her,
terribly.” She grinned.
Dora was still fussing with Carol. “She’s so big now.
What’s it been? Six months, I reckon. Shame on the two of you for stayin’
away so long. When you married, you promised to come to town ever’ month or
so. Six months is five months too long.”
“Well, that’s probably been my fault,” Eve explained. “I’ve
got so much to tell you. Let’s step inside. I don’t want the baby to get
chilled and I do believe the temperature is falling.”
They all traipsed into the hotel lobby. “It looks
beautiful, girls,” Eve said wistfully, as she surveyed the sparkling room. The
Birdsong would always hold a special place in her heart. “Where’s Whiskey?”
Dora blushed. “He’s doin’ some shoppin’ of his own. We
ain’t told no one yet, but now is as good a time as any, I ‘spect. He went to
buy a ring.”
“What?” they all gasped.
A deep, gruff voice spoke from the open doorway. “I got my
bride a weddin’ ring. We’re gettin’ hitched this comin’ Sunday, right after
Sunday meetin’. You and Ty gonna be able to stay that long, honey?”
Tears filled Eve’s extraordinary eyes. Whiskey thought she
was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and she was his
daughter . . . of sorts. She stood and walked over to the big man. Giving him
a huge hug, she whispered in his ear.
“Frieda would be so pleased to know you’ve found a good
woman, like Dora. Be happy.”
He had to clear his throat a few times before he could
speak. “This is a special day, indeed. It ain’t ever’day that a man tells of
his upcomin’ nuptials and sees his long lost daughter.” He laughed.
“Well, Ty and I have an announcement of our own. The reason
we didn’t visit sooner was that I just didn’t feel up to it. You see, I was
sick most of the time. I’m going to have a baby.” Eve beamed with the good
news.
The noise of the congratulations carried all the way out
onto the sidewalk. The dirty man, leading an emaciated mount, bit down hard on
the cigar stub he held between his yellow teeth. His Emily was in that house, celebrating. She had no right to be happy
when he was so miserable. After asking around, he discovered that she was
part owner of this fine hotel. He figured she must have a lot of money and he
was in need of it. She owed him, by God. A
little thievin’ bitch like her deserved nothing , he reasoned, and he’d get
his just rewards from her or die trying.
Cassie and Adam hurried up the steps, taking no notice of
the stranger lurking about the exterior of the hotel. Grabbing Adam’s hand,
Cassie pulled him through the doors and into the middle of the room.
“What’s going . . .” Cassie was shocked speechless.
“Cassie, darling. Give me a hug,” Eve pleaded, putting out
her arms.
Cassie did just that. “Oh, Eve. We’ve all missed you so
much. Have you missed us?”
Eve was crying. “You know I have. I think about you all,
everyday, and I include all of you in my evening prayers. But I must say . . .
the hotel never looked better—even when I was running things. Patty,
you’re a genius.”
Patty blushed. “Thank you, but don’t forget, you left this
hotel in the very capable hands of the four of us. It wouldn’t work nearly so well, if we all didn’t do our part. We’ve
even needed Whiskey, a time or two.”
Everybody laughed at her joke, including the old man. His
heart would always be rooted here, on this little spot of dirt in the center of
town, and he’d never leave it again, until they carried him out feet first.
“I’ve got some more good news,” Eve continued. “It’s really
remarkable news and I wanted Whiskey to hear it from me. One evening, a poor
cowboy rode up to our farm needing shelter for the night and a hot meal. He’d
been searching for his daughter whom he hadn’t seen since the beginning of the
war. Can you imagine? It seems that she was taken from her dead mama and put
on an orphan train.”
She
terribly.” She grinned.
Dora was still fussing with Carol. “She’s so big now.
What’s it been? Six months, I reckon. Shame on the two of you for stayin’
away so long. When you married, you promised to come to town ever’ month or
so. Six months is five months too long.”
“Well, that’s probably been my fault,” Eve explained. “I’ve
got so much to tell you. Let’s step inside. I don’t want the baby to get
chilled and I do believe the temperature is falling.”
They all traipsed into the hotel lobby. “It looks
beautiful, girls,” Eve said wistfully, as she surveyed the sparkling room. The
Birdsong would always hold a special place in her heart. “Where’s Whiskey?”
Dora blushed. “He’s doin’ some shoppin’ of his own. We
ain’t told no one yet, but now is as good a time as any, I ‘spect. He went to
buy a ring.”
“What?” they all gasped.
A deep, gruff voice spoke from the open doorway. “I got my
bride a weddin’ ring. We’re gettin’ hitched this comin’ Sunday, right after
Sunday meetin’. You and Ty gonna be able to stay that long, honey?”
Tears filled Eve’s extraordinary eyes. Whiskey thought she
was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and she was his
daughter . . . of sorts. She stood and walked over to the big man. Giving him
a huge hug, she whispered in his ear.
“Frieda would be so pleased to know you’ve found a good
woman, like Dora. Be happy.”
He had to clear his throat a few times before he could
speak. “This is a special day, indeed. It ain’t ever’day that a man tells of
his upcomin’ nuptials and sees his long lost daughter.” He laughed.
“Well, Ty and I have an announcement of our own. The reason
we didn’t visit sooner was that I just didn’t feel up to it. You see, I was
sick most of the time. I’m going to have a baby.” Eve beamed with the good
news.
The noise of the congratulations carried all the way out
onto the sidewalk. The dirty man, leading an emaciated mount, bit down hard on
the cigar stub he held between his yellow teeth. His Emily was in that house, celebrating. She had no right to be happy
when he was so miserable. After asking around, he discovered that she was
part owner of this fine hotel. He figured she must have a lot of money and he
was in need of it. She owed him, by God. A
little thievin’ bitch like her deserved nothing , he reasoned, and he’d get
his just rewards from her or die trying.
Cassie and Adam hurried up the steps, taking no notice of
the stranger lurking about the exterior of the hotel. Grabbing Adam’s hand,
Cassie pulled him through the doors and into the middle of the room.
“What’s going . . .” Cassie was shocked speechless.
“Cassie, darling. Give me a hug,” Eve pleaded, putting out
her arms.
Cassie did just that. “Oh, Eve. We’ve all missed you so
much. Have you missed us?”
Eve was crying. “You know I have. I think about you all,
everyday, and I include all of you in my evening prayers. But I must say . . .
the hotel never looked better—even when I was running things. Patty,
you’re a genius.”
Patty blushed. “Thank you, but don’t forget, you left this
hotel in the very capable hands of the four of us. It wouldn’t work nearly so well, if we all didn’t do our part. We’ve
even needed Whiskey, a time or two.”
Everybody laughed at her joke, including the old man. His
heart would always be rooted here, on this little spot of dirt in the center of
town, and he’d never leave it again, until they carried him out feet first.
“I’ve got some more good news,” Eve continued. “It’s really
remarkable news and I wanted Whiskey to hear it from me. One evening, a poor
cowboy rode up to our farm needing shelter for the night and a hot meal. He’d
been searching for his daughter whom he hadn’t seen since the beginning of the
war. Can you imagine? It seems that she was taken from her dead mama and put
on an orphan train.”
She
Similar Books
