Read Online Be Still My Soul: The Cadence of Grace, Book 1 by Joanne Bischof - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joanne Bischof
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of her heart. His pillow rustled when he turned to look at her. Then without a word, he rolled toward the wall. His shoulders rose and fell slowly. Lonnie stared at the ceiling as relief washed through her.
Eight
I don’t like her.” Ruth’s voice grated.
Gideon finished the last of his eggs. “Sorry to hear that.” He’d woken to an empty bed and was in no mood for his ma’s choice of topic.
“You gonna stand there and act like you don’t care?”
“I don’t see what can be done about it.” He sipped his cold coffee. “ ’Cept to say that we’ll be outa here soon anyway.”
“Think that’ll solve your problems?”
“Some of them.” He pushed his empty plate away and threw back the last of his coffee. “I have work to do.”
His ma poured boiling water from the kettle into the washbasin. “Is that what you call it? Just whittlin’, if you ask me.” Her eyes moved to a half-finished walking stick that should soon boast an intricate top. “It’s not like you ever get paid with money.”
When his irritation heightened, Gideon tapped his thumb on the table. “You didn’t complain about the pair of rabbits I brought home last week.”
Her face softened, but not by much. She shook her head. “Gideon.” She moved the porridge pot from the table. It had long since been picked clean by hungry mouths. “You know I hate to see you go.”
“Then that makes one of us.” He looked his ma in the eye, not caring if his words would hurt. She was as tough as they came; she’d be over it before the dishes were done.
She waved a hand at his words. “It’s not you, Gid.” She lowered her voice, the wrinkles around her mouth deepening. “It’s that girl.”
Gideon ignored her comment as he reached for his coat.
“All I’m sayin’ is that you could have done better—”
The slamming door drowned out the rest of her words as Gideon strode from the house.
“Little late for that.” But his conscience told him otherwise.
If there was one thing he’d learned about Lonnie, it was that she was as brave a creature as he’d ever met. It didn’t take him long with the candle snuffed out to realize that. Gideon chewed the inside of his cheek. What did she think he was going to do to her? He might have been a fool once, but he wasn’t cruel.
Thinking of the half-finished rocker, he headed toward his wood-shop. He spent the better part of an hour oiling the new wood before he spotted Charlie hauling water from the well. His younger brother’s wiry arms were taut from the load. Knowing the oil would need to soak in, Gideon walked that way.
“Up for an outing?” he asked, taking the bucket.
Charlie fell in step beside him as they strode toward the house. “What do you have in mind?”
Gideon suggested they stroll down to their secret spot in the meadow. Charlie grinned. Gideon deposited the water by the door where his ma would find it.
“Where’s Lonnie?” Charlie asked.
“Mae invited her berry pickin’.”
“Oh. So when do I get my room back?”
A handful of years younger than Gideon, Charlie cared little of the ways of women. Gideon didn’t blame him.
“Probably sooner than you think.” With hardly any money to his name, Gideon’s best bet was building a shanty on his pa’s land. But his ma had made it clear how she felt having Lonnie around. Something inside Gideon told him a little distance would be better. With Joel no longer breathing down his neck, Gideon knew he had nothing to fear from Lonnie’s pa. Still, the notion to distance himself from it all was growing more appealing by the hour.
“Should we see if Hollis is around?” Charlie asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Gideon pulled his hand from his pocket, and when they neared their friend’s cabin, he picked up a small stone and tossed it at the loft window. A few moments passed and then a ruddy face appeared behind the glass. Charlie waved the young man down. They kept to the path without slowing. A bend
Eight
I don’t like her.” Ruth’s voice grated.
Gideon finished the last of his eggs. “Sorry to hear that.” He’d woken to an empty bed and was in no mood for his ma’s choice of topic.
“You gonna stand there and act like you don’t care?”
“I don’t see what can be done about it.” He sipped his cold coffee. “ ’Cept to say that we’ll be outa here soon anyway.”
“Think that’ll solve your problems?”
“Some of them.” He pushed his empty plate away and threw back the last of his coffee. “I have work to do.”
His ma poured boiling water from the kettle into the washbasin. “Is that what you call it? Just whittlin’, if you ask me.” Her eyes moved to a half-finished walking stick that should soon boast an intricate top. “It’s not like you ever get paid with money.”
When his irritation heightened, Gideon tapped his thumb on the table. “You didn’t complain about the pair of rabbits I brought home last week.”
Her face softened, but not by much. She shook her head. “Gideon.” She moved the porridge pot from the table. It had long since been picked clean by hungry mouths. “You know I hate to see you go.”
“Then that makes one of us.” He looked his ma in the eye, not caring if his words would hurt. She was as tough as they came; she’d be over it before the dishes were done.
She waved a hand at his words. “It’s not you, Gid.” She lowered her voice, the wrinkles around her mouth deepening. “It’s that girl.”
Gideon ignored her comment as he reached for his coat.
“All I’m sayin’ is that you could have done better—”
The slamming door drowned out the rest of her words as Gideon strode from the house.
“Little late for that.” But his conscience told him otherwise.
If there was one thing he’d learned about Lonnie, it was that she was as brave a creature as he’d ever met. It didn’t take him long with the candle snuffed out to realize that. Gideon chewed the inside of his cheek. What did she think he was going to do to her? He might have been a fool once, but he wasn’t cruel.
Thinking of the half-finished rocker, he headed toward his wood-shop. He spent the better part of an hour oiling the new wood before he spotted Charlie hauling water from the well. His younger brother’s wiry arms were taut from the load. Knowing the oil would need to soak in, Gideon walked that way.
“Up for an outing?” he asked, taking the bucket.
Charlie fell in step beside him as they strode toward the house. “What do you have in mind?”
Gideon suggested they stroll down to their secret spot in the meadow. Charlie grinned. Gideon deposited the water by the door where his ma would find it.
“Where’s Lonnie?” Charlie asked.
“Mae invited her berry pickin’.”
“Oh. So when do I get my room back?”
A handful of years younger than Gideon, Charlie cared little of the ways of women. Gideon didn’t blame him.
“Probably sooner than you think.” With hardly any money to his name, Gideon’s best bet was building a shanty on his pa’s land. But his ma had made it clear how she felt having Lonnie around. Something inside Gideon told him a little distance would be better. With Joel no longer breathing down his neck, Gideon knew he had nothing to fear from Lonnie’s pa. Still, the notion to distance himself from it all was growing more appealing by the hour.
“Should we see if Hollis is around?” Charlie asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Gideon pulled his hand from his pocket, and when they neared their friend’s cabin, he picked up a small stone and tossed it at the loft window. A few moments passed and then a ruddy face appeared behind the glass. Charlie waved the young man down. They kept to the path without slowing. A bend
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