Read Calico Bride for Free Online Page A
Authors: Jillian Hart
it."
Not only an expert marksman but he excelled at wagon repair. Burke was definitely an interesting man. Lila crept down the hallway, where light spilled from the room she shared with Lark. "He struck me as the type of man who would stop and help someone in need."
"He never wanted so much as a thanks in return. I tried buying him lunch, inviting him to a home-cooked meal, but he wouldn't have it. He keeps to himself, that one." Pa lightly tweaked Lila's nose. "You get some rest, my dear. You worked hard to help the doctor today. You showed compassion your mother would be proud of."
"Thanks, Pa." She didn't know how to explain that she'd felt drawn, as if she had no other choice. That wasn't the same as compassion, more like duty and responsibility. She felt inadequate as her father padded toward the parlor where Eunice awaited him. Eunice put down her needlework to speak to him in low tones. Lila turned away, dragging her feet down the hall. Heaviness weighed on her, exhaustion that turned her bones to lead.
"Is he any better?" Lark popped into her doorway.
"No. His fever is severe." She bit her tongue to keep from telling how concerned the doctor had been. The shadows deepened in the hallway like living things seizing her. She could not give in to hopelessness. "I was going to pray for him again. Will you join me?"
"Yes." Lark locked her arm in Lila's and they ambled into the bedroom together.
"
"We surrender their spirits to the Lord." The minister's words lifted on the hot summer wind that stirred the grasses next to the open three graves.
Burke clasped his hands behind his back, bowed his head forward and squeezed his eyes shut. The images of those coffins sitting in the graves remained etched on the back of his lids. He was so sad no tears would come.
"They are in a much better place, little boy." Mrs. Dunlap rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Do not be sad. Think how happy they are in Heaven."
Her words did not comfort him. The sun blazed as if it were the house fire burning him up, too. He wished for Ginna's arms holding him tight around his middle. He wished for Pa's rumbling voice when he told a bedtime story and the comfort of Ma's gentle fingertips as she would clean away a swipe of dirt from his face. He wanted them back. More than anything, he wanted them back.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the minister went on, talking about things Burke did not understand.
He did not want to understand. He wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He'd never been so hot. Feelings bunched in his throat, as sharp as knives. The grief burned him up from the inside, the way the fire had burned the house. He wanted to be in Heaven, too. That's were Pa was and Ginna. He wanted his Ma. But dirt shoveled down on the coffins and he was alone.
"You are a good boy. Not a single tear." Mrs. Dunlap patted him on the top of his head. "Good, she's here. Do you see that nice lady?"
He didn't want to look, but he did. He tugged at his buttoned collar because the air was suffocating him. A lady in a black dress climbed down from a buckboard. Her hair was pulled back so tight it stretched her face. Not a speck of dust rising up from her footsteps on the street dared to settle on her skirt. She walked like a soldier, like someone who did not like little boys.
"Is this him?" She had a rough voice, like the wood Pa had split to make the kitchen table before he sanded it. "Is this the orphan?"
He did not know what an orphan was.
"Yes, poor thing." Mrs. Dunlap gave him a little push between the shoulder blades. "We would offer to keep him but we've raised our own. At our age, it would be too much."
"I understand. He's not your obligation." Stern lines kept the black dressed lady's mouth from hardly
Not only an expert marksman but he excelled at wagon repair. Burke was definitely an interesting man. Lila crept down the hallway, where light spilled from the room she shared with Lark. "He struck me as the type of man who would stop and help someone in need."
"He never wanted so much as a thanks in return. I tried buying him lunch, inviting him to a home-cooked meal, but he wouldn't have it. He keeps to himself, that one." Pa lightly tweaked Lila's nose. "You get some rest, my dear. You worked hard to help the doctor today. You showed compassion your mother would be proud of."
"Thanks, Pa." She didn't know how to explain that she'd felt drawn, as if she had no other choice. That wasn't the same as compassion, more like duty and responsibility. She felt inadequate as her father padded toward the parlor where Eunice awaited him. Eunice put down her needlework to speak to him in low tones. Lila turned away, dragging her feet down the hall. Heaviness weighed on her, exhaustion that turned her bones to lead.
"Is he any better?" Lark popped into her doorway.
"No. His fever is severe." She bit her tongue to keep from telling how concerned the doctor had been. The shadows deepened in the hallway like living things seizing her. She could not give in to hopelessness. "I was going to pray for him again. Will you join me?"
"Yes." Lark locked her arm in Lila's and they ambled into the bedroom together.
"
"We surrender their spirits to the Lord." The minister's words lifted on the hot summer wind that stirred the grasses next to the open three graves.
Burke clasped his hands behind his back, bowed his head forward and squeezed his eyes shut. The images of those coffins sitting in the graves remained etched on the back of his lids. He was so sad no tears would come.
"They are in a much better place, little boy." Mrs. Dunlap rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Do not be sad. Think how happy they are in Heaven."
Her words did not comfort him. The sun blazed as if it were the house fire burning him up, too. He wished for Ginna's arms holding him tight around his middle. He wished for Pa's rumbling voice when he told a bedtime story and the comfort of Ma's gentle fingertips as she would clean away a swipe of dirt from his face. He wanted them back. More than anything, he wanted them back.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the minister went on, talking about things Burke did not understand.
He did not want to understand. He wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He'd never been so hot. Feelings bunched in his throat, as sharp as knives. The grief burned him up from the inside, the way the fire had burned the house. He wanted to be in Heaven, too. That's were Pa was and Ginna. He wanted his Ma. But dirt shoveled down on the coffins and he was alone.
"You are a good boy. Not a single tear." Mrs. Dunlap patted him on the top of his head. "Good, she's here. Do you see that nice lady?"
He didn't want to look, but he did. He tugged at his buttoned collar because the air was suffocating him. A lady in a black dress climbed down from a buckboard. Her hair was pulled back so tight it stretched her face. Not a speck of dust rising up from her footsteps on the street dared to settle on her skirt. She walked like a soldier, like someone who did not like little boys.
"Is this him?" She had a rough voice, like the wood Pa had split to make the kitchen table before he sanded it. "Is this the orphan?"
He did not know what an orphan was.
"Yes, poor thing." Mrs. Dunlap gave him a little push between the shoulder blades. "We would offer to keep him but we've raised our own. At our age, it would be too much."
"I understand. He's not your obligation." Stern lines kept the black dressed lady's mouth from hardly
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