Read Scarlet Fever - Hill Country 2 for Free Online Page A

glance, but Annalise ignored it.  
    “Scarlet was born with a club foot.”
    “That’s easily corrected,” Alex inserted, anxious to say something that would change the stricken look on Scarlet’s face.
    “Except he refused to let the doctors fix it.”   Annalise’s voice became bitter.
    “He what ?”   Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing.   He looked down at Scarlet’s little foot, so perfect now.
    Scarlet saw him examine her foot.   She held it up, and showed him the scar.   “When I was sixteen, I was referred to the Shiners’ hospital.   I was old enough then to make my own decision.”
    “Why in the world would your father refuse to have your foot corrected?”   A harsh note had come into Alex’s voice.
    “He was crazy,” Annalise interjected.   “He told Scarlet that God had created her with a club foot, so that must be the way he wanted her to live.   He looked upon the deformity as a judgment for her sins.”
    Alex bristled at the revelation of Scarlet’s abuse at the hand of her father.   Because that was what it was: abuse.   What sins could the bully have thought this gentle girl could be paying for?
    Annalise turned to her future husband, continuing to explain.   “We had gone to Houston for a consultation on Scarlet’s foot the weekend that I was raped.”   Ethan shook his head against the horrible memory.   That was the event that had caused their six year separation.   Misunderstandings and miscommunications had almost cost them their love.
    “I always regretted not having had the surgery sooner, if I had, Lise wouldn’t have been alone on the street that night.”   Scarlet spoke softly and sadly.
    “You couldn’t have stopped it.   They would just have hurt you, too.”   Painful memories clouded their faces.   “Anyway, Scarlet had to live and go to school all of her life with that stupid clubfoot.   The kids were cruel and even after she had the operation, they still treated her like a pariah.”
    Alex understood a little more now.   This went a long way in explaining Rick Lebeau’s stupid behavior.   “I’m so sorry, Scarlet.”   He placed a hand over hers.   Carefully slipping her hand from under his, Scarlet added rum to some raisins for the bread pudding.
    “It’s over and done with, now.”
    “Yes.   My beautiful sister is as good as new.”   Scarlet didn’t look up at Annalise.   She wasn’t as good as new.   The operation had corrected her foot, but handed her a death sentence when her kidneys were ruined by her bad reaction to the anesthesia.   Her parents had decided not to share that bit of news with their oldest daughter.   Annalise had soon returned to college, thereby, distancing her from Scarlet and her problems.   
    Ethan tried to change the subject.   “So you have a degree in library science?”
    Scarlet laughed, “No, my degree is in environmental studies.”
    “What?”   Alex was amazed.   “I own and operate a conservation consulting firm.”
    They looked at one another with different eyes.   “I bet we have a lot we could talk about.”   Scarlet thought for a moment.   “I knew you were involved in wildlife conservation, Annalise had mentioned your work with the whooping crane.”
    “Did you bring it?”   Annalise asked mysteriously.
    At her question, the doubts came back.   She remembered Alex’s voice as he quoted her nemesis, Rick LeBeau.   ‘She’s always making things for people, thinking it will make them like her better’.  
    “I’m sure that Alex doesn’t want my silly sewing project.”
    “Yes, he does.”   Annalise looked at Alex for encouragement.
    It dawned on Alex that Scarlet had made him a gift, and because of his big mouth, she was hesitant to give it to him.   “Scarlet, I would love anything you gave me.   Especially, if you made it with your own hands.”
    A noise in the front room heralded the arrival of another brother.   “Hey, Bobby!   Come meet