Conner's Contrary Bride by Barbara Goss (accelerated reader books .txt) 📗

chose a dress Bertie had picked out when they’d shopped. She’d never had such fine things. Was that what Conner had meant when he’d said that God had chosen him and Hays City for her? Had God saved her from Frank? Had everything in her life happened in order for her to reach this point? She felt something for Conner, though it wasn’t love... at least, she didn’t think it was. Regardless, she had a fine home and beautiful clothes.

She pulled the mint green dress off the hanger. Green had always complimented her red hair. Elsie slipped on the prettiest shoes she’d ever owned. They tied above her ankle and had a two-inch heel, which gave her slightly more height.

When she looked into the mirror, she frowned upon seeing the same plain, freckled face and bright red hair. She couldn’t change that. Was Conner sorry he’d married her? Sometimes, she felt his disappointment. He still didn’t know about her temper. She kept smiling to help keep her temper under control. The children she grew up with had made fun of her, her stepfather had abused her, and now, she realized she had a temper she fought to control. Her playmates had stopped calling her names when she’d knocked Ronald Greenway’s tooth out after punching him in the face.

How long could she hide her temper from Conner? He was such a mild-mannered man, yet sometimes, she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. Instead, she smiled as prettily as she could.

Elsie sighed and twisted her hair up into a bun at the top of her head; her hair was too wild and curly to wear any other way.

Now, she had to get her smile ready because she was being forced to go to church.

Bertie had accompanied her friend, Hazel, to church, leaving Elsie and Conner to walk into the tiny white building alone.

Conner introduced her to the many people standing in the lobby—he told her they always stood there talking while waiting for the pianist to play. As soon as the piano music began, Conner led her behind all the others into what he called the sanctuary. The people in front of them each found a bench, and she and Conner took the last empty seat, which was in the front row.

The preacher, Reverend McDougal, was a stocky man who Elsie guessed to be in his forties. He had a jovial face and a smile that came so easily that she knew he used it often. Reverend McDougal had a face that made people like him immediately. Before addressing the congregation, he looked right at Elsie and Conner and winked. He’d married them less than a week before, and he’d remembered them.

Elsie smiled back at him, and he cleared his throat and announced the first hymn.

She looked at the hymnal Conner held between them and read the words as the congregation sang Nearer My God, to Thee. Some people didn’t have hymnals and sang from memory.

Conner had a lovely tenor voice, and Elsie thought she could listen to him sing forever.

Reverend McDougal came out to talk about the Bible. He explained where it had come from as he waved his large Bible in the air. “There were many men who wrote the Bible, but there was only one author: God. He inspired the prophets to write the words. For instance, Moses wrote the book of Exodus, and Amos wrote the book of Amos. When we get to the New Testament, the writers were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Amazingly, all four recounted the same description of many events. James wrote the book of James, John and Paul wrote several books, although scholars are still trying to decide who wrote Revelations. God chose these men because He knew He could count on them to write per His inspiration.”

The reverend seemed to go on and on while Elsie’s attention was on the wonder of a God who could inspire such a book and how He’d accomplished it.

Still holding up his Bible, McDougal said, “And therefore, we read it and we live our lives according to His book.”

Conner hurried her out of the church—she thought he might want to avoid getting trapped into having a conversation.

“I’d take you to Rusty’s for lunch, but he’s not open on Sunday,” Conner said.

Elsie looked up and down the main street. “Nothing is open. It’s nice and quiet.”

They walked hand in hand, back to their home.

“I have an idea,” Conner said, holding the door open for her. “Let’s pack a picnic basket and have a picnic in the park.”

Elsie grimaced. “You mean eat a meal outdoors?”

“Yes, it’s fun. People do it all the time. You never went on a picnic?”

Elsie shook her head. “We sat at the kitchen table and my parents talked, but I wasn’t allowed to speak.”

“Well,” Conner said, pulling out a basket from the hall closet, “you’re in for a treat.”

Conner spread a tablecloth beneath a large oak tree and motioned for her to sit.

“On the ground? We will seriously eat on the ground?”

Conner laughed and opened the basket. He pulled out two plates and utensils and put a large chicken sandwich on her plate, a pickle, and a biscuit.

Elsie knelt on the cloth, trying to figure out the best way to sit. Should she sit cross-legged or tuck her legs beneath her?

Once Conner had fixed his plate, he leaned against the tree with his feet stretched out in front of him.

Elsie pushed the basket aside and sat the same way. It felt odd to eat outdoors on the ground. She cut her sandwich into four pieces so she could eat it daintily, but by the time she’d finished a quarter of her sandwich, Conner was already reaching into the basket for a second one. She could see that his was beef.

When they