that CeCe’s listening glass on the floor?”
She nodded. “I especially hate him. He’s such a liar.”
“Who’s lying about what?”
“Elijah! He just told them all he loved…her!” Tears flowed again, and the girl stifled a scream and hit her own head.
Crockett leaned out toward his sister. “Want Bonnieeee.”
She sniffed, wiped her runny nose on her sleeve, then held her hands out, trying her obvious best to smile at the boy. “You love Sissy, don’t you precious?”
“No, Crockett, she’s sitting in glass.” Gwen hefted him higher. “Who were you eavesdropping on?”
She flipped her hand like she was shooing a fly.
“Bonnie, I asked you a question.”
“I thought Daddy was about to send him home. But instead, he told them they could court! Daddy’s breaking his rule and letting him court Cecelia.” The corners of her mouth turned down. “It isn’t fair!”
What news. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I heard it all plain as day with my own ear! But worse, I heard Elijah say he loved Cecelia, and she said she loves him.” More tears flowed.
“Did he say anything about Clay or Braxton?”
“No.” She started to get up.
“No, no. Stay right there, and let me get a tow sack and the broom. We’ll pick up as many pieces as we can.”
“What am I going to do, Gwen? I love him, and I thought he loved me. He sure acted like it.”
“Bonnie Claire, how’d he give you that idea? Did he do something?”
“No, well, yes. He kept winking at me all the time every day. And he saved me whenever you and CeCe were being mean. You know that, had to see it with your own eyes. And I just knew he would be willing to wait for me.” She wiped her nose again. “Jacob waited seven years for Rachel. Why couldn’t he wait two and half years for me?”
“What? Your math is terrible, baby girl. You’re only twelve. Daddy would never –”
“Don’t say never because he just did!”
How could she argue with that? Hadn’t she just heard that he was allowing Cecelia to be courted ten months early? She agreed with Bonnie, it wasn’t fair.
What if she’d chosen Elijah? She should march down there right this minute and give him a piece of her mind!
“I never dreamed he’d really do it, but they’re in love.”
The way the little girl said ‘in love’ almost made her burst out laughing. Praise the Lord she caught herself and bit her tongue. Going down there wouldn’t do any good.
Once he decided on a thing…he was so….
Then again though, he let Clay come back. “Did he say anything to you about being fifteen?’
“No, but everyone can see how good a family life Judy Goldthwaite has with her Nate, and that’s the same age she was when they got married.”
“Oh, sweet Bonnie, Judy shamed herself. She was with child. That’s the only reason they got married.” The second it came out of her mouth, she regretted the words.
Dear, dear. What had she got herself into? She should never have told her sister that! What was she thinking? The girl’s expression screwed into puzzlement.
Facing her, Bonnie tilted her head. “How could that happen before they got married?”
She turned around and spied the broom leaning against the corner. She grabbed it and held it out. “Here. Start sweeping the pieces together, and I’ll get that sack and the dustpan.”
Soon as her sister took it, Gwendolyn hurried toward the opened door. “We’ll clean this mess up, then you can come to my room. It’s about morning nap time for Crockett. We can talk about Elijah and Cecelia while I rock him.”
“What if I cut myself?”
“Just be careful.”
The quill’s neat compact letters always reminded Braxton of his school days with Sister Jocelynn. He glanced at his knuckles.
The scars had healed, and he did have a legible hand. Bless the old biddy’s cold-blooded heart. He finished the missive, blew on the ink until sufficiently dry, then read it again.
She nodded. “I especially hate him. He’s such a liar.”
“Who’s lying about what?”
“Elijah! He just told them all he loved…her!” Tears flowed again, and the girl stifled a scream and hit her own head.
Crockett leaned out toward his sister. “Want Bonnieeee.”
She sniffed, wiped her runny nose on her sleeve, then held her hands out, trying her obvious best to smile at the boy. “You love Sissy, don’t you precious?”
“No, Crockett, she’s sitting in glass.” Gwen hefted him higher. “Who were you eavesdropping on?”
She flipped her hand like she was shooing a fly.
“Bonnie, I asked you a question.”
“I thought Daddy was about to send him home. But instead, he told them they could court! Daddy’s breaking his rule and letting him court Cecelia.” The corners of her mouth turned down. “It isn’t fair!”
What news. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I heard it all plain as day with my own ear! But worse, I heard Elijah say he loved Cecelia, and she said she loves him.” More tears flowed.
“Did he say anything about Clay or Braxton?”
“No.” She started to get up.
“No, no. Stay right there, and let me get a tow sack and the broom. We’ll pick up as many pieces as we can.”
“What am I going to do, Gwen? I love him, and I thought he loved me. He sure acted like it.”
“Bonnie Claire, how’d he give you that idea? Did he do something?”
“No, well, yes. He kept winking at me all the time every day. And he saved me whenever you and CeCe were being mean. You know that, had to see it with your own eyes. And I just knew he would be willing to wait for me.” She wiped her nose again. “Jacob waited seven years for Rachel. Why couldn’t he wait two and half years for me?”
“What? Your math is terrible, baby girl. You’re only twelve. Daddy would never –”
“Don’t say never because he just did!”
How could she argue with that? Hadn’t she just heard that he was allowing Cecelia to be courted ten months early? She agreed with Bonnie, it wasn’t fair.
What if she’d chosen Elijah? She should march down there right this minute and give him a piece of her mind!
“I never dreamed he’d really do it, but they’re in love.”
The way the little girl said ‘in love’ almost made her burst out laughing. Praise the Lord she caught herself and bit her tongue. Going down there wouldn’t do any good.
Once he decided on a thing…he was so….
Then again though, he let Clay come back. “Did he say anything to you about being fifteen?’
“No, but everyone can see how good a family life Judy Goldthwaite has with her Nate, and that’s the same age she was when they got married.”
“Oh, sweet Bonnie, Judy shamed herself. She was with child. That’s the only reason they got married.” The second it came out of her mouth, she regretted the words.
Dear, dear. What had she got herself into? She should never have told her sister that! What was she thinking? The girl’s expression screwed into puzzlement.
Facing her, Bonnie tilted her head. “How could that happen before they got married?”
She turned around and spied the broom leaning against the corner. She grabbed it and held it out. “Here. Start sweeping the pieces together, and I’ll get that sack and the dustpan.”
Soon as her sister took it, Gwendolyn hurried toward the opened door. “We’ll clean this mess up, then you can come to my room. It’s about morning nap time for Crockett. We can talk about Elijah and Cecelia while I rock him.”
“What if I cut myself?”
“Just be careful.”
The quill’s neat compact letters always reminded Braxton of his school days with Sister Jocelynn. He glanced at his knuckles.
The scars had healed, and he did have a legible hand. Bless the old biddy’s cold-blooded heart. He finished the missive, blew on the ink until sufficiently dry, then read it again.
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