Read Online Be Still My Soul: The Cadence of Grace, Book 1 by Joanne Bischof - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joanne Bischof
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tongue. “Good night,” she said softly.
John and Charlie headed for their bedroom. The room Lonnie had changed in. The room where all her belongings lay. Gideon reached out his foot. Charlie tripped and stumbled forward, catching himself before he fell. He spun around and stepped forward, eyes narrow. “What’s the idea, Gid?”
Gideon crossed his arms over his chest. “Where do you think you’re goin’?” His voice was low.
“Well, to bed!” Charlie hollered, his face inches from his older brother’s.
“I know that. But you ain’t sleepin’ in there.” He tossed his thumb in Lonnie’s direction. His unspoken words made her stomach churn.
Her cheeks grew hotter than the coals in the fire. She lowered her eyes and suddenly found great interest in Charlie’s worn-out boots.
Charlie put hands to hips. “You trying to tell us that we’re gettin’ kicked out of our own room?”
Gideon nodded slowly.
“Well, where we supposed to sleep?” John pitched in.
“On the floor. By the fire, where it’s warm.” Gideon rose and, without another word to Lonnie, disappeared into the bedroom.
She didn’t move. Perhaps he intended for her to sleep somewhere else? A tiny warmth of hope grew in her, but before it could bloom, he stepped into the doorway.
“Come on, Lonnie, you can sleep in here.” He held the door open, and as the room swallowed her up, she heard Charlie mutter under his breath.
“Guess I need to get me a wife.”
“Who’d have you?” John countered.
Gideon shut the door, muting their scuffle.
Lonnie looked around the room, lit only by the candle Gideon held in his hand. Her gaze traveled across the furnishings. She tugged a comb and brush from her sack and set them neatly on the dresser to occupy herself. With that done, she turned around. The room was so small, it seemed impossible not to absorb in one blink. A bed with a swayed mattress huddled in the corner. Blankets lay scattered about. Shirts and pants hung over the bedframe in disarray, and Lonnie couldn’t begin to guess which boy they belonged to. She glanced around the rest of the room, and it wasn’t until her chest burned that she realized she was holding her breath.
As if he sensed her discomfort, Gideon pulled the clothes from theframe and tossed them in a heap on the floor. He tugged the blankets, barely straightening them. “We left in a hurry.” Gideon fell silent as he moved two pillows to the head of the bed. “Hadn’t thought this far ahead.” Their gazes locked, and Gideon smeared his palms on his pants.
After the way he’d acted three nights before, Lonnie found that hard to believe.
He sat on the bed with a grunt and yanked off his shoes. Each boot thudded to the floor, and Lonnie thought of listening ears in the rest of the house. She cringed. Gideon tugged at his neatly tucked shirt, loosening it from his pants. With quick fingers, he started on the buttons. Lonnie stared at the floor and pressed her hands to her cheeks.
His fingers stilled. “You all right?”
If she spoke she would cry, so Lonnie just nodded.
“I’m gonna get a drink of water.” The bedframe creaked when he stood.
Lonnie stepped aside, letting him pass. When he was gone, she undressed down to her shimmy and slid into her nightgown before climbing onto the straw tick mattress. She drew the covers up to her chin and scooted toward the wall until the rough logs jabbed at her back.
His eye is on the sparrow
.
Lonnie prayed God could not see her now, not like this. Even so, she needed His strength.
When Gideon returned a few moments later, he shut the door silently. His every movement was slow and drawn out. Tortured, Lonnie closed her eyes. Finally, she heard him blow out the candle. When the weight of his body sank the straw tick, she grabbed at the homemade mattress to keep from rolling into him. He stilled, and she pulled her arms into her chest so as not to touch him.
She scarcely heard him swallow over the thundering
John and Charlie headed for their bedroom. The room Lonnie had changed in. The room where all her belongings lay. Gideon reached out his foot. Charlie tripped and stumbled forward, catching himself before he fell. He spun around and stepped forward, eyes narrow. “What’s the idea, Gid?”
Gideon crossed his arms over his chest. “Where do you think you’re goin’?” His voice was low.
“Well, to bed!” Charlie hollered, his face inches from his older brother’s.
“I know that. But you ain’t sleepin’ in there.” He tossed his thumb in Lonnie’s direction. His unspoken words made her stomach churn.
Her cheeks grew hotter than the coals in the fire. She lowered her eyes and suddenly found great interest in Charlie’s worn-out boots.
Charlie put hands to hips. “You trying to tell us that we’re gettin’ kicked out of our own room?”
Gideon nodded slowly.
“Well, where we supposed to sleep?” John pitched in.
“On the floor. By the fire, where it’s warm.” Gideon rose and, without another word to Lonnie, disappeared into the bedroom.
She didn’t move. Perhaps he intended for her to sleep somewhere else? A tiny warmth of hope grew in her, but before it could bloom, he stepped into the doorway.
“Come on, Lonnie, you can sleep in here.” He held the door open, and as the room swallowed her up, she heard Charlie mutter under his breath.
“Guess I need to get me a wife.”
“Who’d have you?” John countered.
Gideon shut the door, muting their scuffle.
Lonnie looked around the room, lit only by the candle Gideon held in his hand. Her gaze traveled across the furnishings. She tugged a comb and brush from her sack and set them neatly on the dresser to occupy herself. With that done, she turned around. The room was so small, it seemed impossible not to absorb in one blink. A bed with a swayed mattress huddled in the corner. Blankets lay scattered about. Shirts and pants hung over the bedframe in disarray, and Lonnie couldn’t begin to guess which boy they belonged to. She glanced around the rest of the room, and it wasn’t until her chest burned that she realized she was holding her breath.
As if he sensed her discomfort, Gideon pulled the clothes from theframe and tossed them in a heap on the floor. He tugged the blankets, barely straightening them. “We left in a hurry.” Gideon fell silent as he moved two pillows to the head of the bed. “Hadn’t thought this far ahead.” Their gazes locked, and Gideon smeared his palms on his pants.
After the way he’d acted three nights before, Lonnie found that hard to believe.
He sat on the bed with a grunt and yanked off his shoes. Each boot thudded to the floor, and Lonnie thought of listening ears in the rest of the house. She cringed. Gideon tugged at his neatly tucked shirt, loosening it from his pants. With quick fingers, he started on the buttons. Lonnie stared at the floor and pressed her hands to her cheeks.
His fingers stilled. “You all right?”
If she spoke she would cry, so Lonnie just nodded.
“I’m gonna get a drink of water.” The bedframe creaked when he stood.
Lonnie stepped aside, letting him pass. When he was gone, she undressed down to her shimmy and slid into her nightgown before climbing onto the straw tick mattress. She drew the covers up to her chin and scooted toward the wall until the rough logs jabbed at her back.
His eye is on the sparrow
.
Lonnie prayed God could not see her now, not like this. Even so, she needed His strength.
When Gideon returned a few moments later, he shut the door silently. His every movement was slow and drawn out. Tortured, Lonnie closed her eyes. Finally, she heard him blow out the candle. When the weight of his body sank the straw tick, she grabbed at the homemade mattress to keep from rolling into him. He stilled, and she pulled her arms into her chest so as not to touch him.
She scarcely heard him swallow over the thundering
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