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  Love is Patient

  Prairie Promise Book 1

  Kay P. Dawson

  Contents

  Thank You

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Also by Kay P. Dawson

  About the Author

  Thank You

  Thank you for purchasing LOVE IS PATIENT, Book 1 in the sweet historical western romance Prairie Promise Series. I hope you enjoy the story!

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  **This is the first book in the series, however, the community and some of the characters were introduced in one of my previous books - FAE’S FANTASY.

  While it was part of a multi-author series, it is a standalone book that can be read on its own. It also isn’t required reading before this book, but if you’d like to read it first - you can get it at the following link…

  FAE’S FANTASY

  Chapter 1

  The long prairie grass blew in the wind outside the window of the passing stagecoach like waves on the ocean. Kathryn couldn’t tear her gaze away from the beauty of the open countryside as they bounced over the rough dirt road. As far as her eyes could see, open fields stretched for miles with only a few trees dotting the landscape between.

  She lifted her head to breathe deeply of the fresh, warm air just as the coach hit a bump in the road, knocking her back against her seat. The wheels creaked and groaned beneath her, and she wrapped her arms over her chest as she let herself enjoy the excitement of the new adventure ahead of her.

  Promise.

  The name of the town in the Dakota Territory had called to her ever since she was a little girl. She’d come to visit her aunt and uncle a few times over the years while growing up, but her father hated everything about small town country life, so they’d never stayed long.

  Now, Kathryn was able to make this her home and stay as long as she wanted.

  She cringed inwardly at the memory of telling her father about her decision. When her aunt had written to her about a job teaching at the old country school they’d fixed up, Kathryn had known it was meant for her. She’d just completed her teacher’s training and had hoped for a position outside the city where she’d grown up.

  Kathryn had never felt at home in Boston. She believed her roots were in the country, where her father’s family had come from. He’d tried to persuade her away from her “silly notions,” as he’d called them, saying that life in the country wasn’t for the weak.

  Growing up, her father had moved many times while his family tried to survive life on the frontier. He said they’d had nothing, and at times had barely managed to find enough food to live. That’s why he’d left as soon as he could to make a life for himself away from the poverty he’d known. He’d worked hard to become a lawyer so he could live in the city where his own family would never have to know the hardships he’d grown up with.

  So, when she’d told him she was moving out west, to the Dakota Territory where his brother lived, he’d been angry. He’d spent days trying to talk her out of it but had finally relented enough to say he would support her decision. Then added, he’d welcome her back home once she came to her senses and realized life on the frontier wasn’t as romantic as she was imagining.

  “We’re just outside of Promise now, Miss. If you look out the window on your right-hand side, you’ll see that schoolhouse you’ll be teaching at.” The driver called down to her, startling her from her thoughts.

  Before they’d left Brookings this morning, she’d been so excited, so she’d eagerly told the kind older man everything about what she was coming out here to do. He’d said he’d let her know as soon as they were close enough for her to see the schoolhouse.

  She leaned against the side of the coach once more, not even caring about the jarring her body was taking with every bump. The small building she could see in the distance had her heart racing with joy. The few times she’d visited Promise as a child, she’d never paid much attention to the school outside of town.

  It sat in the middle of a field, with just a few trees nearby, painted the same color as the barn she could see up the road. Her aunt had told her all about how the community had come together to bring the old schoolhouse back into working order, fixing it up and painting it with leftover red paint some of the farmers in the area had donated.

  And now, this was going to be her schoolhouse. The small tower over the door housed a bell that she could already picture herself ringing to announce the start and end of the school day. The sound would alert the families that the children were on their way home so they would know to watch for them.

  Off to the side, she could see the small cabin where she would be staying, nestled among the trees on the property. She smiled as she imagined how mortified her father would be right now if he was looking at the same scene out the window as she was.

  But in her eyes, it all looked perfect. It was everything she’d dreamed about since the first time she’d come to visit her aunt and uncle so many years ago.

  The wheels bounced loudly over the wooden bridge leading into the town. Everything looked the same from her last visit here, except for a few new buildings, and it seemed like there were more people who came out to wave at the passing stagecoach.

  With a cloud of dust wrapping around them, they lurched to a stop in front of her aunt’s boardinghouse where passengers would get to rest a bit before continuing on their journey. However, Kathryn was the only one arriving today, and as the driver opened the door and offered his hand, she stepped onto the wooden walkway. Before she even had time to take in the view around her, she was grabbed into a tight embrace.

