LHOTP - The Continuing Story (You decide what happens)

Laura stomped towards Almanzo, her fists clenched by her sides. "When were you going to tell me?"

Confusion plagued Almanzo's face. "Tell ya what?" he asked, fingering the rim of his hat, which he held in his hands.

"That there is someone else."

His mouth fell open. "What!" Almanzo shook his head in disbelief. "Laura," he reached for her arm, but she yanked it away. "What on earth are ya talkin about?"

"I know Almanzo. I know that you have been seeing one of your old sweethearts." Hot fury painted Laura's face.

He could barely contain his laughter, but this really was no laughing matter. Laura was obviously upset. "I don't know what you're talkin about."

She glared at him. "So that's how it's going to be."

Frustration filled Almanzo's body and he smacked his hat against his leg. "Dagburnit Beth, would ya tell me what has ya so riled up? When I left everythin was fine between us, but now you're madder than a wet hen."

"He told me." Laura stepped in closer and pointed her finger into Almanzo's chest. "You had dinner at Nellie's with another woman."

"Wait a second. Who told you? Perley Day?"

"Yes," she spat.

Almanzo's lips curled into a crooked smile and then huge belly laughs flew out of his mouth as he realized what was going on. He doubled over, holding his sides they hurt so badly, but Laura was screaming at him.

"There is nothing funny about this. I thought you loved me! I should have listened to Pa. He knew you couldn't be trusted."

Almanzo's laughter stopped short and he grabbed both of Laura's arms. She tried to pull away, but he held her tight.

"Let go of me!" she hollered.

"Not until I have my say."

Laura's breaths still came in short, angry huffs and her eyes still glared at him, but she stopped struggling.

"I would never ask another woman out to dinner...except maybe my sister. Do you know what Perley Day told me on the day I left Sleepy Eye?"

Laura shook her head.

"He told me that there was somethin goin on between you and that Brewster boy. I have to admit it drove me crazy thinkin about ya bein with anyone else."

Laura's gaze fell to the floor. Almanzo could see the hot flush of embarrasment tinging her cheeks. Cupping her chin with his right hand, he titled her head up so he could look into her chocolate-brown eyes.

"The only woman I want to be with is you. I would never lie about somethin like that. Don't ya know how hard is it for me to be away from you while you're here in Sleepy Eye?"

Almanzo's lips brushed gently against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too," said Laura. She pulled away and dropped down into a desk. "I should have seen what Perley Day was up to. It's just...I've loved you for a long time and I really thought you were never going to feel the same way. When Perley Day told me about this woman I got afraid that you had changed your mind."

Clasping her hands in his, Almanzo led her up from the desk and into his arms. "Never."

Laura's lips felt soft when she eagerly accepted his kiss. His lips brushed her cheek before he pulled her into a long embrace. He was going to kill Perley Day, or at least make him wish he were dead. He had had enough of his younger brother's interference. He was going to make sure Perley Day never bothered Laura or he ever again.

To be continued...
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Almanzo heard the shrill warning voice of his sister in his head as he walked to the hotel to confront Perley Day, "Now Almanzo, get control of yourself...don't do anything in haste, this IS your little brother." But as he stomped up the stairs of the hotel leading to his conniving, scheming little brother, all rational thought was gone. He could only see red.

Not even stopping by the front desk, he clambered up the stairs to the room where he knew Perley Day was staying, according to Laura, and pounded on the door. No more had Perley Day turned the handle, and Almanzo shoved his way in and pushed Perley Day down on the floor in front of the bed. Flustered, Perley Day stared up at his outraged brother, and knew the game was up. He decided the only thing to do now was play dumb. "Manzo, what the heck are ya doin'?! Just what do you think I've done now?" Almanzo glared back at him, "Don't even try it Perley Day, I know everything. You've done everything in your power to try to split Beth and I up and it's about time you realize it's just not gonna work."

Perley Day hauled himself up off the floor, puffed out his chest and tried to stretch to his brother's intimidating height. "Manzo, you don't know what kind of 'girl' you're dealing with. Whatever Laura has been telling you, it's all lies. I know for a fact she's been 'doing things' with that Brewster boy. Why just the other day I caught them..."

