Read Online My Hope Is Found: The Cadence of Grace, Book 3 by Joanne Bischof - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joanne Bischof
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Jacob—yet still so far.
“So thirty days. Then it’s back to town?” Tal asked.
“That’s the plan.”
Tal dipped his head in a soft nod.
Bouncing his heel, Gideon looked off into the distance. A month before he could know if he would ever be free to love Lonnie.
“Well, I’ll see to it that you have plenty to keep you busy. Keep your mind off things.” Tal gently flicked the reins.
“I’d say that sounds good. So where are you at in it all? Trees are dormant right now. What’ll I be doing?”
“Well …” Tal cast him a sideways glance. “I’ve been working on a new variety that requires grafting. I had some success with it about five years ago. Produced a lovely apple. Back then I grafted just three trees. But now I’m working on increasing that, and I have what I need on hand to do a great deal more.”
“I don’t know anything about grafting trees. Do you think maybe it’d be better for me to work with something I couldn’t ruin?”
“Maybe you’ll be better at it than you think.”
Gideon doubted it. But he appreciated Tal’s faith in him.
“I’ll show you. Owen too. You’ll catch on quick, and the idea is to do it carefully and at just the right time. The young trees will need a bit of care. So you can help me tend to them during the cold weather until you leave.”
Sticking up his bottom lip, Gideon nodded. “Sounds like a nice way to earn a living. I confess”—he rubbed his palms together—“I’m looking forward to getting back out in the orchard. I enjoyed that work.”
“It suited you. It suited you real nice. And it’s not that way with everybody.” Tal smiled. “I think apple farming may flow in your veins.”
Gideon chuckled. “Just maybe.”
Eight
Lonnie folded her hands and tucked them beneath the heavy plaid blanket Toby had brought for her. With her hair pinned up in a crown of braids, she was glad she’d brought her ivory scarf to wrap around her bare neck this cold Sunday morning. Elsie had offered her a pair of earrings with the sweetest painted glass beads Lonnie had ever seen, but without pierced ears, she had settled instead for a comb with a delicate engraving to tuck into the plaits of her brown hair.
“This outing is such a treat, Toby. Thank you for going to all this trouble.”
Leaning against the wagon seat, Toby flicked the reins with a dramatic air. “If you only knew how much this inconveniences me, you’d feel verra sorry indeed.”
She elbowed him, and his eyes sparkled. Sliding her hand through the crook of his arm, she savored his warmth and his company. With Jacob content in her lap, she settled in for the five-mile ride to the church.
“Addie would have liked this. I’m just sorry that they all couldn’t come.”
“A bit of a cold, you said?”
“Yes. Addie wasn’t feeling well, and Jebediah’s snug in bed, though he fought it something fierce. And Elsie’s so sweet to stay home and tend tothem. Someday I hope to have s—” She fell silent and her cheeks warmed. Toby gave her arm the tiniest of squeezes.
Lonnie chattered away most of the ride, delighted by the new sights and sounds of the community as Toby pointed out houses and talked about the families they belonged to.
“I’m curious now … Of all the places you could have chosen to live. Why here?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
Half smiling, Lonnie elbowed him gently. “There’s gotta be an answer.”
“Not a very good one.” His eyes were suddenly distant. “My folks had dreamed of this wilderness. We left Scotland when I was thirteen.”
“And how … how long ago was that?”
He circled two fingers around a thick wrist, the reins resting easy in his grip. “Are you wonderin’ how old I am, lass?”
She nodded sheepishly.
“Twenty-eight.” He turned his eyes to the road as if not wanting to see what she thought of that. “We made it as far as New York, then lost my mother shortly after. To my father, the dream died with her.
“So thirty days. Then it’s back to town?” Tal asked.
“That’s the plan.”
Tal dipped his head in a soft nod.
Bouncing his heel, Gideon looked off into the distance. A month before he could know if he would ever be free to love Lonnie.
“Well, I’ll see to it that you have plenty to keep you busy. Keep your mind off things.” Tal gently flicked the reins.
“I’d say that sounds good. So where are you at in it all? Trees are dormant right now. What’ll I be doing?”
“Well …” Tal cast him a sideways glance. “I’ve been working on a new variety that requires grafting. I had some success with it about five years ago. Produced a lovely apple. Back then I grafted just three trees. But now I’m working on increasing that, and I have what I need on hand to do a great deal more.”
“I don’t know anything about grafting trees. Do you think maybe it’d be better for me to work with something I couldn’t ruin?”
“Maybe you’ll be better at it than you think.”
Gideon doubted it. But he appreciated Tal’s faith in him.
“I’ll show you. Owen too. You’ll catch on quick, and the idea is to do it carefully and at just the right time. The young trees will need a bit of care. So you can help me tend to them during the cold weather until you leave.”
Sticking up his bottom lip, Gideon nodded. “Sounds like a nice way to earn a living. I confess”—he rubbed his palms together—“I’m looking forward to getting back out in the orchard. I enjoyed that work.”
“It suited you. It suited you real nice. And it’s not that way with everybody.” Tal smiled. “I think apple farming may flow in your veins.”
Gideon chuckled. “Just maybe.”
Eight
Lonnie folded her hands and tucked them beneath the heavy plaid blanket Toby had brought for her. With her hair pinned up in a crown of braids, she was glad she’d brought her ivory scarf to wrap around her bare neck this cold Sunday morning. Elsie had offered her a pair of earrings with the sweetest painted glass beads Lonnie had ever seen, but without pierced ears, she had settled instead for a comb with a delicate engraving to tuck into the plaits of her brown hair.
“This outing is such a treat, Toby. Thank you for going to all this trouble.”
Leaning against the wagon seat, Toby flicked the reins with a dramatic air. “If you only knew how much this inconveniences me, you’d feel verra sorry indeed.”
She elbowed him, and his eyes sparkled. Sliding her hand through the crook of his arm, she savored his warmth and his company. With Jacob content in her lap, she settled in for the five-mile ride to the church.
“Addie would have liked this. I’m just sorry that they all couldn’t come.”
“A bit of a cold, you said?”
“Yes. Addie wasn’t feeling well, and Jebediah’s snug in bed, though he fought it something fierce. And Elsie’s so sweet to stay home and tend tothem. Someday I hope to have s—” She fell silent and her cheeks warmed. Toby gave her arm the tiniest of squeezes.
Lonnie chattered away most of the ride, delighted by the new sights and sounds of the community as Toby pointed out houses and talked about the families they belonged to.
“I’m curious now … Of all the places you could have chosen to live. Why here?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
Half smiling, Lonnie elbowed him gently. “There’s gotta be an answer.”
“Not a very good one.” His eyes were suddenly distant. “My folks had dreamed of this wilderness. We left Scotland when I was thirteen.”
“And how … how long ago was that?”
He circled two fingers around a thick wrist, the reins resting easy in his grip. “Are you wonderin’ how old I am, lass?”
She nodded sheepishly.
“Twenty-eight.” He turned his eyes to the road as if not wanting to see what she thought of that. “We made it as far as New York, then lost my mother shortly after. To my father, the dream died with her.
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