Read Online A Hopeful Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer - Free Book Online

might lurk in a flour barrel. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do my best.” But she must tell Mrs. Wyatt about the cowboy. “Ma’am, a man just rode up. He said to tell you if we hurry to the Lazy S, we’ll have the opportunity to see a birthing today.”
    Mrs. Wyatt clapped her palms together. “Oh, that’s good news.” She grimaced. “I hate leavin’ your bucket o’ milk sit out, though. Heaven only knows when we’ll be back.” She tapped her chin with one finger. “I tell you what, throw a piece of damp cheesecloth over the top o’ that bucket an’ take it down to the root cellar real quick. It’ll stay cool as the underside of a rock down there. I’ll gather up the others. Meet us in the barn an’ we’ll drive on over to Abel’s ranch.” She started toward the doorway, but then she turned back. A smile broke across her face. “You’re in for a real treat today. Ain’t nothin’ more special than a birthin’.”
    Tressa pondered Mrs. Wyatt’s comment as she carried the bucket outside and headed toward the root cellar. Her only experience with birthing was the night her baby brother was born. She remembered little more than being sent to the kitchen with the old cook who sang songs and rocked her to distract her from the piercing cries coming from her mother’s bedroom. She’d fallen asleep, and the next morning her father had sorrowfully explained that Mama and the baby were in Heaven with Jesus.
    By the time she returned from the cellar, the others were all waiting in the wagon. She climbed in, and even before she could sit, Mrs. Wyatt smacked the reins onto the horses’ backs. “Yah!” The wagon jolted forward, throwing Tressa flat onto her bottom with her feet in the air. Luella nudged Paralee’s arm, and the two snickered. She turned her head, clamping her lips tight to hide the quiver in her chin.
    The ride to the Lazy S took them in the opposite direction of town, but the view still seemed familiar. The prairie rolled endlessly in all directions, knee-high grass gently waving in the wind. The sun shone bright overhead, glinting off the blades of grass and warming Tressa’s uncovered head. She hadn’t taken time to put on a bonnet before leaving the house, and the wind tore her hair loose from the unpretentious tail she had tied with a piece of ribbon. She held the side of the wagon with one hand and used the other to hold her hair and prevent it from blowing.
    The wagon rolled onto the dirt yard of a simple one-story ranch house. Tressa wrinkled her nose at the sight of the unpainted, unappealing dwelling. This structure made Mrs. Wyatt’s modest house seem like a mansion. Mrs. Wyatt brought the team to a stop, then she grinned into the back of the wagon. “Barn’s straight ahead. If I know Abel Samms, he’ll have the stall all mucked out an’ ready for us, so head on over.”
    Before the girls could climb from the back, a weathered cowboy emerged from the barn and trotted toward them. He waved his hand.
    “Hold up there, Hattie, an’ let me help you down.” He offered Mrs. Wyatt his hand, and she allowed him to assist her from the seat.
    “Thank you, Vince. I don’t believe you met my pupils in church last Sunday.” She led the man to the back of the wagon and released the hatch. “This here is Miss Mabelle, Miss Paralee, Miss Sallie, Miss Luella, an’ Miss Tressa.” She pointed to each girl in turn.
    Vince nodded, offering a broad smile. “Welcome to the Lazy S, ladies. It’s been my home for nearly twenty years, an’ I’m right fond of the place.” He held out his hand to Tressa. “Let’s get you gals into the barn. I figure there won’t be a long wait—this mama’s just about ready to deliver.”
    He caught Tressa around the waist and lifted her from the back of the wagon. She scurried to Mrs. Wyatt’s side as he helped the others. When he reached for Luella, she batted her eyelashes and tittered. The too-familiar sound set Tressa’s teeth on edge. Vince placed