Page 28 of A Cowboy's Convenient Marriage

“I’ll try not to do that,” she said with a soft smile. One that he was coming to recognize and love. It was calming and sweet, almost serene. There was a gentleness about her spirit that gave him the feeling that she truly did trust the Lord for her walk in life.

“All right then, thank you for meeting with me this evening. I’ll be praying about this too, as I know you will be.”

“I’m sure that God has an answer for us, and I think I know what it is. But I definitely want to pray about it.”

“I don’t know that you would have been the right woman if you hadn’t said that you needed to pray about it.”

He didn’t mean that as a cushy, feel-good compliment. He truly meant it. From the bottom of his heart. If she hadn’t wanted to pray, he wasn’t sure he would have wanted to marry her. Or that he should.

He wanted to lean in and kiss her cheek, but instead he held his hand out, and she gripped it while they shook.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning,” she echoed, nodding at him, standing for just a second or two longer than strictly necessary before her hand slid out of his, and she walked up the stairs, disappearing into the house.

Did he just spend the first of many nights with his future wife? Or was he falling for someone who wasn’t called to go with him but was rather called to stay with her family?

He supposed time would tell.

Lord, did You show me Ada so that I would know what I couldn’t have?

Chapter 11

“Knock, knock,” Alaskasaid, tapping gently on Ada’s door.

“Come on in,” she said, pulling her knees up to her chest as she leaned against the headboard of her bed. She had her jammies on but hadn’t gotten under the covers. She had too many things to think about, and she’d been up pacing for a while.

“The kids are in bed, and Ezra is headed that way, but I wanted to stop in and talk to you for a moment.”

“Of course. I’m always happy to talk to you,” Ada said, sliding over so Alaska could sit down on the edge of the bed. Alaska wasn’t much older than she was, but she lived a lot different life than what Ada had. Until she married Ezra, it had been rather rough and hard. Not that she didn’t work hard now, it was just she’d seen a lot of society and the world that Ada had been shielded from growing up in her big, loving family.

“I thought you might be needing a friend. Someone to bounce some thoughts off of, so I just thought I would check in.” Alaska settled down on the bed, the moonlight streaming through the window illuminating her features but keeping most of the room shrouded in shadows and darkness.

Ada hugged her legs. “I don’t know what to do. I... I think he’s a good man.”

“I agree.” Alaska spoke simply.

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