"That's enough!!" Almanzo roared. "You no good little weasel, I oughta teach you the lesson you surely never got from pa...", as he reared back his arm, he felt resistance as he tried to swing.

"Stop, Almanzo!" Laura cried, clinging to him. "He's not worth it."

He turned to stare into her pleading chestnut eyes, and slowly lowered his arm...

To Be Continued....
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Oh my goodnes, someone other than me writing this story. haha

Thanks for the addition Amy.

Caressing Laura's cheek with his free hand, Almanzo's heart ached when he saw the fear in Laura's eyes. "Alright, I won't give him the wallopin he deserves, but only cuz ya asked me not to."

"Thank you," she replied, loosening her grip on Almanzo's arm. "Let's go."

Almanzo shook his head. "Not yet. I want a few words with my little brother."

Almanzo noticed how Perley Day winced when he heard the words "little brother." He hoped it caused the anger to bubble up inside him. But it wouldn't even come close to how livid he was over what Perley Day had tried to do.

"Are you two okay alone?" asked Laura.

"You can stay," Perley Day was quick to interject.

"That's fine with me," said Almanzo firmly. "I have nothin to hide."

In three steps Almanzo bridged the gap between him and Perley Day. The younger Wilder straightened up as he approached, showing no fear.

Pointing his his finger into Perley Day's chest, Almanzo glared at him. "No more of this nonsense little brother. I love Beth and I ain't gonna let ya hurt her or her family."

"Seems you're the one who kept hurting her, Manzo. She sat there pining away for you for two years. If it weren't for me, ya might never have noticed her."

Perley Day watched Laura's reaction. She stood behind Almanzo wringing her hands. He guessed she still wasn't sure she could hold onto Manzo.

"Yep, if I hadn't made ya see what a fine young woman she had grown up to be, ya probably never woulda asked her out to supper. Sounds like ya owe me. I think twenty dollars would cover it. Course I would need another five dollars for food on my trip outta here."

"That's all it's about to you, isn't it Perley Day? Makin a buck, cuttin a deal, not carin about anyone but yourself. I was angry when I came in here, but now I just feel sorry for ya. Ya got nothin. No home, no family, no job. Ya must be awful lonely."

Almanzo dug into his pocket and pulled out twenty dollars. "This is all I've got, but you can have it. Use it to make somethin of yourself. Try to be the man Father wanted you to be."

Almanzo tossed the money on the bed and placed his arm around Laura. He glanced back at Perley Day before leaving the room. He swore he saw a tear in the corner of his brother's eye.

to be continued...
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Poor Perley Day is still crying because no one loves him enough to continue this story. bawling

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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Perley Day gathered his things into his bag. Almanzo's words still burned into his soul. He's right. I've got nothin. Perley Day plunked down on the bed and unfolded the twenty dollar bill his brother had given him. What am I supposed to do now? I sure can't go back to Walnut Grove and there ain't nothin for me here.

He crunched the bill in his white knuckled grasp. Seems like Manzo came out on top again. Perley Day stood and jammed the money into his front pocket. Maybe it was time to head home and see his mother and make peace with his father.

*

Almanzo and Laura sat side by side in his buggy. The ride so far has been a quiet one. Neither of them felt comfortable about what had transpired lately.

Laura's sigh pierced the silence. "Manly, I'm sorry. I should have trusted you." She couldn't bear to look at him so her gaze stayed concentrated on her lap.

"Aw Beth, I was just as crazy to think anythin was goin on between you and Chad Brewster." A crooked smile appeared on his face. "I guess that means we must be in love, huh?"

Laura couldn't keep the smile from curling her lips. "Pa always says that when a person gets jealous that means she's in love."

Almanzo tugged the reins and the buggy came to a quick halt.

"What's wrong?" asked Laura.

"Nothin, nothin's wrong. It's just..."

"Just what?"

Almanzo covered both her hands with his hand that wasn't holding the reins. "Let's promise that we'll never jump to conclusions about each other. If we had just talked it out without thinkin the worst, we coulda saved ourselves a lot of problems."

"You're right." Laura gazed up at him sheepishly.

He leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Now, let's get home. I'm hopin to take my favorite girl out to supper tonight."

"Really, who's that?"

