Read Online Love Lasts Forever by Dominiqua Douglas - Free Book Online

refused to answer. “I don’t know why I’m here, and until I do, I have to be careful.” He pulled his fingers free and raised her hand to his mouth. His lips brushed against her knuckles, and then he lowered her hand to her lap. “Goodnight, Willow.”
    “Goodnight, Thor,” she whispered to his retreating back.
    * * *
    The rhythmic pounding of the hammer rattled the windows. Willow jumped at each heavy thud. A sleepless night set her nerves on edge, and the constant noise only added to her irritation. She removed her spectacles to rub her tired eyes.
    Ignorant of Willow’s plight, Eva greeted the morning with happiness and looked out the window with the curiosity of a child. Holding the curtain aside with one hand, she beckoned to Willow with the other. “Come look. Do you suppose Thor has any idea what he’s doing?”
    Willow pushed her eyeglasses back on and joined Eva at the window. “I suppose he does,” she mumbled, hungrily drinking in the sight of him.
    Thor’s sandy brown hair curled and clung against his forehead. The muscles in his arm bunched and relaxed with his movements. His hand was steady and sure with each strike of the hammer onto the nail. His concentration focused intently on his task, and she remembered how he had focused on her the night before.
    For a moment, she envied his project for having his complete attention. Instant shame washed over. Imagine being jealous over wood, a hammer and nails! Abruptly, she turned from the window and began cleaning up the breakfast dishes.
    “You’re in a mood this morning.” Eva closed the curtain to look at Willow. She pressed her hand against the small of her back and wobbled to the table. “I imagine you’re tired of having to clean up after me. I can finish. I never expected you to do so much.”
    “No, Miss Eva. I’m not upset about doing this. I don’t mind. Besides, you’ll have plenty enough to do when that baby arrives. Cooking a few meals and washing some dishes don’t really compare.”
    “I’m so happy that Anders changed his mind about moving away.” Eva took her sewing box and moved to the rocking chair near the fireplace. “I couldn’t imagine having the baby without you and Miss Olivia around to help me.”
    Willow paused in wiping off the table to smile at Eva. “We’re happy that you stayed, too. Reverend Brown was afraid that he’d have to talk some sense into Mr. Anders otherwise.”
    “No!” Eva exclaimed with a laugh. “We’re all fortunate that never took place. I declare, in some instances, Anders holds dear to every word the Reverend says, but in others, he closes his ears. He wouldn’t have taken kindly to being told what to do. He’ll listen to Reverend Brown in matters of religion and the good Lord, but Anders is much too stubborn to allow anyone to dictate our lives. It’s a good thing the good Lord blessed us with another chance.”
    Willow nodded in agreement. “The reverend says He moves in mysterious ways. It was for you to stay.”
    “I always felt it was.” Eva riffled through her sewing box until she found the piece she wanted to work on. A shift small enough for a baby, but large enough to see the child through several growth spurts. As she threaded her needle, she said, “He will move for you, too.”
    “Who will?” Willow asked. Now that she was done with cleaning the dishes, she moved toward the window again. The hammering tapered off, and she wondered what Thor was doing. If he was looking for his pocket watch again, hoping that it would take him back to his time and his world.
    “The Lord will. He’s given me a family. He will do the same for you.”
    Willow sighed and turned away from the window. “Now, Miss Eva…”
    “Don’t ‘Miss Eva’ me,” the other woman scolded. “You’re a young woman and you’re far too pretty to hide away with the Browns for the rest of your life. One of these days one of those freed men will come through these backwoods and sweep you out of