Read Online Gabriel's Bride by Amy Lillard - Free Book Online Page B

least. “There.” She pointed out the way as the young driver nodded. He tucked the clipboard under one arm and went to the back of the trailer to unload the first of her sweeties.
    Half an hour later, the goats were settled, and the big truck rambled back down the drive.
    The only problem with the new goat pen was the fact that there was no water trough inside. Surely Gabriel Fisher had something she could use to make sure her goats had fresh water to drink. With a glance back at her herd, happily munching on the sweet green grass of their new home, Rachel headed toward the barn hoping to find a makeshift trough.

    “Is it time for lunch yet?”
    Gabriel looked down into Samuel’s questioning smile.
    He’d kept the child away from the house for far too long, but he had so much that needed to be done. It had been such a burden off him to know that Rachel Yoder was working in his stead, cleaning the kitchen and making them a healthy, filling lunch. Catching up the laundry, sweeping the floors, and in general making his life easier.
    He checked the sun and nodded. “ Jah . Let’s head back.”
    Samuel took up the reins and clicked the horses into motion. He had so many limitations, but driving the wagon back to the house was a chore he had been doing for the last few months. Gabriel was happy to give him something that he could accomplish. The child had realized this year that he was different from the other children, though Gabriel was certain he didn’t know to what extent. But with the new teacher not being able to help him or willing to have him in her classroom this year, Samuel had determined that he was not like the other children his age.
    Still, Gabriel held hope for his youngest. Hope that soon he would catch up to his peers and be able to attend school like his brothers.
    “Look, Dat . Goats!”
    At his squeal, Gabriel scanned the yard until he found the spot where Samuel pointed.
    Sure enough there were goats. In his experimental patch of hybrid red and gold wheat! The beasts were munching on the tender stalks pulling them up by the roots and chewing them to bits like there was no tomorrow. Even worse, someone had dragged a number 10 washtub into the fenced-in area crushing even more of the wheat sprouts.
    He snatched the reins from Samuel, not even taking the time to apologize as he spurned the horses into a faster trot. He had to get to the house and as fast as possible before they ate every last bit of his experiment.
    But by the time he hollered, “Whoa,” he feared he was too late.
    With a small grunt he swung down from the wagon and raced toward the goats. “Hiyah,” he said, waving his hat at them to shoo them from the tender wheat. They stared balefully at him. Not even one of them stopped chewing long enough to pay him much attention.
    He slapped them on the rumps with his hat, but a lot of good it did. They just moved further away from him and resumed their eating on the other side of his wheat patch.
    “Rachel!” he bellowed, starting for the house.
    The urgency in his tone must have done the trick for she slammed through the screen door, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she came to a halt. “Was iss letz?”
    “Your goats are eating my wheat! That’s what’s wrong.”
    A confused frown puckered her brow as she looked from him to the eating machines. “Wheat?”
    He slammed his hands on his hips. “Do something with them!”
    Her eyes widened, and she turned on her heel and ran back into the house.
    He stared after her in disbelief. “Rachel Yoder!”
    But she was gone.
    Gabriel dashed past Samuel who stood as if in a trance looking from the porch where Rachel had been standing to him, then to the goats and back to the house again. He had a length of rope in the basket near the front door. He could loop them together and get them out of the test area. Or he could tie the rope into a noose and hang the blasted creatures from the roof of the barn.
    He snatched up the rope and said a