The Best Laid Plans: LHOP inspired fan fiction by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

The Best Laid Plans

LHOP inspired fan fiction by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

Disclaimer: I do not own the Little House on the Prairie television series, book series, or any of the characters.


Almanzo dragged himself away from their kiss. Laura had just accepted his proposal, and he wanted to settle how they would get from sitting here along the shore of the lake to being man and wife.

“Do ya think ya could be ready to get married next month?” he asked. “That’ll give me time--”

“Wait a minute,” she interrupted. 

“What?”

Her eyes widened. “Did you just say, ‘next month’?”

“Yeah.”

“You know Pa wants me to wait until I’m eighteen.”

Almanzo shrugged. “But, I don’t wanna wait. I love you and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.”

Laura's cheeks flushed red. “Manly, I want that too, but Pa would never approve. He wants me to finish school … and he doesn’t think I’m ready for marriage yet.”

Almanzo felt lines crease his forehead as he struggled to understand how his proposal just took a turn in the wrong direction. He crossed his arms over his chest. 

“What do you think, Beth? Are ya ready to be my wife or not?” He didn't hide the annoyance in his voice.

Laura gazed up into his face, her eyes shining with as much love as ever. “I want to be your wife more than anything else in the world," she said with a sweet tenderness that threatened to soften his resolve.

“So let’s get married right away.”

Laura turned her head away. The conversation clearly troubled her. “What are we going to tell Pa?”

Almanzo shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing. We’ll go off and get married and then come back for your things. They’ll be nothing left to say.”

Laura pursed her lips. A sure sign he wouldn't like what came next. “I can’t do that.”

“Don’t you love me?”

“Of course I do, but I love my pa, too. I wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t talk to him first.” 

Almanzo shook his head. “Beth, I don’t understand ya. You just said he would never go for us getting married right away, but now you wanna talk to him first.”

Laura put her hand on his arm. “Manly, I don’t want to run off and get married without Pa’s blessing. It would be like we were doing something wrong. I don’t want our life together to start off that way.” Her eyes pleaded with him to reconsider.

Almanzo knew how she felt, but he still wished she would change her mind.

“What if your pa says no? Are you telling me we’ll just put aside our plans and wait for two years?”

Laura stood up and paced the grassy area by the lake. “I don’t know. Maybe we will end up running off anyway, but I have to tell him, Almanzo.” She put a finger to her lips, a hint that her mind was considering what to do. “Why don’t you tell him the reasons you want to get married right away?”

He smirked at her. “You want me to tell your pa that I don’t want to wait two years to be closer to you?”

She slapped his arm. “Is that the only reason you want to get married right away?” 

Almanzo flashed her a crooked smile. “You know it isn't, but I want to start our life, Beth.”

Laura blushed. “Oh Manly.” 

He opened his arms and she snuggled into his embrace. He enjoyed smelling the lemon verbena she sprinkled in her hair. 

“If we get married next month, we can start working toward the farm of our dreams that much sooner. I wanna build you a big, beautiful house with a porch to watch the seasons change. I wanna hear the sound of our children’s feet running on that porch when they come home from school each day. I wanna be able to look out across the prairie and see nothing but our farm and our livestock grazing in the pasture.”

“It sounds beautiful,” Laura whispered into his chest.

He widened the gap between them and held her at arm's length. “It will be. I wanna give you the world.”

“You’re all I need, Manly.”

His heart swelled. Gosh, how I love her.

“You deserve it all.”

Laura smiled. He wanted nothing more than to give her everything.

“I can’t help how I feel about you, Beth. I don't want to  wait two years to start our life together. ”

Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. “I know what you mean.”

Two years seemed like an eternity. He wanted to share his life and his dreams with her. He never imagined such a thing a few years back. She seemed so young then. But, now, all he could think of was making her his wife and creating a happy life together.  

Laura jumped back when the idea came to her. “How about I talk to Ma tonight? I bet she would let us get married right away.”

Almanzo frowned. “But, your pa has the final say.” 

“I know, but if Ma goes for it, then maybe she could talk to Pa and she--”

“No,” he interrupted. “I don’t want your ma doing my dirty work. Besides, your pa would never trust me again if he knew I was going behind his back.” Almanzo shook his head, realizing Laura would never agree without Charles’s permission. “I’ll talk to your pa.”

Laura squeezed him with all her might. “Thanks, Manly. Why don’t you come over for supper tomorrow night.”

Almanzo chuckled. “All right, I’ll come by tomorrow, but you need to know that no matter what your pa says, I am not waiting two years.”

They had a quiet ride home from the lake. He remained in serious thought about tomorrow's supper and his meeting with her pa. He didn't want to make Laura choose between them, but Charles couldn't be allowed to keep them apart. He respected the man, but if Laura was old enough to teach and old enough to accept his proposal, she certainly could decide to marry him now. Almanzo hoped he wouldn't be disappointed. 

Copyright Cheryl C. Malandrinos - All Rights Reserved.