Read Cassidy (Big Sky Dreams 1) for Free Online Page A

behind."
    Brad had fixed the stove and all was well in the kitchen, but so much of Meg's day was centered in that room that it had been very disruptive. His hand continued to rub the muscles in the small of Meg's back until she shifted, her blouse moving and showing Brad a bit of skin. When he gently pulled the blouse and camisole free from her waist, allowing his hand to find the soft skin on her back, his wife turned to look at him.
    "You're brother is still upstairs."
    "It's not my fault," Brad said, moving his hand and looking innocent.
    "It's my fault?" Meg clarified.
    "Yes."
    Meg set her knitting aside and said, "I can't wait to hear this explanation."
    "It's your skin. It's so soft my hand can't help itself."
    Meg laughed long and hard over this and eventually Brad joined her.
    Fifteen minutes later, Trace came downstairs, cleaned up and headed for town.
    "Have a good time," Meg said as he left.
    "Thank you."
    Brad had gone back to his newspaper, but only until he heard the sound of his brother's horse leaving the ranch property.
    40
    For more than a year Rylan had been meetirrg with Chandler, Philip Leffers, and Trace for personal Bible study. He was having the men work on various passages of Scripture. Each time they met, he assigned verses. When they met again, they would discuss what they'd learned.
    Rylan's grasp of Scripture was great, and the men always learned from him, but the discussions they had were beneficial to each of them. Tonight they were in Ephesians, looking at the armor of God.
    "It's good to be reminded of the battle we're in," Philip said when Rylan asked the men to comment. "I forget that too easily."
    "I feel the same way," Chandler added. "I also don't think that I've looked at this the right way before. I mean, those verses come after a plain-worded reminder that the devil is the enemy."
    "And he never grows tired," Trace put in quietly, having thought along the same lines. "But verse ten says it's in the power of the Lord's might. I was encouraged by that."
    "Tell me," Rylan asked, "what sins are you men battling right now?"
    It was a personal question, but they were used to this from Rylan and knew that he expected honest answers. They continued in the text but also talked about sexual temptations, greed, and worry about the future. They ended their time together with prayer-but not a swift closing prayer. It was a time when each man went to his knees and asked God for the help that only He could provide.
    "Jeanette," Heather called softly to that woman in the wee hours Saturday night.
    "What's the matter?"
    "Theta seems to be crying in her sleep."
    41Jeanette slipped from her bed and followed Heather down the hall. Heather had turned on the gas lamps upstairs but lit a candle for Theta's room. Both women stood by the bed in their nightclothes, listening to Theta cry softly.
    "Do you suppose they're happy tears or sad?" Heather asked. Jeanette turned to stare at her. "I never thought about her having happy tears," the older woman admitted.
    Heather looked at her in surprise. "But you're one of those people who cry when you're happy. Why wouldn't your sister?"
    Jeanette had to smile at her. "Do you have any idea how good you are for me, Heather?"
    Heather only chuckled, and both women realized that Theta had quieted.
    "Maybe just hearing our voices helped," Jeanette guessed.
    "I don't know," Heather said in wonder, often trying to guess what kept Mrs. Holden trapped in her body. "I do know this," she continued, "neither one of us will hear a thing in the service tomorrow morning if we don't get some sleep."
    "You're right. Go to bed. I want to sit here for just a while." "All right."
    Heather disappeared across the hall, taking the candle with her. She left her door open-as she did each night-to hear if she was needed. The open door allowed her to know the exact moment Jeanette began to pray for her sister.
    Sunday morning dawned warm and fine. The congregation gathered at the small church