A Bride for Adam

Greta poured the tea and said, “What do we need to talk about?”
“I’ll need a job...at least, until we have horses to sell. We have money in the bank, but I don’t want to use it all. It’s always good to have money in the bank for emergencies.”
Greta stirred her tea. “What kind of job were you thinking of looking for?”
Adam shrugged. “I hadn’t thought about it. All I know is sailing.”
“I can take care of the horses,” she offered.
“Yes, you can, but I’d like to hire someone to do the dirty work like mucking the stalls.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Greta set her cup on the saucer. “How will you go about finding a job?”
“I’ll go into town tomorrow and ask around, I suppose.”
“Wear your guns.”
Adam bent over and kissed his wife. “I will.” He stood. “I think we should go and pick up our daughter.”
~~~~****~~~~
Greta was elated with her marriage to Adam. She woke up each morning, stared at his sleeping form, and asked herself, “How did I get so lucky?”
She never imagined he’d have to get a job in Fort Worth, since she hadn’t realized how long it would take to breed horses and sell them, but now that Adam had brought it to her attention, she knew the horses needed to be bred and they’d have to wait for the babies to be born. The babies would need time to grow and probably be broken so the buyers could ride them, which could take years. She often wondered if she’d done the right thing by taking Adam away from the sea. Would he be happy working at what would most likely be a lackluster job? Would he yearn for the sea and eventually leave them?
She couldn’t see Adam working at a livery, a store, or even the brick factory.
Each day after job hunting, he’d come home a bit sadder and more depressed than the day before. She tried to boost his spirits with an extra special dinner, a back and neck rub, and sweet love-making at night.
Greta had gotten her courses that month, and she sighed with relief that she wasn’t increasing because it wasn’t the right time with Adam so worried about money.
Every Sunday, Adam, Greta, and Bethany went to church with Sam and Rhea. They had Sunday dinner with Adam’s parents, taking turns between eating at their home and Adam and Greta’s.
One Monday afternoon, Greta prepared to greet a sullen Adam when he came home, but to her surprise, he was excited instead.
“I’ve found the most perfect job!” He picked Greta up and swung her around the kitchen.
When he finally set her down, she asked, “Where?”
“You’re looking at the new captain of Miller’s Ferry.”
Greta clapped her hands together. “Miller’s Ferry? Why didn’t I think of that?”
Adam sobered somewhat. “Before you get too excited, the job won’t last long as they’re building bridges along the Trinity River and before long, a ferry won’t be needed. According to the ferry people, the railroad has already taken away a good deal of their business.
“If I keep the job for a year or two, it will be enough for us.”
“That’s the perfect job for you,” Greta said. “I’ve been praying for a miracle, and it looks like we have one.”
Adam reached into his breast pocket. “Here are the fares I’m to charge: man on foot—five cents; man and horse—ten cents; loose horses and cattle—five cents each; sheep and hogs—three cents each; one-horse wagon—twenty-five cents; four-horse wagon—fifty cents; six-horse wagon—seventy-five cents.”
Greta put her arms around Adam’s neck. “I’m so proud of you.”
Adam kissed her. “I want to provide for my little family more than anything.”
Greta looked up into his eyes. “And you still get to captain a ship...well, sort of.”

Chapter Sixteen
Adam went off to work every day at four in the morning and he didn’t return until eight at night, but Greta noticed he seemed happy with the job, despite the long hours. Thankfully, he had weekends off which he spent with Greta and Bethany.
As the weeks went by, Greta felt a normalcy forming in their lives. She and Bethany looked forward to Adam’s return each evening and delighted in their weekends together. Rhea and Sam visited at least once a day, but Greta was firm with Rhea, and she seemed to back down when tempted to get bossy. Knowing that Adam would back her up on anything gave Greta the courage to stand up to Rhea in a polite way, as he’d taught her.
Both grandparents doted on Bethany and often took her home for lunch or an overnight stay to give Greta and Adam a romantic evening together.
Things were going almost too smoothly, and Greta feared Miles Tanner would act upon his threats, but lately, she’d seen him with Martha Jefferson. She hoped they were courting and he’d forget his words to Adam.
On the eve of Bethany’s fourth birthday, Adam pulled Greta aside after they’d tucked Bethany in for the night.
“I bought Bethany a pony today. I dropped him off at my father’s until tomorrow.”
Greta gasped. Her hands flew to her cheeks. “Really? Oh, she’ll love it. What a great idea, Adam.”
“I can’t wait to give him to her. What do you have planned for tomorrow?”
Greta sat on the sofa and waited for Adam to sit beside her. “I baked a cake today and hid it. I also invited your folks over for dinner. I went into town one day last week and bought Bethany the doll she drools over every time she sees it in the general store window.”
Adam tapped his chin as if in deep thought. “After dinner, we’ll make up some excuse to take everyone to the stables and then we’ll bring out her pony.”
Greta leaned over to kiss him. “Thank you.” She pulled