what they want? Or throwing punches or waving a gun. It’s all so . . . so . . . stupid!”
Her eyes still had a bit of the wild, panicked look to them that he’d seen earlier in the bank, but a glow of righteous indignation dominated. Her cheeks flushed from the brisk pace she’d set, her chest heaving slightly from the exertion, wisps of her hair waving in the breeze—she was like a virago rising up to take mankind to task for their deficiencies.
“First that grieving man attacks you for no good reason other than he feels sorry for himself and wants to spread the misery around,” she started, gesticulating wildly, “and then a pack of wolves descends upon the bank, snarling and pouncing in the hopes of frightening their prey enough to get him to concede to their demands. Did they care who else might be inside when they charged through the door? No! They were too caught up in their own rage. Not five minutes before they arrived, the Cooper girls were skipping around the lobby while their mother made a deposit. Just imagine the disaster if those Monroe men had arrived a few minutes earlier. It’s unconscionable!” Eden’s arms flung wide, sending the handbag dangling from her wrist flying through the air until it snagged on a rosebush.
“Then Norman Draper with his shotgun and the sheriff with his strong-arm tactics—why, it’s a miracle we got out of there unscathed!”
Levi kept his mouth shut, letting her say what she needed to say. He didn’t try to explain a man’s need to assert himself among his peers or point out that the sheriff’s strong-arm tactics had proved effective in defusing the situation at the bank. Who was he to defend the actions of the men who had earned her scorn? He’d done far worse.
Silently, Levi reached around Eden to retrieve her handbag from a thorny branch. He picked off the tiny sticks that clung to the lacy fabric and handed it back to her. She accepted his offering and let out a long sigh.
“I’m sorry, Levi. I had no call to vent my spleen on you like that. I just . . .” She turned away from him and started walking toward the porch. “I felt so trapped and helpless. It was as if someone had turned the clock back and I was twelve again, and . . .” Her voice trailed off as she reached the railing.
He thought she was going to disappear into the house, but she sank down onto the stairs instead. There wasn’t enough room to squeeze in beside her, but Levi wasn’t about to strand her with her memories, not when her eyes begged him to stay. So he followed her to the porch steps and leaned against the newel post at the base.
“What happened when you were twelve?”
She dropped her purse in her lap and grabbed hold of one of the curved railing spindles. “My father took me to a political rally where one of his friends was speaking. Mother was supposed to go, but she didn’t feel well, so Daddy asked me to accompany him.”
A wistful smile touched Eden’s face as she gazed out across the yard. “I felt so grown up and special on his arm that day. The hall was terribly crowded, though, and when the speaker droned on and on I grew impatient. Daddy went to fetch me some lemonade, and while he was gone the riot started.”
Levi stiffened. “Riot?”
“Apparently my father’s friend had bought several mills in the area only to close them down in order to sell the land to the railroad. The townsfolk heralded him a hero because his deal brought the railroad, and with it increased prosperity for all their businesses. But the unemployed mill workers took a different view, and after building up their courage at the local saloon, they stormed the meeting hall.
“They fired shots in the air while casting aspersions on anyone siding with a man who would steal bread from their children’s mouths. People panicked and pushed and shoved to try to get away. I screamed for my father, but he was too far away to get to me, and everyone was pressing against him to
Her eyes still had a bit of the wild, panicked look to them that he’d seen earlier in the bank, but a glow of righteous indignation dominated. Her cheeks flushed from the brisk pace she’d set, her chest heaving slightly from the exertion, wisps of her hair waving in the breeze—she was like a virago rising up to take mankind to task for their deficiencies.
“First that grieving man attacks you for no good reason other than he feels sorry for himself and wants to spread the misery around,” she started, gesticulating wildly, “and then a pack of wolves descends upon the bank, snarling and pouncing in the hopes of frightening their prey enough to get him to concede to their demands. Did they care who else might be inside when they charged through the door? No! They were too caught up in their own rage. Not five minutes before they arrived, the Cooper girls were skipping around the lobby while their mother made a deposit. Just imagine the disaster if those Monroe men had arrived a few minutes earlier. It’s unconscionable!” Eden’s arms flung wide, sending the handbag dangling from her wrist flying through the air until it snagged on a rosebush.
“Then Norman Draper with his shotgun and the sheriff with his strong-arm tactics—why, it’s a miracle we got out of there unscathed!”
Levi kept his mouth shut, letting her say what she needed to say. He didn’t try to explain a man’s need to assert himself among his peers or point out that the sheriff’s strong-arm tactics had proved effective in defusing the situation at the bank. Who was he to defend the actions of the men who had earned her scorn? He’d done far worse.
Silently, Levi reached around Eden to retrieve her handbag from a thorny branch. He picked off the tiny sticks that clung to the lacy fabric and handed it back to her. She accepted his offering and let out a long sigh.
“I’m sorry, Levi. I had no call to vent my spleen on you like that. I just . . .” She turned away from him and started walking toward the porch. “I felt so trapped and helpless. It was as if someone had turned the clock back and I was twelve again, and . . .” Her voice trailed off as she reached the railing.
He thought she was going to disappear into the house, but she sank down onto the stairs instead. There wasn’t enough room to squeeze in beside her, but Levi wasn’t about to strand her with her memories, not when her eyes begged him to stay. So he followed her to the porch steps and leaned against the newel post at the base.
“What happened when you were twelve?”
She dropped her purse in her lap and grabbed hold of one of the curved railing spindles. “My father took me to a political rally where one of his friends was speaking. Mother was supposed to go, but she didn’t feel well, so Daddy asked me to accompany him.”
A wistful smile touched Eden’s face as she gazed out across the yard. “I felt so grown up and special on his arm that day. The hall was terribly crowded, though, and when the speaker droned on and on I grew impatient. Daddy went to fetch me some lemonade, and while he was gone the riot started.”
Levi stiffened. “Riot?”
“Apparently my father’s friend had bought several mills in the area only to close them down in order to sell the land to the railroad. The townsfolk heralded him a hero because his deal brought the railroad, and with it increased prosperity for all their businesses. But the unemployed mill workers took a different view, and after building up their courage at the local saloon, they stormed the meeting hall.
“They fired shots in the air while casting aspersions on anyone siding with a man who would steal bread from their children’s mouths. People panicked and pushed and shoved to try to get away. I screamed for my father, but he was too far away to get to me, and everyone was pressing against him to
Similar Books
