looked at her, he would be reminded of what he’d lost.
She’d seen the pain reflected in Adam’s eyes as he’d fought to take in the truth of what she told him. The flash of anger that crossed his face might not have been directed toward her, but she’d felt it all the same.
Why, Lord? Why do You allow things like this to happen?
She grabbed one of the buckets by its handle, not caring that the sugary liquid sloshed over the sides. Her breath rose in frothy waves in front of her, the coldness of the morning penetrating her lungs. All around her lay the fading beauty of winter. Trees reached toward the heavens, their limbs proclaiming praises to their Creator. Birds chirped in chorus around her, singing their sweet songs that would soon usher in the coming spring. It was a scene she never tired of. God’s white blanket had covered His earth, keeping it dormant, but soon He would bring it to life again in a blaze of color with the vast arrangement of spring’s flowers, green grass, and azure skies.
But today, in spite of the beauty around her, she couldn’t sense God’s presence.
“Lidia?”
Turning, she saw her brother coming toward her, his feet crunching though the last of winter’s snow. “Is Mr. Johnson all right? I thought he’d be up by now.”
She didn’t want to feel anything, but her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. “He’s in the house. I’m sure he’ll be out to work soon. Remember he’s still recovering from his illness.”
She wouldn’t mention the real reason he was in the cabin. Whether or not it had been the right thing, their parents had tried to shelter Koby from Jarek’s actions. Koby knew his brother had run away, but he had no idea about the details surrounding his disappearance. He had enough to deal with in life without knowing his brother was wanted for murder.
“I need to get him back for yesterday.” Koby leaned against the side of the wagon, a mischievous grin on his face. “The weather’s warming. I thought we could have one more snowball fight before we leave and it all melts away.”
“Not today.” She shook her head. “I was just coming to get you. We need to be leaving now.”
“Come on.” Her brother’s lips curled into a pout. “We have time. It’s not like Mrs. Moore will let us come back anyway. Why can’t we just stay until the harvest is over and then figure out what we’re going to do?”
“I said it’s time to go.” She winced at the sharpness in her voice. “I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t look right. Now that Adam is out of bed, we’re not needed here anymore.”
“He does need us.” Koby folded his arms across his chest. “You’re worried about going back to the mill, aren’t you?”
She jutted her chin upward at the question. “I’m responsible for you, and with the strong possibility that helping with the harvest has cost us our jobs—”
“He likes you.”
“What?”
“Adam.”
Lidia picked up two buckets that were full of sap and headed toward the wagon. “I really don’t want to talk about him.”
“Why not? Did you have a fight?”
“Yes—no.” She closed her eyes, wishing her brother wasn’t quite so curious … and right.
“So which is it?”
She spun around to face him. “It’s complicated, Koby.”
“What’s so complicated about two people liking each other? You could marry him, and we could stay here and forget the past and that awful Mrs. Moore.”
Lidia frowned. He was right about one thing. It was time for her to forget the past. And that meant leaving her feelings for Adam behind, as well. While she didn’t regret helping him, the reality was she had probably lost her job. Still, staying here was not an option. There was always the possibility of answering an ad from the local paper for a mail-order bride. Those ads filled the pages these days, but the very thought of marrying for anything but love made her blood run cold. A better option would be if someone in town
She’d seen the pain reflected in Adam’s eyes as he’d fought to take in the truth of what she told him. The flash of anger that crossed his face might not have been directed toward her, but she’d felt it all the same.
Why, Lord? Why do You allow things like this to happen?
She grabbed one of the buckets by its handle, not caring that the sugary liquid sloshed over the sides. Her breath rose in frothy waves in front of her, the coldness of the morning penetrating her lungs. All around her lay the fading beauty of winter. Trees reached toward the heavens, their limbs proclaiming praises to their Creator. Birds chirped in chorus around her, singing their sweet songs that would soon usher in the coming spring. It was a scene she never tired of. God’s white blanket had covered His earth, keeping it dormant, but soon He would bring it to life again in a blaze of color with the vast arrangement of spring’s flowers, green grass, and azure skies.
But today, in spite of the beauty around her, she couldn’t sense God’s presence.
“Lidia?”
Turning, she saw her brother coming toward her, his feet crunching though the last of winter’s snow. “Is Mr. Johnson all right? I thought he’d be up by now.”
She didn’t want to feel anything, but her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. “He’s in the house. I’m sure he’ll be out to work soon. Remember he’s still recovering from his illness.”
She wouldn’t mention the real reason he was in the cabin. Whether or not it had been the right thing, their parents had tried to shelter Koby from Jarek’s actions. Koby knew his brother had run away, but he had no idea about the details surrounding his disappearance. He had enough to deal with in life without knowing his brother was wanted for murder.
“I need to get him back for yesterday.” Koby leaned against the side of the wagon, a mischievous grin on his face. “The weather’s warming. I thought we could have one more snowball fight before we leave and it all melts away.”
“Not today.” She shook her head. “I was just coming to get you. We need to be leaving now.”
“Come on.” Her brother’s lips curled into a pout. “We have time. It’s not like Mrs. Moore will let us come back anyway. Why can’t we just stay until the harvest is over and then figure out what we’re going to do?”
“I said it’s time to go.” She winced at the sharpness in her voice. “I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t look right. Now that Adam is out of bed, we’re not needed here anymore.”
“He does need us.” Koby folded his arms across his chest. “You’re worried about going back to the mill, aren’t you?”
She jutted her chin upward at the question. “I’m responsible for you, and with the strong possibility that helping with the harvest has cost us our jobs—”
“He likes you.”
“What?”
“Adam.”
Lidia picked up two buckets that were full of sap and headed toward the wagon. “I really don’t want to talk about him.”
“Why not? Did you have a fight?”
“Yes—no.” She closed her eyes, wishing her brother wasn’t quite so curious … and right.
“So which is it?”
She spun around to face him. “It’s complicated, Koby.”
“What’s so complicated about two people liking each other? You could marry him, and we could stay here and forget the past and that awful Mrs. Moore.”
Lidia frowned. He was right about one thing. It was time for her to forget the past. And that meant leaving her feelings for Adam behind, as well. While she didn’t regret helping him, the reality was she had probably lost her job. Still, staying here was not an option. There was always the possibility of answering an ad from the local paper for a mail-order bride. Those ads filled the pages these days, but the very thought of marrying for anything but love made her blood run cold. A better option would be if someone in town
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