They laughed together as Almanzo promoted the horses forward. It was good to be happy again.
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Perley Day's hand trembled as he held it in front of the door. I can do this. Exhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for what he was about to do. His shaking hand rapped on the door to the Wilder farm. I sure hope Ma and Pa are happy to see me.

*

"So," began Almanzo as Laura sat beside him in his buggy on the way back to Sleepy Eye. "This is your last week. Are you going to miss it?"

Laura shrugged. "In some ways, yes; but I would much rather be home with my family." A hot, red blush crept up her cheeks. "And you," she added.

A crooked smile appeared on Almanzo's face. "I'll miss these drives, but I'll sure be glad you're home too."

Laura adjusted herself on the seat, trying to push away the sudden feeling of discomfort that filled her mind. What will it be like for us when I'm home?

Nervous thoughts rambled around in her head, leaving her with a mixture of dread and excitement. She was excited about Almanzo courting her, but now he would be close by. They would spend more time together; be around each other more often. What if she did something wrong or if he discovered he didn't really care for her as much as he first thought.

"What are ya thinkin about?" Almanzo words pierced through the silence.

Laura's fingers fiddled with a button on her coat. "Nothing."

"Laura, we agreed we would talk things out." Almanzo freed up his right hand and placed it on top of Laura's busy ones. "What's botherin ya?"

"Oh Manly, it's just...I'm a bit scared. We haven't spent a lot of time together since we began courting. I've been here and you've been in Walnut Grove; even when you were here for a while, Miss Trimble kept you pretty busy."

Almanzo squinted, confusion clear on his face. "So?"

Laura's mouth felt as dry as the prairie ground during a drought. She turned away to hide her nervousness. "What if after we've spent some time together, you decide you don't care for me as anything more than a friend? What if I do something that makes you angry?" She began rambling. "I mean, we're going to be home now, and see each other more, and our relationship will be very different..."

"Beth," he said in a voice slow and tender. "We've been friends for a long time now. I guess I never really knew why I liked ya so much...but now I know. We share somethin special; somethin I've never felt for anyone else. Besides, ya think I'm not scared too."

This had never occurred to Laura and the thought of it made a gasp escape her lips.

"But you're older, you have more experience."

Almanzo chuckled. "How many ladies have I courted, 2, maybe 3?"

"But still, I've never been courted by anyone."

Almanzo tugged the reins and the horses came to an abrupt stop. Almanzo pushed his hat further back on his head so that Laura could see his face more clearly.

"This is new for both of us. Let's take it a day at a time and see how it goes. Okay?"

A crooked smile appeared and he suddenly looked like a mischievous little boy about to play a prank on his unsuspecting sister. "Besides, I've eaten your cinnamon chicken and your Pa has already knocked me across the room, so how bad can courtin ya be?"

Laura crossed her arms across her chest in feigned anger. "Manly!"

Almanzo leaned into her and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "I can't wait until you're home all the time," he whispered.

A huge smile revealed all of Laura's teeth. She knew that first day that they were meant to be together. "Me either."

To be continued....
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Nervous sweat poured down Perley Day's back as he stood in the middle of his parents' parlor. Father Wilder remained silent, pacing the floor, his right hand rubbing his whiskers. Anxious breaths rose in Perley Day's chest. Why doesn't he say something?

Father Wilder cleared his throat as he set his gaze upon his youngest son's face. "Do you know what kind of heartache your foolishness has brought upon your poor Mother?" A finger pointed to the small figure sitting sheepishly in the rocking chair, her eyes staring into her lap.

"Father, I..."

A put up hand silenced him. "No more excuses Perley Day. You are a selfish, ungrateful, unthinking young man. Did we not raise you to be better than that?" Father Wilder walked the room as he spoke, his face redding as he released his anger. "Did we not bring you to church? Did you not learn the Lord's Commandments?" His arms waved towards Perley Day's face. "How many times did you repeat, 'Honor your mother and father'?"

Taking a step back, Perley Day glanced at his mother. Help me.

She stood up. "James," she said. Father turned to face her, the angry fire burning in his eyes. "Perhaps you are being a bit hard on the boy."

A wide-eyed gaze stared back at her. "You speak nonsense woman. This boy as you call him, slithered out of here like the snake escaping from the Garden of Eden, leaving heartache and his duties to his family behind. How many hours were you forced to help me with the chores because of his treachery?"

