Angel of the Cove by Sandra Robbins

like she already knows Anna from all you done told her.”
    His fingers tightened around the fishing pole at his brother’s words. He didn’t realize his attraction to Anna was so obvious, but he’d never been able to hide anything from his brother. He pulled the fishing line from the water and pushed himself to his feet. “Martha’s wrong.Anna’s only here for the summer. She doesn’t have any interest in staying in Cades Cove.”
    John’s face mirrored the pain squeezing Simon’s heart. After a moment, he rose and dropped his pole on the bank. He grasped Simon’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, brother. How you making it with that?”
    Simon shrugged. “Not much I can do but accept it.” Then he smiled. “Maybe God just intends for me to be alone. There aren’t many like your Martha around.”
    Or Anna , he thought as he picked up his catch and walked toward his horse.

    â€œSo you enjoyed your two days at the Fergusons?”
    Granny shifted in her chair. The shade tree in the backyard provided welcome relief from the afternoon sun beating down on their heads. Anna tilted her head to the side and dropped the hulls of the peas she’d just shelled to the ground. “I don’t know if enjoy is the right word. Ted and Lucy were a handful. If they weren’t fighting with each other, they were dreaming up some joke to play on me.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œWell, once they put a frog in the water bucket. And another time they caught a snake and threw it at me when I came out the back door.”
    Granny chuckled. “What did you do ’bout it?”
    â€œI guess they didn’t know I grew up on a farm and had been around frogs and snakes all my life. I think they were disappointed that their tricks didn’t scare me. But I have to say I was glad to see Mr. Ferguson pull up to the house yesterday. Those were the longest two days of my life.” She picked up another handful of peas. “But you know what? I think Ted and Lucy were sad to see me leave.”
    â€œThey prob’ly were. But two days ain’t long to stay. You’re lucky they didn’t need you longer. It can git mighty tirin’ takin’ care of a family.”
    Granny’s wrinkled face displayed the same serene gentleness Anna had observed since the first day. Not a hint of sorrow or regret linedher features. Yet Anna didn’t think she’d ever heard Granny speak of her family.
    â€œYou’ve spoken of your mother several times but never about a husband or children. I don’t mean to pry, but I’ve wondered if you had a family, Granny?”
    Granny’s lips pursed for a moment, but her hands never hesitated in the rhythm of stripping the peas from their pods. “I married right young. Me and my husband settled here on this farm. Life was hard, but we had all we needed.” She threw a handful of hulls to the ground. “And we was happy.”
    Anna hesitated at the thought of bringing up unpleasant memories. Her heart warned against asking questions that might bring Granny grief, but her tongue itched to speak. “What happened to your husband?”
    Granny’s hands stilled, and she stared out across the fields. “He took sick one winter. Real bad, he was. ’Course that was ’fore Doc come to the mountains. I done ev’rything I knowed to do, but he jest got worse. Pneumonia—bad thing to happen when you ain’t got nothing to treat it with.” She was a silent for a moment. “Anyhow, after he died, me and my daughter jest stayed on here.”
    Anna’s hands stilled, and she sucked in her breath. “You have a daughter?”
    Granny shook her head. “She died in childbirth when she was a little younger than you. The baby died too.” Moisture sparkled in Granny’s eyes, and she sniffed. “Deborah was my daughter’s name. I picked it out of the