Read Until the Harvest for Free Online

didn’t see anyone get shot.” That was true enough. It’d been dark, and he’d been running too hard to see anything.
    “Don’t suppose they were messing with the Waites? Seemsthose two families have something purt near to a feud going on these days.”
    “Yeah, they don’t seem to get along, but I wouldn’t know much more than that.”
    The sheriff put his hands on his gun belt and leaned toward Henry a bit. It seemed he was done fooling around. “Son, I don’t know what you’re up to, but your daddy was one of the best men I ever knew. He wouldn’t care for you getting mixed up with a bunch like those Simmons boys. I’m going to drive on back into town now and consider this case closed.” He leaned in closer. “But if I have to reopen it, I’d better not find you in the mix. Got me?”
    Henry nodded. “Yes, sir.”
    The sheriff turned and strode back across the field. Henry let his shoulders sag and realized he was clenching the hammer as if it might get away from him. So Charlie got shot. He guessed he’d been in more danger than he realized. He turned to Mayfair and shrugged.
    “Don’t know what that was all about,” he said.
    She looked sad, but then she usually looked that way. He grabbed the bucket and continued down the fence. “Better get back to work.”
    As they worked, the fear that washed over Henry at seeing the sheriff faded, and he began to think he’d put one over on the old guy. He hadn’t given anything away, had stood up under the questioning without betraying his friends.
    Henry straightened his shoulders and patched two more sections of fence. He was a man now, and no one, including the sheriff, was going to tell him what his father would have expected of him.
    “I’m cold.” Mayfair’s voice brought Henry out of his own head. He’d just about forgotten her.
    He glanced over his shoulder. Her nose shone red and her eyeswere watering. She looked about frozen. “Better get you on back to the house,” he said. He started to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but she shied away like a skittish colt. He started to protest that he was only trying to warm her up, but the look in her eyes stopped him. What was it? Disappointment? He wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, she needed to get warm.
    “Come on, then,” he said. “Let’s go see if that casserole’s ready to deliver.”

    Margaret could have wrung Henry’s neck when she saw how he let Mayfair get so thoroughly chilled. She pulled a chair up to the stove, still warm from the cooling casserole, and gave her sister a mug of hot tea with a little honey. She gave some to Henry, too, although her mother would have described the delivery as ungracious.
    Once Margaret was satisfied that Mayfair would be fine, the four of them piled into Emily’s massive Oldsmobile with Henry behind the wheel. Emily insisted on riding in the backseat with Mayfair. Margaret sat stiffly beside Henry, trying not to slide toward him in the turns. He seemed focused on the road ahead of them, although she thought she detected an undercurrent of worry.
    “You’re a good driver.” Margaret decided to try forgiving Henry, though she had to make herself do it. She told herself it was Christian to forgive.
    Henry sort of grunted. Well, so much for reaching out in Christian love. She spoke to Emily over the back of the front seat.
    “How’s Angie been since Liza died?”
    “You know, I didn’t think she’d live long after her sweet sister passed, but she seems to be all right. Although I was visiting last week, and she talked about Casewell and Perla’s wedding likeit happened yesterday instead of twenty-some years ago. Then it seemed like she couldn’t remember what day it was. She had a confused air about her.” Emily looked out the side window. “Guess that happens if you live long enough.”
    “And Frank stays with her?”
    “No more than is proper. They’re both single people, you know.”
    Henry snorted, and while Margaret thought it