"I didn't know," cried Perley Day, his voice as meek as a mouse.

Grabbing him by the shoulders, Father Wilder shook him. "Who did you think would pick up your burden? Your brothers and sisters are gone."

"I-I-I thought you would hire help."

Perley Day shrunk and squeezed his eyes tightly waiting for the strike of his Father's hand.

Father Wilder pushed him aside and stomped towards the doorway. "If you were here you would have known that the past few years have been less than prosperous for us. Manzo never would have left us."

"He's the reason I left!" screamed Perley Day. Fury filled him as he closed the distance between him and his father. "I'm tired of always bein compared to your perfect son. I got tired of not bein good enough; not livin up to the mighty Manzo. If you could have accepted me as my own man, I never would have left!"

To be continued...
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

(I just got caught up on this, Cheryl---you're doing great! Thumbsup

I'll add a little bit for now...)

Father Wilder just stared with his mouth agape, disbelieving that a son of his could be this immature. Taking a deep breath and gaining strength from the glance he stole from his wife, he prepared to rationally discuss this with his son. "Perley Day, I understand that you were younger then, but we did not raise you to think so selfishly. Now, I'm sorry you feel that we compared you to Manzo, but your brother did obey our wishes and the values we tried to instill in our children. You went in another direction, and I can't just ignore or forget that. And it surely doesn't help that you're standing here defending yourself to your mother and I, placing blame on us. There comes a time, son, when you have to accept responsibility for your own actions. Stop thinking that your "bad deeds" are because of what everyone else has done to you. Perley Day, it's time to become the man I know you can be."

Perley Day shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Although he was still angry, and tempted to defend himself more, suddenly some of his father's words rang true in his ears. He knew what he'd been doing his life was not working for him. He had no friendships, no woman to court, and was even losing his family. He suspected though, that he had lost them a long time ago but didn't want to admit it to himself. As he stood here now, eyes fleeing between father and mother, he was assaulted with the fact of how much he truly did love them. What a stupid boy he had been. Indeed, it was time to make ammends. It was time to become a man....
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"I can't believe today is my last day," said Laura as she gathered her books and lunch for school and placed them on the table.

Minnie hobbled through the parlor into the dinning room still leaning heavily on the cane the doctor gave her two weeks ago. "I'll be sorry to see you go. You've been great company for this old woman. I'll miss seeing that fine fellow of yours around here too."

The heat of embarrassment rose to Laura's cheeks. "I'll miss you too Minnie. I can't thank you enough for all your help."

"I still can't believe the difference you made in that Brewster boy."

The mere mention of Chad's name brought the flush back to her face. How could Manly think their was something going on between the two of them? She couldn't believe the change in Chad either. The tutoring and all those medical books from Doc Baker had sparked a desire for learning in Chad that amazed everyone.

Laura buttoned her coat and straightened the hat whose rim rested on her bun. She knew Pa still didn't like her new hairstyle. Pa would always see her as his Half-pint, braids flying in the breeze as she raced off to the fishing hole to catch supper. In some ways, knowing she would always be his little girl was a comfort. Life was changing so quickly. She had her teaching certificate and first job, she was being courted by the man of her dreams, and the fear and uncertainty of how her relationship with Almanzo might change once she returned to Walnut Grove unsettled her.

Laura scooped up her books into her left arm and grabbed her dinner pail. "Almanzo will pick me up at the schoolhouse and we'll stop by for my things afterwards."

Minnie nodded. "I wish you two could stay for supper. Oh, I know," she said at the beginning of Laura's protest. "You have to get back before dark; but it sure will be a whole lot quieter and lonelier around here after you're gone."

"How about Almanzo and I make plans to come out and see you? He's busy with the farm, but he has to travel into Sleepy Eye upon occasion anyway. I would love to visit."

Minnie embraced her. "Oh, that would be wonderful. You just make sure you write and tell me when you're coming so that I can fix you a proper dinner."

"I will."

The clock chimed 8. "I've got to go. Can't have the teacher being late on her last day. See you this afternoon Minnie." Laura dashed out the door.

"Ah, to be young and in love once again," chuckled Minnie as she hobbled towards the stove to make a pot of tea.
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell