the steps. “Where are we going?”
“To the gazebo. Last one there is a stinky old skunk!”
Her arm jerked as Willa dropped her hand and broke into a run.
“That’s cheating!”
Willa glanced back and stuck out her tongue, laughed and ran on.
“Very well, Willa!” She lifted her hems and ran, the toes of her shoes flashing in and out of view as she caught up to her friend and raced on through the park next to the parsonage and up the steps of the gazebo. Willa clambered up them right behind her and they both collapsed, laughing and panting, on one of the benches.
“Oh, my, that felt good. I haven’t run like that since—” She coughed, pretended to lose her breath.
“Me either.” Willa shoved back the hair that had jostled free onto her forehead. “I never could beat you in a race, Sadie. None of us could. Not even when we cheated. But losers get to go first. So...” Willa rose and stood in the center of the gazebo floor, her shoulders squared, her hands held straight down at her sides as they’d been taught to do when reciting in school. “I love my love with an A because he is amiable. I hate him with an A because he is...er... antagonistic. His name is Allen, he comes from Africa and I gave him an antelope. Your turn.”
She laughed and stepped to the center of the floor while Willa sat down. “I love my love with a B because he is beneficent. I hate him with a B because he is boastful. His name is Benjamin, he comes from Buffalo. And I gave him a buggy. No pauses, I win.” She wrinkled her nose at Willa and sat down.
“Well, I shall win this time!” Willa jumped up and stood facing her. “I love my love with a C because he is caring. I hate my love with a C because he is cautious. His name is...”
Cole. The image of Cole standing in the stable looking at her flashed into her head. How ridiculous! She ignored the skip in her pulse and returned her attention to Willa.
“...a cracker. No pauses! You can’t beat me this time.”
“I can if I’m able to name two gifts.”
“No fair taking time to think!”
She hopped to her feet, feeling ten years old again. “I love my love with a D—” Daniel “—b-because he is daring. I hate my love with a D because he is daunting. His name is—is...”
“Daniel, Sadie. His name is Daniel. It always has been.” Willa’s eyes warmed with compassion. She rose and came to stand facing her. “We’re no longer children, Sadie—you can say it aloud.”
Not now. The truth of what was closed in. Bitterness washed the sweetness of Daniel’s name from her tongue. Love was something that could never be for her. She raised her chin. “As you say, Willa. We’re no longer children. And we’re too old to play this childish game.”
She took a breath, glanced back toward the Sheffield House and the block of stores standing shoulder to shoulder above the raised wood walk on the other side of the hotel’s gravel carriageway. “I have to be getting back. Mr. Barley will have gathered up the items on Gertrude’s list by now—and Nanna may need me. But before I go, I’d like to ask you a favor.”
“Of course, if I am able to help, Sadie.”
“Will you come out to Butternut Hill and go to—” she had no reason to offer for going to Cole’s mill! “—Poppa’s sawmill with me? I want to go there, and I haven’t the courage to go alone.”
“Oh, Sadie, of course I will. I’ll try to come tomorrow or the next day.”
“Good.” She smiled and squeezed the hand Willa had placed on her arm. “Thank you. I shall look forward to your coming. Now I must get back to Nanna. Good afternoon, Willa.”
She hurried from the gazebo and walked out to Main Street, feeling Willa’s puzzled gaze on her all the way. Perhaps she should have told her she wanted to go to Cole’s mill and why? No. There would be time enough for that when they got there and she had Poppa’s business ledgers in her hands.
Chapter Eleven
S adie ducked her head and
“To the gazebo. Last one there is a stinky old skunk!”
Her arm jerked as Willa dropped her hand and broke into a run.
“That’s cheating!”
Willa glanced back and stuck out her tongue, laughed and ran on.
“Very well, Willa!” She lifted her hems and ran, the toes of her shoes flashing in and out of view as she caught up to her friend and raced on through the park next to the parsonage and up the steps of the gazebo. Willa clambered up them right behind her and they both collapsed, laughing and panting, on one of the benches.
“Oh, my, that felt good. I haven’t run like that since—” She coughed, pretended to lose her breath.
“Me either.” Willa shoved back the hair that had jostled free onto her forehead. “I never could beat you in a race, Sadie. None of us could. Not even when we cheated. But losers get to go first. So...” Willa rose and stood in the center of the gazebo floor, her shoulders squared, her hands held straight down at her sides as they’d been taught to do when reciting in school. “I love my love with an A because he is amiable. I hate him with an A because he is...er... antagonistic. His name is Allen, he comes from Africa and I gave him an antelope. Your turn.”
She laughed and stepped to the center of the floor while Willa sat down. “I love my love with a B because he is beneficent. I hate him with a B because he is boastful. His name is Benjamin, he comes from Buffalo. And I gave him a buggy. No pauses, I win.” She wrinkled her nose at Willa and sat down.
“Well, I shall win this time!” Willa jumped up and stood facing her. “I love my love with a C because he is caring. I hate my love with a C because he is cautious. His name is...”
Cole. The image of Cole standing in the stable looking at her flashed into her head. How ridiculous! She ignored the skip in her pulse and returned her attention to Willa.
“...a cracker. No pauses! You can’t beat me this time.”
“I can if I’m able to name two gifts.”
“No fair taking time to think!”
She hopped to her feet, feeling ten years old again. “I love my love with a D—” Daniel “—b-because he is daring. I hate my love with a D because he is daunting. His name is—is...”
“Daniel, Sadie. His name is Daniel. It always has been.” Willa’s eyes warmed with compassion. She rose and came to stand facing her. “We’re no longer children, Sadie—you can say it aloud.”
Not now. The truth of what was closed in. Bitterness washed the sweetness of Daniel’s name from her tongue. Love was something that could never be for her. She raised her chin. “As you say, Willa. We’re no longer children. And we’re too old to play this childish game.”
She took a breath, glanced back toward the Sheffield House and the block of stores standing shoulder to shoulder above the raised wood walk on the other side of the hotel’s gravel carriageway. “I have to be getting back. Mr. Barley will have gathered up the items on Gertrude’s list by now—and Nanna may need me. But before I go, I’d like to ask you a favor.”
“Of course, if I am able to help, Sadie.”
“Will you come out to Butternut Hill and go to—” she had no reason to offer for going to Cole’s mill! “—Poppa’s sawmill with me? I want to go there, and I haven’t the courage to go alone.”
“Oh, Sadie, of course I will. I’ll try to come tomorrow or the next day.”
“Good.” She smiled and squeezed the hand Willa had placed on her arm. “Thank you. I shall look forward to your coming. Now I must get back to Nanna. Good afternoon, Willa.”
She hurried from the gazebo and walked out to Main Street, feeling Willa’s puzzled gaze on her all the way. Perhaps she should have told her she wanted to go to Cole’s mill and why? No. There would be time enough for that when they got there and she had Poppa’s business ledgers in her hands.
Chapter Eleven
S adie ducked her head and
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