Read Online And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley - Free Book Online Page A

made her cheeks flare and she quickly turned away.
    Her soprano and the sheriff’s baritone encircled Eddie’s youthful tenor as if to give the boy a musical hug. The organ stopped and she closed her eyes, trying to imagine the three of them a family. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard.
    â€œTurn to hymn two-thirteen,” the preacher said.
    Her mouth went dry. Unlucky thirteen . . . She glanced at Garrett and recalled his words. “I don’t believe in luck. Good, bad, or otherwise.”
    Voices rose all around her. “Rock of Ages, cleft for me . . .”
    She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the words of the hymn.
    â€œLet me hide myself in Thee . . .”
    If only I could, God. If only I could . . .

Chapter Nine
    During the following week she made herself useful by cleaning the house and mending Eddie’s clothes. Though the home was modest by Kansas standards, it was the grandest house she’d ever lived in. She still couldn’t get over the shiny forks and knives, and she was equally impressed with the drinking glasses. Back home they drank out of canning jars or simply held their mouths to the water pump. Equally amazing, the dishes all matched, without a single chip or crack!
    Still, the house could use a woman’s touch. Some pretty curtains and a picture or two on the walls and fresh flowers would make a world of difference.
    As much as she liked thinking up ways to make things homier, she liked the domestic routine even more. Eddie stayed with her and the sheriff stopped by every day after work.
    Garrett was always polite to her and handled Eddie with the same caution one might use with a firearm. Sometimes she wondered if he tried too hard.
    It was a week before she gained courage enough to open the door to Daniel’s bedroom. Her gaze lit on the black felt hat atop the quilt. Alarm rushed through her. She dashed across the room and flung the bowler to the floor. Didn’t Daniel know that it was bad luck to put a hat on a bed? Was that what led to his early demise?
    Shivering at the thought, she glanced around. This was the room Daniel intended to share with her. If things worked out as the sheriff suggested, it might also be the room she and Tom would share as husband and wife.
    She felt all tingly inside. Mrs. Tom Garrett. Hmm. Not bad.
    She had just finished beating the bedroom rug and polishing the furniture when Eddie burst in the front door.
    â€œLook, Miss Parker, I got a two on my ’rithmetic test.”
    â€œWhy, Eddie, that’s wonderful.” She took the paper from him and marveled aloud. “Why, look at that. You only missed one!”
    â€œI ran out of time,” he said. “But next time I’ll get them all right.”
    It was then that she noticed the sheriff standing on the porch. She beckoned him inside. “Do come in, Sheriff.” She wasn’t yet ready to call him Tom as he asked or even Garrett. “This calls for a celebration. I made gingersnap cookies.”
    She still had trouble figuring out how to work the un­familiar stove and the cookies were hard and burned on the bottom, but no one seemed to mind.
    Later, after a meal of roasted chicken, Eddie asked his uncle to tell him a story.
    The sheriff ran a finger around his collar. “I’m not much for storytelling,” he said. “But I’ll be happy to read from the Good Book.”
    â€œThat sounds like a mighty fine idea,” Mary-Jo said.
    He reached for the Bible on the mantel and chose the story of Jonah and the big fish. Eddie settled by his side and listened attentively.
    The story seemed so real, Mary-Jo could almost feel the storm’s fury and Jonah’s horror. As she listened to the sheriff’s mesmerizing voice, she realized she had truly misjudged him. He did want to do right by the boy.
    â€œAnd that’s the story of Jonah,” he said, closing the leather-bound