Read Online Asked For by Colleen L. Donnelly - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colleen L. Donnelly
Tags: Women's Fiction
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mistakenly thrown into the wrong environment as an infant, but related to a king.
The back door opened and closed. Ella puckered her lips as she looked from mother to daughter. They both listened to the sound of Cletus coming through the house. “Your husband’s here.” Ella shifted her gaze to the door.
Knuckles rounded on the door in sharp, distinct raps.
The knock that had said hurry the first time Lana heard it said hurry again. Hurry and marry me. Hurry and fix my supper. Hurry and let me see my son.
“Magdalena and I are ready.” Lana nodded to Ella. She winced as she straightened in the bed and snuggled Magdalena even closer to her breast. “He’ll love the daughter I’ve given him. You can let him in.”
Chapter 7
Lana 1932
Three years. Three years of being Cletus’ wife. Three years of being mother to his children, first to Magdalena, now to Betsy, and soon to another which was well on its way. Two girls in three years. Two reasons Cletus was disappointed in her, two reasons that proved Lana wasn’t being the wife she was supposed to be. Lana squeezed her daughters onto her lap as Ella’s husband, Carl, closed his truck’s door for her.
“Want me to take one?” Ella twisted Lana’s way from the center of the truck’s seat, extending her forearms to take one of the girls.
“Here, take Betsy.” Lana wrapped an arm around Magdalena and let Betsy be drawn from her small lap onto Ella’s much fuller one. Carl climbed into the driver’s side, slamming the door behind him. The farm truck roared and smelled of fumes as he pushed the starter and revved the engine. Both girls jumped, Betsy fading into Ella’s soft skin and Magdalena giggling with delight. Lana smiled. Magdalena always managed a laugh, even though she had little to laugh about in her small world. Betsy was the opposite. She mirrored the quietness of their home, the disappointment there were no boys, doing her best to stay invisible even at her tiny age, mostly vanishing into the woodwork.
Magdalena squirmed while Betsy burrowed into Ella’s arms, her eyelids already half closed as Carl pulled onto the dirt road.
“You want to trade girls?” Ella whispered, even though she could have shouted since the truck’s engine would have muffled her yell.
Lana tried to manage Magdalena’s wiggles around her protruding belly, rolling the truck’s window up against the dust that was swirling in. A trade would be wonderful, but Ella would be better off with Betsy. “Magdalena might take over the driving if she gets close to Carl.” Lana laughed.
The scenery hadn’t changed much since three years ago when she’d traveled this road the opposite way, going from Grandma’s to Cletus’. She had come his way shattered, a child with a heart that was broken from missing her father. She was going to Grandma’s a woman, a wife with her heart in her throat, terrified this unborn baby was going to be a girl, another girl. Cletus probably worried about the same. She saw it in the way he looked at her, the way he looked at his daughters every day.
Lana needed answers, going this way from Cletus’ to Grandma’s. Grandma’d sent her his way with the orders to work hard and let him do whatever he wanted. Cletus had sent her Grandma’s way with the reminder he’d be home at 6:30 and expected his supper then. She promised she’d be back in time. She’d touched his arm, felt the bristly hair she’d longed to feel three years ago. He’d pulled away, nodded goodbye, then glanced at the girls. Grandma would surely have the answers. Grandma would know what to do.
Lana showed Carl where to turn after an hour and a half of dusty roads, jarring ruts, two- and three-word conversations, and soft snores from Ella between them. The truck rumbled down the narrow dirt road, and Lana’s heart beat harder as the terrain changed from familiar to home, grasses that were common everywhere suddenly waving at her as if they recognized her and welcomed her
The back door opened and closed. Ella puckered her lips as she looked from mother to daughter. They both listened to the sound of Cletus coming through the house. “Your husband’s here.” Ella shifted her gaze to the door.
Knuckles rounded on the door in sharp, distinct raps.
The knock that had said hurry the first time Lana heard it said hurry again. Hurry and marry me. Hurry and fix my supper. Hurry and let me see my son.
“Magdalena and I are ready.” Lana nodded to Ella. She winced as she straightened in the bed and snuggled Magdalena even closer to her breast. “He’ll love the daughter I’ve given him. You can let him in.”
Chapter 7
Lana 1932
Three years. Three years of being Cletus’ wife. Three years of being mother to his children, first to Magdalena, now to Betsy, and soon to another which was well on its way. Two girls in three years. Two reasons Cletus was disappointed in her, two reasons that proved Lana wasn’t being the wife she was supposed to be. Lana squeezed her daughters onto her lap as Ella’s husband, Carl, closed his truck’s door for her.
“Want me to take one?” Ella twisted Lana’s way from the center of the truck’s seat, extending her forearms to take one of the girls.
“Here, take Betsy.” Lana wrapped an arm around Magdalena and let Betsy be drawn from her small lap onto Ella’s much fuller one. Carl climbed into the driver’s side, slamming the door behind him. The farm truck roared and smelled of fumes as he pushed the starter and revved the engine. Both girls jumped, Betsy fading into Ella’s soft skin and Magdalena giggling with delight. Lana smiled. Magdalena always managed a laugh, even though she had little to laugh about in her small world. Betsy was the opposite. She mirrored the quietness of their home, the disappointment there were no boys, doing her best to stay invisible even at her tiny age, mostly vanishing into the woodwork.
Magdalena squirmed while Betsy burrowed into Ella’s arms, her eyelids already half closed as Carl pulled onto the dirt road.
“You want to trade girls?” Ella whispered, even though she could have shouted since the truck’s engine would have muffled her yell.
Lana tried to manage Magdalena’s wiggles around her protruding belly, rolling the truck’s window up against the dust that was swirling in. A trade would be wonderful, but Ella would be better off with Betsy. “Magdalena might take over the driving if she gets close to Carl.” Lana laughed.
The scenery hadn’t changed much since three years ago when she’d traveled this road the opposite way, going from Grandma’s to Cletus’. She had come his way shattered, a child with a heart that was broken from missing her father. She was going to Grandma’s a woman, a wife with her heart in her throat, terrified this unborn baby was going to be a girl, another girl. Cletus probably worried about the same. She saw it in the way he looked at her, the way he looked at his daughters every day.
Lana needed answers, going this way from Cletus’ to Grandma’s. Grandma’d sent her his way with the orders to work hard and let him do whatever he wanted. Cletus had sent her Grandma’s way with the reminder he’d be home at 6:30 and expected his supper then. She promised she’d be back in time. She’d touched his arm, felt the bristly hair she’d longed to feel three years ago. He’d pulled away, nodded goodbye, then glanced at the girls. Grandma would surely have the answers. Grandma would know what to do.
Lana showed Carl where to turn after an hour and a half of dusty roads, jarring ruts, two- and three-word conversations, and soft snores from Ella between them. The truck rumbled down the narrow dirt road, and Lana’s heart beat harder as the terrain changed from familiar to home, grasses that were common everywhere suddenly waving at her as if they recognized her and welcomed her
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