  “Kathryn! Oh, my goodness child, you look exactly the same as you did the last time I saw you. What has it been? It must be over eight years ago by now. You were just a young girl then.”

  She laughed and hugged her beloved aunt back tightly. “I was almost thirteen and I remember being so excited to be here, but my father complained about everything, so it didn’t make it much fun.”

  Her aunt pulled back, still holding onto her arms as she looked her up and down. “Well, now you’re here on your own and you can have the chance to enjoy life in the country. I know you’re going to love it here. There are so many young women around your age to be friends with, and the school we’ve fixed up will just be a wonderful place for your first teaching job.”

  “Lucy, step back and let the poor girl have a chance to catch her breath.” Her uncle Martin walked over and helped the driver lift her trunk down. He smiled warmly at her, then came over to give her a hug. Her heart tugged slightly at how much he looked like her father. “It’s good to see you, Kathryn. Once your aunt here is finished fussing over you, we’ve got a nice warm meal ready for you inside.”

  Her aunt looped her arm into hers to lead her up the boardinghouse steps while her uncle and the driver followed, talking about the weather and the trip here from Brookings.

  “We’ll let you get cl
eaned up and rested here tonight, then tomorrow we’ll run you out to the Hammond farm to meet the owners of the property the school sits on. Mrs. Hammond has spent the past few days scrubbing the cabin you’ll be living in from top to bottom, making it all ready for you. And we’ll let you see inside the school you’ll be teaching in.”

  Kathryn wasn’t sure it was possible for anyone to be any more excited than she was, but her aunt Lucy was certainly coming close. Since they’d never had children of their own, Kathryn figured this was her chance to dote on someone, even if she was a grown woman.

  Before she was pulled inside the door, Kathryn quickly let her eyes move around the town she would now call home. The mercantile across the street stood proudly in the center, and the church behind it sat with the door open and inviting. A few townsfolk mingled around, shouting greetings to passing wagons.

  In her heart, Kathryn knew this was the place she was meant to be. And she couldn’t wait to prove it to her father, herself, and anyone else who might doubt it.

  Chapter 2

  Colt reached up and pushed his hat back to wipe at the sweat on his forehead. The heat from the sun was already scorching and it wasn’t even midday. But he was almost finished putting in the last of his crop for this year, so he was determined to keep going, even if he did fall from heat exhaustion. The past few years had been difficult for the farmers in the area, so he was hopeful this year he’d have a good crop. The sooner it was in the ground, the better chance he had.

  His gaze moved around the field he stood in, with the dust swirling up around his face from the slight breeze that blew over the land. The leather of the harness holding the horses to the plow squeaked with the movement of the animals as they waited for the signal to start moving again. But otherwise there was blessed silence.

  He’d grown up on this land, and no matter how many times he looked at it, pride swelled up inside him. His parents had been the first settlers in the area and had been a driving force when creating the town of Promise all those years ago. Even though there had been times when it would have been easier to sell everything and move somewhere with better opportunities, instead of struggling to bring in enough to feed his family, he knew he could never leave.

  This land was in his blood and he was determined his own children would know the same sense of pride he did.

  Some days, he wished he could have been more like his younger brother, Luke, who’d joined the cavalry as soon as he’d been old enough so he could see more of the country. He’d always been more of an adventurous type than Colt and had never really seemed to enjoy farming anyway.

  They’d both worked alongside their father from the time they were old enough to walk, tending to the chores and helping with the crops, but it had always been obvious Colt was more interested in taking over the farm. After their father had passed away when Colt was just seventeen, he’d stepped up and carried on supporting the family the best he could.

  A wagon coming up the road toward the house caught his eye and he cursed under his breath. He didn’t have time to be making small talk with the new schoolteacher in town, but his mother had given him a stern lecture this morning that he was to be present and cleaned up when she arrived.

  Now he was going to have to face them both wearing clothes covered in dirt and sweat. He knew his face was likely the same color as the land he stood on, so any chances of making a good first impression were gone now.

  Not that he really cared much anyway. He’d known the Reeves in town for many years, and they were wonderful people, so he was sure their niece was a nice enough woman. But she came from the city, so he knew she would hate it out here from the start.

  Oh, she’d be excited and think it was a grand adventure in the beginning, just like his wife, Arlene, had when she first came to live here. But within a few months of being here and seeing the reality of life on the frontier, she would quickly realize it wasn’t as romantic as she’d imagined.

  He just hoped the children of Promise didn’t get too attached to her before she ran back home.

