Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson

Author:Melanie Dobson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa
ISBN: 9781935416661
Publisher: Guideposts
Published: 2011-03-10T05:00:00+00:00

Jacob couldn’t believe his ears nor could he believe his eyes. Cassie was out of quarantine, and she was here at the Mill Race. He twirled her around again and again, savoring the melody of her laughter. She was whole again. Healthy. He could ask for nothing more.

When they stopped spinning, he glanced back and saw Liesel there. Her face was splotched with red, and her blue eyes dipped when he met her gaze, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

He’d known before that Liesel was pretty, during those days and nights that she nursed Cassie back to health, but he hadn’t realized until now exactly how beautiful she was.

Cassie tugged on his arm, and he shook his head, breaking his stare.

“I want to swim, Papa.”

He tweaked his daughter’s chin. “Not in this water, sweetheart.”

She knelt down, cupping water in her hand. “What’s wrong with it?”

He held out his stained hands, and for the first time he felt self-conscious, standing here in his wool jersey with dirt encrusted on his neck and arms. Even with soap, the murky water along the Mill Race did little to wash off the soot.

He guided the women toward the boat, and Michael tossed him a towel. Drying off, he wrapped the towel around his waist, and then his baas handed over a basket filled with food.

The three of them sat on the bank of the canal and watched the pipe on the boat chug out the last of its smoke for the day. He put his arm around Cassie. In spite of his damp suit, she snuggled close to him.

“I missed you, Papa.”

He kissed the top of her head. Words couldn’t express how much he’d missed her. “You are all better?”

She nodded. “Liesel took good care of me.”

His gaze traveled over to the woman beside his daughter. “I’m sure she did.”

Liesel blushed. “Cassie was a stellar patient.”

“The laboratory results came back?”

“Yesterday,” Liesel said. “The diphtheria is gone.”

He kissed the top of Cassie’s braids. “Thank God.”

“Indeed.”

Liesel had promised to care for her while she was at the doctor’s house, but her baas probably needed her back in the gardens for the summer harvest. Would another woman in Homestead take over the care of his daughter? No one could possibly care for her as well as Liesel had.

He leaned toward Liesel. “What happens now?”

She smoothed her fingers over her lap. “I spoke with Niklas Keller yesterday, and if it’s all right with you, Cassie can stay with me for the remainder of the summer.”

“But your work…”

“Two older women work in the Kinderschule, caring for the younger children while their mothers are working.” Liesel stopped, blushing again. “Not that I’m her mother.”

“I understand.”

“She can play at the school while I work in the gardens.” Her cheeks remained flushed, and he wanted to reach out and pull her close to him. “I will care for her in the evenings and at night.”

As she peeled back the cloth covering the basket of food, his eyes were on her face.

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