enough.
Stepping out of the saddle, Dan walked over to shake hands. “My sister hasn’t been well lately. We started out before sunrise to find a doctor, but she’s feeling poorly again.”
Hope shot Dan a disbelieving look. Sister? Of course. They couldn’t announce they were unmarried and traveling together. His returning gaze warned her to go along with the facade.
“We were about to rest a spell when we heard your wagon.”
Hope would play along, but she didn’t approve of fibs. She could still remember the sting of Papa’s hickory switch on the backs of her legs when he’d caught her lying.
Removing his hat, the old man scratched his head. “Well, our place is up the road aways. You and yore sister are mighty welcome to stop in for a cup of Harriet’s coffee.”
Hope studied the old woman. Her face was flushed, and she looked as if she’d wallowed in a mudhole in her plain brown cotton dress.
“You shore are!” she invited. “We’d be right proud to have you join us for breakfast.”
“Oh no. We couldn’t,” Hope protested. She shot Dan an anxious look.
“No.” Dan smiled. “We don’t want to impose—”
“Land sakes! Be no imposition! Got plenty of fresh eggs, and it won’t take a minute to whip up a fresh batch of biscuits. Come on now, yore sister looks downright peaked.”
Dan glanced back to Hope and she smiled. Lamely, she knew, but it was the best she could do. The thought of a hot meal did sound good.
“I guess we could stop for a minute. Much obliged.” Dan reached for the horse’s reins. “If you don’t mind, would it be all right if my sister rides with you? As I said, she’s been feeling poorly. . . .”
“Why, she’s welcome as rain. Name’s Harriet Bennett. This here’s my husband, Luther.” She grinned, showing a front tooth chipped clear to the gum. “Just tie your horse on to the back, mister, then hitch yoreself a ride on the tail.”
She jerked a thumb toward the back of the wagon. “Just shove the pig out of the way. She ain’t gonna give you no trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Pig? Hope peered over the side of the wagon. An old sow was standing in the back of the wagon—a very large, very smelly old sow—taking up a full third of the bed. She glanced at Dan, frowning.
He lifted an amused brow. “You heard the woman, Sister—just push the pig out of the way.”
Hope climbed aboard the wagon, keeping an eye on the sow.
It eyed her back, snorting.
If they thought she was going to push anything that size out of her way they had another think coming. Scooting to the far side of the bed, she settled back against the sideboard, drawing a deep breath. A pig! She was now riding with two strangers and a pig! She hoped Aunt Thalia never heard about this.
Lord, can it get much worse?
Securing the horse to the back of the wagon, Dan hopped aboard. Luther slapped the reins, and the wagon lurched forward.
“You see ol’ Doc Jimster?” Harriet turned to ask above the clattering wheels.
Dan glanced at Hope. “No—the one in Medford.”
“Medford!” The old woman turned further in her seat to look at him. “Land sakes! That’s a fur piece away.” She looked at him as if he, not his sister, needed medical attention.
Dan smiled. “He’s family—Sis won’t let anyone but Doc—”
“Power,” Hope finished. She grinned. “Good ol’ Doc Power—worth his weight in gold. Wouldn’t see anyone but . . . Doc.”
“Well.” Harriet frowned. “Ain’t goin’ nearly as far as Medford, but one more mile along the way is a help, I’d reckon.”
Leaning back, Dan met Hope’s worried gaze with his own. “Reckon it is, ma’am. We appreciate the ride.”
Harriet again turned to look over her shoulder. “Dearie, you look real feverish. You doin’ anything for what ails ya?”
Dan answered. “We’ve been doctoring it, ma’am.”
She reached back to give Hope’s leg a pat. “We’ll have you in a nice warm kitchen afore too long,
Stepping out of the saddle, Dan walked over to shake hands. “My sister hasn’t been well lately. We started out before sunrise to find a doctor, but she’s feeling poorly again.”
Hope shot Dan a disbelieving look. Sister? Of course. They couldn’t announce they were unmarried and traveling together. His returning gaze warned her to go along with the facade.
“We were about to rest a spell when we heard your wagon.”
Hope would play along, but she didn’t approve of fibs. She could still remember the sting of Papa’s hickory switch on the backs of her legs when he’d caught her lying.
Removing his hat, the old man scratched his head. “Well, our place is up the road aways. You and yore sister are mighty welcome to stop in for a cup of Harriet’s coffee.”
Hope studied the old woman. Her face was flushed, and she looked as if she’d wallowed in a mudhole in her plain brown cotton dress.
“You shore are!” she invited. “We’d be right proud to have you join us for breakfast.”
“Oh no. We couldn’t,” Hope protested. She shot Dan an anxious look.
“No.” Dan smiled. “We don’t want to impose—”
“Land sakes! Be no imposition! Got plenty of fresh eggs, and it won’t take a minute to whip up a fresh batch of biscuits. Come on now, yore sister looks downright peaked.”
Dan glanced back to Hope and she smiled. Lamely, she knew, but it was the best she could do. The thought of a hot meal did sound good.
“I guess we could stop for a minute. Much obliged.” Dan reached for the horse’s reins. “If you don’t mind, would it be all right if my sister rides with you? As I said, she’s been feeling poorly. . . .”
“Why, she’s welcome as rain. Name’s Harriet Bennett. This here’s my husband, Luther.” She grinned, showing a front tooth chipped clear to the gum. “Just tie your horse on to the back, mister, then hitch yoreself a ride on the tail.”
She jerked a thumb toward the back of the wagon. “Just shove the pig out of the way. She ain’t gonna give you no trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Pig? Hope peered over the side of the wagon. An old sow was standing in the back of the wagon—a very large, very smelly old sow—taking up a full third of the bed. She glanced at Dan, frowning.
He lifted an amused brow. “You heard the woman, Sister—just push the pig out of the way.”
Hope climbed aboard the wagon, keeping an eye on the sow.
It eyed her back, snorting.
If they thought she was going to push anything that size out of her way they had another think coming. Scooting to the far side of the bed, she settled back against the sideboard, drawing a deep breath. A pig! She was now riding with two strangers and a pig! She hoped Aunt Thalia never heard about this.
Lord, can it get much worse?
Securing the horse to the back of the wagon, Dan hopped aboard. Luther slapped the reins, and the wagon lurched forward.
“You see ol’ Doc Jimster?” Harriet turned to ask above the clattering wheels.
Dan glanced at Hope. “No—the one in Medford.”
“Medford!” The old woman turned further in her seat to look at him. “Land sakes! That’s a fur piece away.” She looked at him as if he, not his sister, needed medical attention.
Dan smiled. “He’s family—Sis won’t let anyone but Doc—”
“Power,” Hope finished. She grinned. “Good ol’ Doc Power—worth his weight in gold. Wouldn’t see anyone but . . . Doc.”
“Well.” Harriet frowned. “Ain’t goin’ nearly as far as Medford, but one more mile along the way is a help, I’d reckon.”
Leaning back, Dan met Hope’s worried gaze with his own. “Reckon it is, ma’am. We appreciate the ride.”
Harriet again turned to look over her shoulder. “Dearie, you look real feverish. You doin’ anything for what ails ya?”
Dan answered. “We’ve been doctoring it, ma’am.”
She reached back to give Hope’s leg a pat. “We’ll have you in a nice warm kitchen afore too long,
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