Mail Order Bride: Not What He Expected (Mail Order Brides Book 1) by Annie Boone Page B

before turning the subject back to the exciting news of the expectant mother.
    The thought of their conversation was never far from her mind, though. The second Patricia left to go back home she began to research the mail order bride idea further.
    Little did she know what a wild adventure was on the horizon for her.

Chapter Two
     
    As Lucy sat on the train headed out to meet her husband to be, she was feeling too many emotions to describe adequately. She was excited, happy, sad, and nervous all at the same time. And honestly, she was a little scared, too. While she had complete faith that the Lord would protect and sustain her, she didn’t know what was going to happen when she arrived. Yes, she did have faith, but she was human, and she was still scared!
    Levi. His name was Levi.  A lovely name. She couldn’t believe that they had reached this milestone in their long distance relationship. He invited her to come out to Nebraska. The one-way train ticket had arrived soon after she accepted.
    The day after she had talked with Patricia about her husband finding options, Lucy had signed up to be a part of the Mail Order Bride program. She was very pleased when she soon received correspondence from a man who seemed interesting and amiable. She felt that there was the chance for a connection between them, so she wrote him back.
    Even though she described her personality; strong-willed, adventurous, fun loving, and a hard worker, she did not say anything about her appearance aside from the basic facts of her blonde hair and green eyes. Her self-confidence grew with every letter that she sent and received. She was learning the ropes of courtship through the written word. It was fun, too.
    There were times when her certainty dipped, she was beginning to feel nervous about it now as she made her way to the place that would be her new home.
    What if he sends me back? She thought about the possibility of rejection, and a sick feeling rose from her core. Looking down at her sturdy wrists and slightly bulging stomach, she knew it was too late to change any of that now. Levi would see the real her the minute she stepped onto the platform.
    She had tried her best to lose a little weight when she started the correspondence, but as far as she could tell, her efforts were to no avail. She was a very good cook, and she relished a delicious meal. What could she say? That’s just how things were.
    That’s ridiculous! She thought to herself, clenching her hands into fists and raising her eyes to look out of the window. As the trees passed by, the train chugged on, creating a slight hiss of vibration throughout the train car. Lucy sighed again as she considered what awaited. It’s too expensive to send me back and plus, he already likes me. We have a connection - or at least, I hope we do. Maybe he won’t notice the extra few pounds.
    Lucy thought about the perception she had of her husband to be. The man seemed honest enough. Through his letters, Levi had expressed great faith in God and an overwhelming sense of family. In one of his letters, in particular, he had told her that he always remembers his mother telling him that a good wife is an asset to a man. He explained that a good and Godly woman will help him stay grounded and help him succeed. He also wrote of his vision of growing together as a couple and supporting each other in their faith and endeavors in life.
    He was the first to admit that good, decent women who were single are rare where he lives. He wrote that this was the reason he decided to advertise for a wife. He told her that he had put off making a decision about finding a wife for a long time.  He’d worried about choosing the right way to meet the right kind of woman and prayed that he’d do the right thing for himself. 
    He wrote that managing the ranch and being an upstanding citizen in town kept him so busy that he had to make a conscious effort to try to have some fun.  He knew he needed to find a woman to