Read Online Quinn's Christmas Wish by Lawna Mackie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lawna Mackie
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well.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom.”
“Quinn, come sit by me please.”
Amanda sat and took her son’s hands. “Quinn, I love you more than anything in this whole world. I want you to know that I will never forget your father.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I loved him so very much. I didn’t think I would ever care for another man, and I would never want another man to replace your father, because he could never be replaced in my heart, or yours,” she said, touching Quinn’s chest. “But I am fond of Samuel, and he is a good man.”
“Mom,” Quinn interrupted. “I like Samuel, too. I asked him to consider marrying you.”
Her mouth fell open and she closed it again wondering what to say. “So I heard. Today is a day of surprises, isn’t it?”
She stood and wrapped Quinn in a blanket. “I think you should go lay down and rest while I get some things ready to go.”
No arguments came from him. He wandered to his room and crawled under the coverlets. After a few moments, Amanda checked to find him fast asleep.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Nine
Jazira ran and ran. She ran until she didn’t know what direction she headed. Her mind often drifted back to thoughts of Quinn. She hoped he would be okay. They followed her…the men who wanted her dead. She stopped by the creek and lapped some water, then turned her attention to the wound on her shoulder. One of the shooters hit her, and worse yet, she couldn’t reach it with her tongue.
She whined and her stomach growled with hunger. Keen hearing told her she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. They continued to follow, and if she didn’t stay ahead of them, her death would be imminent. Truthfully, she wondered if it was worth it. Living, that was. What did she have to live for? Another night in the dark and away from Quinn, not knowing if he lived. Jazira hung her head and limped off through the trees.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Ten
In the dark, Samuel held Quinn in his arms while Roman carefully made his way down the trail with a packhorse in tow. Amanda rode a mare also attached to another packhorse which was graciously supplied by Mr. Murphy.
They stopped often and Samuel stretched his arms and adjusted Quinn’s weight. He figured traveling at night would be best. Nobody would expect them to depart in the middle of the night in the depths of winter.
The full moon supplied light at times when the trees became sparse. At one point, he stopped and noticed the large paw print. It had to belong to the wolf. The tracks followed the trail, until he noticed a splotch of red in the snow.
“Damn it!” He cursed.
Quinn stirred and opened his eyes.
“What? Did you find Jazira?” he asked, hopeful.
Samuel shifted the boy’s weight. “Quinn, can you sit up by yourself for a moment?”
Quinn grabbed onto the saddle’s horn and held on. “Yes, sir.”
“Good man.”
He swung off the saddle and crouched, looking down at the tracks. He could see the packed snow where she had bedded down under a tree. They must have taken a shot at her while she slept. Samuel cursed again.
“What’s wrong?” Amanda asked from behind them.
Samuel also knew Quinn, being as quick as he was, would figure out what he looked at.
“I can sit up and ride for a while now,” Quinn said quietly as Samuel mounted Roman.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Quinn replied.
They continued down the trail in silence. When Quinn said sadly, “Will she live?”
Samuel sighed. “I think she’s a fighter. Her tracks disappeared into the forest so I can’t tell how much blood she may have lost.”
Owls hooted and trees creaked. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Any time, Quinn. I’ll always be honest with you, if you can be truthful with me.”
Quinn nodded. “I hope she lives.”
Hours went by and they began to climb upward. Soon he’d be at his cabin. The climb was not an easy one and the horses slipped often. It was a trail seldom used by anyone
“I’ll be fine, Mom.”
“Quinn, come sit by me please.”
Amanda sat and took her son’s hands. “Quinn, I love you more than anything in this whole world. I want you to know that I will never forget your father.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I loved him so very much. I didn’t think I would ever care for another man, and I would never want another man to replace your father, because he could never be replaced in my heart, or yours,” she said, touching Quinn’s chest. “But I am fond of Samuel, and he is a good man.”
“Mom,” Quinn interrupted. “I like Samuel, too. I asked him to consider marrying you.”
Her mouth fell open and she closed it again wondering what to say. “So I heard. Today is a day of surprises, isn’t it?”
She stood and wrapped Quinn in a blanket. “I think you should go lay down and rest while I get some things ready to go.”
No arguments came from him. He wandered to his room and crawled under the coverlets. After a few moments, Amanda checked to find him fast asleep.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Nine
Jazira ran and ran. She ran until she didn’t know what direction she headed. Her mind often drifted back to thoughts of Quinn. She hoped he would be okay. They followed her…the men who wanted her dead. She stopped by the creek and lapped some water, then turned her attention to the wound on her shoulder. One of the shooters hit her, and worse yet, she couldn’t reach it with her tongue.
She whined and her stomach growled with hunger. Keen hearing told her she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. They continued to follow, and if she didn’t stay ahead of them, her death would be imminent. Truthfully, she wondered if it was worth it. Living, that was. What did she have to live for? Another night in the dark and away from Quinn, not knowing if he lived. Jazira hung her head and limped off through the trees.
∗ ∗ ∗
Chapter Ten
In the dark, Samuel held Quinn in his arms while Roman carefully made his way down the trail with a packhorse in tow. Amanda rode a mare also attached to another packhorse which was graciously supplied by Mr. Murphy.
They stopped often and Samuel stretched his arms and adjusted Quinn’s weight. He figured traveling at night would be best. Nobody would expect them to depart in the middle of the night in the depths of winter.
The full moon supplied light at times when the trees became sparse. At one point, he stopped and noticed the large paw print. It had to belong to the wolf. The tracks followed the trail, until he noticed a splotch of red in the snow.
“Damn it!” He cursed.
Quinn stirred and opened his eyes.
“What? Did you find Jazira?” he asked, hopeful.
Samuel shifted the boy’s weight. “Quinn, can you sit up by yourself for a moment?”
Quinn grabbed onto the saddle’s horn and held on. “Yes, sir.”
“Good man.”
He swung off the saddle and crouched, looking down at the tracks. He could see the packed snow where she had bedded down under a tree. They must have taken a shot at her while she slept. Samuel cursed again.
“What’s wrong?” Amanda asked from behind them.
Samuel also knew Quinn, being as quick as he was, would figure out what he looked at.
“I can sit up and ride for a while now,” Quinn said quietly as Samuel mounted Roman.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Quinn replied.
They continued down the trail in silence. When Quinn said sadly, “Will she live?”
Samuel sighed. “I think she’s a fighter. Her tracks disappeared into the forest so I can’t tell how much blood she may have lost.”
Owls hooted and trees creaked. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Any time, Quinn. I’ll always be honest with you, if you can be truthful with me.”
Quinn nodded. “I hope she lives.”
Hours went by and they began to climb upward. Soon he’d be at his cabin. The climb was not an easy one and the horses slipped often. It was a trail seldom used by anyone
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