Read Online Lawman in Disguise by Laurie Kingery - Free Book Online Page B

from the truth.
    â€œHe—he didn’t make me cry,” Daisy said, her heart pounding at the fury she saw in her son’s eyes. While she was grateful that her son was protective of her, the last thing she wanted was for him to get in the habit of responding to every problem with anger, the way his father had. She spoke quickly and tried to keep her voice steady. “We were just... I was telling him about your father...”
    â€œOh.” Billy Joe’s shoulders sagged and the hot suspicion in his eyes cooled and was replaced by shame—the shame of a child who had never managed to please a demanding, always-angry parent. Daisy saw her son shoot a glance full of apology at Thorn.
    She felt a rush of pity that a boy should have to understand that his father hadn’t been worthy of the role, and that his death had been a mercy to Billy Joe and herself, rather than a tragedy.
    I’m sorry, son, I should have chosen better.
    â€œI wish you didn’t have to go back to the restaurant this evening, Ma.” Billy Joe’s face was wistful now. “She works too hard, since Pa ain’t here no more,” he said, as if Thorn needed that explanation.
    She saw the man nod with understanding. “I’m sorry, too, son,” she murmured. “But if I don’t work evenings, Mr. Prendergast will never let me off for church on Sunday mornings. As it is I’m only off duty at the restaurant every other Sunday morning,” she added to Thorn. “Tilly, the waitress, gets to be the cook then, and Mr. Prendergast’s sister takes over as waitress.”
    â€œI dunno why we have go to church, anyway,” Billy Joe groused. “Gettin’ dressed up just to have to sit still for an hour...”
    Daisy tamped down a rush of irritation. Though he had seemed, while they were courting, to be a faithful Christian, once they were married Billy Joe’s father had always complained about going to church, too, and in his last few years alive, he’d refused to go at all. “‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding,’—that’s what the Scriptures say. We go because we’re God-fearing people, not heathens,” Daisy said stiffly. “It’s my responsibility to see you get raised properly, which means attending worship service on Sundays. And remember, you agreed not to complain about it if I let Mr. Dawson recover here,” she said, with a meaningful glance at Thorn. “Besides,” she added, forcing a smile, “don’t you remember Reverend Gil saying he always likes hearing you singing the hymns? Maybe you’ll sing in the choir when you get older.”
    Billy Joe snorted as if to demonstrate the likelihood of that.
    Daisy cast a guilty look at the light coming into the barn and jumped to her feet.
    â€œLand sakes, how long have we been chattering?” She’d have to go in and check the clock—one of the few household items she’d managed to avoid selling. “I have to get back to the restaurant! I’d planned to get the potatoes peeled so Billy Joe could start cooking them for dinner, to go with the ham that’s left.”
    â€œI apologize for keeping you from your chores, ma’am,” Thorn said politely, rising in turn, with much less ease. “I reckon Billy Joe can peel some potatoes, can’t you?” he said, looking to Billy Joe for confirmation.
    â€œâ€™Course I can,” the boy muttered.
    â€œAll right then, thanks. I’d better scurry,” Daisy said. She wasn’t entirely sorry that she had to leave, though, to be honest with herself. The truth was, she’d enjoyed time spent speaking with another adult, an adult male at that, in a way that went beyond the brief hellos that were all she could manage when her friends came to eat at the hotel. She couldn’t remember when the time had flown so fast. But she