  He flicked the reins to get the horses moving, cringing as he imagined the scolding he was going to get from his mother once the guests were gone. He was a grown man, but she wasn’t afraid to still put her foot down now and again to remind him of how she’d raised him to know better.

  He knew, though, that even if he ran to the house, he wasn’t going to make it there before them. So any chance of cleaning himself up to be presentable was gone.

  As soon as he led the horses around the corner of the barn into the yard, he could feel his mother’s disapproving glare. He quickly unhitched them and pretended he wasn’t intimidated at all by the looks he was getting from the people standing just beside the wagon.

  He walked toward them with a wide grin on his face, acting like he was dressed in his finest and wasn’t covered from head to toe in grime. His eyes immediately fell on the woman who had to be the new teacher, and his step faltered slightly. His chest gave a tug as he realized he’d never anticipated that she would be so beautiful.

  She was smiling back at him and didn’t seem to be in the least bit disgusted that he hadn’t cleaned up to meet her.

  “Miss Reeves, this is my son, Mr. Colt Hammond. I apologize for his lack of manners, but obviously he forgot he’d be showing you around the place today.” His mother shot him a disapproving stare before continuing with the introductions. “And, Colt, this is Miss Kathryn Reeves, the new teacher at the school.”

  He smiled sheepishly at the woman who’d already put her hand out for him to take. He slowly removed his tattered and worn work gloves, wondering if it would be rude to wipe his hands on his dirty pants before offering his hand. “I’m sorry, Miss, but you likely don’t want me to take your hand. I’m afraid my gloves don’t do much for keeping the dirt out, and I’d hate to get any on you.”

  She laughed, the sound sending warm shivers through his body. “Don’t be silly. I’m not scared of a little dirt.” She reached out and took his hand, shaking it as she smiled up at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hammond. I think I might remember seeing you once or twice on my visits to town when I was a girl, but I doubt you’d remember me. I can’t wait to see the schoolhouse, and the little cabin I’ll be staying in.”

  He swallowed and tried to catch up to what she was saying. But from the moment she’d taken his hand, without any concern about the sweat and grime, he’d been at a loss for words. The excitement she was feeling was palpable, and for a moment he truly did feel guilty for not making sure he’d been cleaned up.

  The truth was, he knew deep down he’d done it on purpose. He knew this woman wasn’t going to be any different than his wife had been, so he hadn’t wanted to give her any false pretenses about what she could expect from living out here.

  But she’d surprised him by not seeming to be affected at all. Colt knew it wouldn’t last, though. His eyes moved over her silky dress that would never stand up to life out here. It was clear she’d grown up pampered and never wanting for anything, so he would give her until the first snowfall, if she even lasted that long.

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Miss Reeves. I’ll just go in and get changed so I can take you out to the schoolhouse. Hopefully, you won’t be too disappointed in your living quarters.”

  He almost laughed to himself as he walked away, knowing full well she was going to be mortified when she saw the little shack set back from the school that she’d be living in. It was the original cabin used by the teachers, including his old teacher Miss Fernly.

  There wasn’t much in the little cabin, although his mother had fixed it up quite a bit when she’d briefly lived in it after he’d been married. So, he knew it was perfectly adequate.

  He just didn’t believe it would be enough for a city girl to live in, so he was prepared for the fit of hysterics—and not the laughing kind—he was most likely about to witness.

  Hopefully, it wouldn’t take long because he had a field to get back to work in
and coddling a fainting city girl wasn’t in his plans for today.

  Chapter 3

  “This is perfect! It’s just how I pictured it would be.” Kathryn slowly turned, letting her eyes take it all in. The chalkboards were scratched and faded, not at all like the pristine ones she’d had in her own school in Boston, but she could imagine the lessons that had been shared on them.

  The desks were made by hand, but she could tell they were sturdy and would give the students somewhere comfortable to spend their days. Her fingers reached down to open one of the brand-new readers sitting on her own desk, and she inhaled deeply as the scent of the fresh paper reached her nose.

  “It’s likely a great deal smaller than what you’re used to, but this little schoolhouse has taught many children through the years. Well, until it had to be closed down a few years ago when the new private school was built in town. I’m afraid we never imagined it would be reopened, so it had started to fall into a bit of disrepair.”

  Kathryn smiled over at Mrs. Winnie Hammond, the kind older woman who was still standing near the doorway with her arms around the two shy children on either side of her.

  When she’d been introduced to Mr. Hammond’s twin children, Delia and Owen, they’d both been polite but reserved in their greetings. She sensed that Delia was desperately fighting the urge to talk to her, but for some reason her brother was making sure she kept her distance.