You so much.”
“Thank You that You always go with us, Lord Jesus Christ,” Hannah said.
Seth lay her in the cart and got up the front as Lawrence and Susannah trotted their horses and cart towards them. “Amen,” he said and they followed the couple from the property.
When they left Susannah’s parents some time later Hannah climbed up beside Seth on the cart. She didn’t want to go to the lake, she thought. Not because of the danger but because it wasn’t necessary. Except, of course, that it might be nice for Seth because it would be a change for him from his farm.
“We should check all the farms over again en route,” she said to Seth.
“The Reverend checked them,” he replied. “And the people from Independence have been checking also.”
“But this happened recently.”
“Yes. It is the only adobe house left standing and he was a bit worried about it. The ones constructed with wood have all been safe.” Seth put his arm round Hannah where they sat on the front of the cart. “We don’t have to go,” he said.
“But you need a break. Your house is new for me but you’ve been living in it for some time. I want to give you a good honeymoon.” She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him slowly. He held her tighter.
“Having you in the house makes it new,” he said. “It has brought it alive whereas before it was just somewhere to live. I will be happy to spend my honeymoon in it with you. We can just stay there for a few days without anybody knowing we’re there because they’ll be expecting us to be away.”
“Jason will be coming in to check everything and there will be chores to do.”
“I’ll tell him we’re there and we’ll only do the essential chores.”
“No.” Hannah kissed Seth again and suddenly felt at peace. “Let’s have a honeymoon. If we meet anymore trouble on the way so be it. I don’t want to spend my life running away from danger and we’re never on our own, anyway, because God is with us. Is that alright with you?”
Seth stroked her hair, released her and shook the reins. “More than alright,” he replied. “As long as we’re together.”
THE END