looking at the return address. She glanced at Elmer. “I thought Reverend Peters always brought in the mail.”
“Whenever I can, I pick it up of a morning. I work on a ranch a ways on t’other side of town. Sometimes I stopat the post office. I reckon the preacher come to town after I done rode out.”
“Yes. I see.”
Honor nervously wiped her hands on her apron. A moment later, she realized that she was pacing in front of the stove. “I guess I’ll—I guess I’ll go up to my room now so I can read my letter.”
On her way up the stairs, Honor pulled the envelope out of her pocket. The printing was large and she smiled in relief. It wasn’t from Lucas. Honor would know his small, scratchy handwriting anywhere.
As she climbed the stairs, she saw that the letter came from Simon and Annie Carr, the couple she had met on the stagecoach. Honor opened the envelope and stopped to read it in the hallway outside her room.
Dear Miss McCall,
We are still visiting our daughter in Pine Falls and are not going back home until Christmas. Please thank Reverend Peters for writing a letter and telling us you are feeling better. Hope you still are.
Our friends here in Pine Falls told us about a man what was asking about you, ma’am. We never seen him, and we do not know his name. But he shore is trying to find you. If we ever do see him, miss, should we tell him where you are staying now and all?
“No!” Honor trembled from head to toe, thinking, don’t you dare tell him a thing!
An hour later, Honor was swishing the broom back and forth across the wood floor in the entry hall. She’d already written a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Carr and told them not to reveal her location to anyone.
When she heard the sound of footfalls on the steps outside, she went to one of the windows that framed the front door and looked out. Jeth.
For a moment, she wondered if she should tell him about the letter she’d gotten from the Carrs. Then she decided not to, since he would probably want to read her letter, and then expect her to tell him about Lucas. She was still exasperated with Jeth over the incident with Selma’s dress. She didn’t want to explain anything to him.
Jeth opened the door. An icy wind whooshed inside. Standing before her, his breath looked like a puff of whitish smoke. She’d thought he was alone, but then she saw a small boy with big, green eyes beside him, wearing one of the warmest smiles she’d ever seen on a child. His dark coat looked two sizes too big for him. Black, curly hair edged his brown wool cap.
“Miss Honor McCall, meet Timmy Rivers,” Jeth said. “His parents are members of our church. He’s the little boy I’ve been wanting you to meet.”
A smile formed on her lips. Timmy was the little boy that Jeth had told stories about when she’d first woken from unconsciousness and came to herself.
“Hello, Timmy,” she said.
“Hello, Miss McCall. I’m very glad to meet you.” He offered her his tiny hand.
Honor smiled. “I’m glad to meet you, too.”
His hand felt icy when she shook it. Timmy should be wearing mittens on a cold day like this.
Bending down to the child’s level, her smile lingered. “What brings you out here today?”
“My mama has the sneezes.”
“The sneezes? I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She’ll be all right, though. Dr. Harris said so when he came to our house a while ago. Reverend Peters is taking care of me so Mama can rest.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” She brushed snow from the shoulders of his jacket with her fingertips. “Let’s go into the kitchen now, Timmy, and see if we can find something good to eat and drink, shall we? It’s warmer in there.”
As she ushered the child down the hall, she sent Jeth a hard glance. She wanted him to know that, despite the boy, she hadn’t forgotten the tension between them.
Jeth must have known she would warm to a child no matter how she felt about him. Could he have invited Timmy over
“Whenever I can, I pick it up of a morning. I work on a ranch a ways on t’other side of town. Sometimes I stopat the post office. I reckon the preacher come to town after I done rode out.”
“Yes. I see.”
Honor nervously wiped her hands on her apron. A moment later, she realized that she was pacing in front of the stove. “I guess I’ll—I guess I’ll go up to my room now so I can read my letter.”
On her way up the stairs, Honor pulled the envelope out of her pocket. The printing was large and she smiled in relief. It wasn’t from Lucas. Honor would know his small, scratchy handwriting anywhere.
As she climbed the stairs, she saw that the letter came from Simon and Annie Carr, the couple she had met on the stagecoach. Honor opened the envelope and stopped to read it in the hallway outside her room.
Dear Miss McCall,
We are still visiting our daughter in Pine Falls and are not going back home until Christmas. Please thank Reverend Peters for writing a letter and telling us you are feeling better. Hope you still are.
Our friends here in Pine Falls told us about a man what was asking about you, ma’am. We never seen him, and we do not know his name. But he shore is trying to find you. If we ever do see him, miss, should we tell him where you are staying now and all?
“No!” Honor trembled from head to toe, thinking, don’t you dare tell him a thing!
An hour later, Honor was swishing the broom back and forth across the wood floor in the entry hall. She’d already written a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Carr and told them not to reveal her location to anyone.
When she heard the sound of footfalls on the steps outside, she went to one of the windows that framed the front door and looked out. Jeth.
For a moment, she wondered if she should tell him about the letter she’d gotten from the Carrs. Then she decided not to, since he would probably want to read her letter, and then expect her to tell him about Lucas. She was still exasperated with Jeth over the incident with Selma’s dress. She didn’t want to explain anything to him.
Jeth opened the door. An icy wind whooshed inside. Standing before her, his breath looked like a puff of whitish smoke. She’d thought he was alone, but then she saw a small boy with big, green eyes beside him, wearing one of the warmest smiles she’d ever seen on a child. His dark coat looked two sizes too big for him. Black, curly hair edged his brown wool cap.
“Miss Honor McCall, meet Timmy Rivers,” Jeth said. “His parents are members of our church. He’s the little boy I’ve been wanting you to meet.”
A smile formed on her lips. Timmy was the little boy that Jeth had told stories about when she’d first woken from unconsciousness and came to herself.
“Hello, Timmy,” she said.
“Hello, Miss McCall. I’m very glad to meet you.” He offered her his tiny hand.
Honor smiled. “I’m glad to meet you, too.”
His hand felt icy when she shook it. Timmy should be wearing mittens on a cold day like this.
Bending down to the child’s level, her smile lingered. “What brings you out here today?”
“My mama has the sneezes.”
“The sneezes? I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She’ll be all right, though. Dr. Harris said so when he came to our house a while ago. Reverend Peters is taking care of me so Mama can rest.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” She brushed snow from the shoulders of his jacket with her fingertips. “Let’s go into the kitchen now, Timmy, and see if we can find something good to eat and drink, shall we? It’s warmer in there.”
As she ushered the child down the hall, she sent Jeth a hard glance. She wanted him to know that, despite the boy, she hadn’t forgotten the tension between them.
Jeth must have known she would warm to a child no matter how she felt about him. Could he have invited Timmy over
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