Read Be Still My Soul: The Cadence of Grace, Book 1 for Free Online

as Addie scrambled past. On her knees, the little girl chased the cat.
    “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Just gotta hang on a little bit longer.” Sarah blew a lock of hair out of her face and, with dripping hands, reached for the stack of bowls Lonnie handed her. “I’m looking forward to bein’ bunkmates.” She scrunched up her nose playfully. But a knock at the door made their heads turn.
    Addie’s squeals tapered off, and Polly escaped beneath the bed. Addie ran to the window. Her tiny toes sprang her an inch taller. “It’s Oliver!”
    Lonnie shook out her damp apron. The door opened, and eyes the same color as her pa’s stared at her. Oliver stepped forward, his fourteen-year-old frame filling the slanted doorway.
    She couldn’t hide forever.
    He tugged off his floppy hat and turned it in his hands. “Mornin’, Aunt Sarah.”
    “Good to see ya, Oliver. Won’t you come in?”
    “I’d like to, but I just come to fetch Lonnie. Pa wants her.”
    Sarah dropped her wooden spoon with a
clang
, and Lonnie saw the flush in her aunt’s cheeks.
    Pursing her lips, Lonnie tugged the bow at her waist, and the apron slid free. “Come on, Addie. We’re going home.”
    Oliver stepped outside. Sarah reached for Lonnie and surrounded her in a warm embrace.
    “You remember what I told you. Chin up. You are loved.” She pointed a finger heavenward, and Lonnie felt a peace at her aunt’s reminder.
    Knowing she could delay no longer, Lonnie followed her brother out the door. Addie ran ahead, skipping through the forest toward home.
    If only I could forget as easily
. “Don’t get too far ahead, Addie, baby.”
    Addie picked up a handful of leaves and tossed them into the morning breeze. With his head down, Oliver strode in lengthy, swift strides. Lonnie quickened her pace to match his.
    They walked in silence, and Lonnie was in no mood to try to break the awkward strain.
    The knot in her stomach tightened when they came around the bend. A wagon and a pair of mules stood in the shadow of the cabinthat loomed in the clearing. One of the mules lowered its matted face and sniffed at the ground. When Lonnie drew closer, the animals tilted their ears.
    “Who’s here?” Lonnie looked to her brother.
    Oliver stared at the wagon for a moment, the fuzz on his chin catching the morning light. “Mr. O’Riley.”
    Her lips parted, and Oliver arched a brow. “What’s the matter? It’s just Gid O’Riley and his pa. They’re inside talking.” Shrugging, he thrust his hands in his pockets. “That’s why Pa wanted me to come and fetch ya.”

Five
    L onnie’s legs went numb. She glanced at the windows but saw only streaked glass glinting in the sunrise. For an instant, she considered running. She could leave. Run away and never be found. With a grin that brought out her dimples, Addie skipped off and crawled beneath the porch. Her dolls were already lined up in their hideout.
    “You all right?” Oliver squinted at her.
    When Lonnie simply swallowed, he rolled his eyes. She placed one foot on the bottom step and touched her cheek with a hand that shook worse than the rickety rail. There was nothing to do now but go inside. It was time to face her pa. She thought back to her aunt’s words and clung to the truth she heard in them. God was with her.
    The sunlight faded. Lonnie peered up at a gray veil of clouds. Oliver hurried up the steps and swung open the door. Lonnie just stared at a darkening sky draped over the hills and valleys below. A drop of rain struck her arm. Then another, and another. A shot of lightning danced among the clouds.
    Her pa called her name. Thunder followed a heartbeat later.
    Lonnie started up the steps and heard men’s voices. Her ma offered another round of coffee. The door was open, and after tilting up herchin, she entered the dim room. Mr. O’Riley sat beside her pa, their voices low, expressions serious. Glancing around, Lonnie spotted Gideon in the corner, arms folded over