Read Online Riley's Curse, A Moon's Glow Prequel by Christina Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christina Smith
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thump, thump, Henry bounced the ball against the packed-in
dirt .
" Are you going to throw
it? Or are you just going to bounce it?" I called to him
playfully.
He grinned at me before tossing it in. "I
believe that’s five to your measly three." He replied, smirking at
me. "And it's your turn to get the ball out."
The only problem with basketball was that you
had to constantly climb a ladder to pull the ball out of the
basket. By the time I made my way back down the ladder, ball in
hand, Lucy was standing beside Henry, smiling at me. "Can I play?"
she asked, her pale blue dress was fancy. Her hair was up under a
matching bonnet. She had been to see my mother for tea and
scones.
"I'm sorry Lucy, but I don't think your
mother would appreciate you getting your pretty dress all dirty." I
leaned against the barn door, with the ball in my hand. "Besides
this is a game for boys." Henry chuckled beside her.
Lucy narrowed her eyes and stuck out her
chin. "Oh really?" I nodded my head and I couldn't help the grin
that appeared. "How about a challenge then. Since I'm just a girl,
you don't have to worry."
"What do you mean by challenge?" I asked.
She took the few steps that separated us and
yanked the ball out of my hand. "If I get more baskets than you,
you have to admit that girls can play games as well as boys." Both
Henry and I laughed at that one, but were cut short by her scowl.
"And, you have to court me."
I gaped at her, unsure if I had heard right,
but by Henry's laughter, I gathered I had. "You… want me to court
you…Why?"
With a roll of her eyes, she answered, "Do I
really have to spell it out for you?" She said. When I continued to
stare at her dumfounded by her statement, she went on. "You know
that I came out last year?" I nodded. "Well, Cecil Barnes has been
sniffing around Papa, asking about me, and I don't want to marry
him."
"But you want to marry me?"
She bounced the ball in her hand. "You've
been sweet on me since we were kids and dared me to jump off the
rafters. And I guess being tied to you wouldn't be so
terrible."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Only
Lucy would ask a man to court her this way. Actually, I hadn't
heard of any other girl doing the asking. I was so shocked by her
behavior, I could only nod.
She grinned. "Okay, stand back," she
instructed, holding the ball out, before tossing it upward. As the
ball bounced above the basket, I held my breath uncertain of the
outcome I was hoping for. It skidded along the top before sliding
in. Lucy cheered, and my heart soared. Apparently I wanted her to
win.
When my turn came, I purposely threw the ball
too far. Henry eyed me curiously, knowing what I had done. But how
could I not let her win, when her face was so flushed with
happiness.
Of course she won, and I never told her that
I threw the game. She might have won fair and square, but I didn't
want to take that chance. How often do you find a girl so strong
minded that she would make you start to court her?
That afternoon, I made my way to her father
dressed in my Sunday clothes. The first words out of his mouth
after I asked him were, "what took you so long?"
I chuckled to myself at the memory. It was
getting easier to think of her without the searing pain in my
chest.
By the time I was finished with painting the
inside of the cabin, it was mid-day and I was hungry. I ate a
sandwich and admired the walls, they looked much better.
The next few hours were busy with sanding the
wooden siding and hammering the shutters back down. Once the
outside of the cabin was prepared, I began to apply the white
paint. The sun was just beginning to set when I was putting the
finishing touches on the last shutter. I cleaned the brushes, and
stowed all of my equipment in the barn, and then retreated into the
house to eat dinner.
The day had been filled with strenuous
activity, and I wasn't even tired. Before my transformation, my
muscles would be aching from the work, but not now. Other than my
memory
dirt .
" Are you going to throw
it? Or are you just going to bounce it?" I called to him
playfully.
He grinned at me before tossing it in. "I
believe that’s five to your measly three." He replied, smirking at
me. "And it's your turn to get the ball out."
The only problem with basketball was that you
had to constantly climb a ladder to pull the ball out of the
basket. By the time I made my way back down the ladder, ball in
hand, Lucy was standing beside Henry, smiling at me. "Can I play?"
she asked, her pale blue dress was fancy. Her hair was up under a
matching bonnet. She had been to see my mother for tea and
scones.
"I'm sorry Lucy, but I don't think your
mother would appreciate you getting your pretty dress all dirty." I
leaned against the barn door, with the ball in my hand. "Besides
this is a game for boys." Henry chuckled beside her.
Lucy narrowed her eyes and stuck out her
chin. "Oh really?" I nodded my head and I couldn't help the grin
that appeared. "How about a challenge then. Since I'm just a girl,
you don't have to worry."
"What do you mean by challenge?" I asked.
She took the few steps that separated us and
yanked the ball out of my hand. "If I get more baskets than you,
you have to admit that girls can play games as well as boys." Both
Henry and I laughed at that one, but were cut short by her scowl.
"And, you have to court me."
I gaped at her, unsure if I had heard right,
but by Henry's laughter, I gathered I had. "You… want me to court
you…Why?"
With a roll of her eyes, she answered, "Do I
really have to spell it out for you?" She said. When I continued to
stare at her dumfounded by her statement, she went on. "You know
that I came out last year?" I nodded. "Well, Cecil Barnes has been
sniffing around Papa, asking about me, and I don't want to marry
him."
"But you want to marry me?"
She bounced the ball in her hand. "You've
been sweet on me since we were kids and dared me to jump off the
rafters. And I guess being tied to you wouldn't be so
terrible."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Only
Lucy would ask a man to court her this way. Actually, I hadn't
heard of any other girl doing the asking. I was so shocked by her
behavior, I could only nod.
She grinned. "Okay, stand back," she
instructed, holding the ball out, before tossing it upward. As the
ball bounced above the basket, I held my breath uncertain of the
outcome I was hoping for. It skidded along the top before sliding
in. Lucy cheered, and my heart soared. Apparently I wanted her to
win.
When my turn came, I purposely threw the ball
too far. Henry eyed me curiously, knowing what I had done. But how
could I not let her win, when her face was so flushed with
happiness.
Of course she won, and I never told her that
I threw the game. She might have won fair and square, but I didn't
want to take that chance. How often do you find a girl so strong
minded that she would make you start to court her?
That afternoon, I made my way to her father
dressed in my Sunday clothes. The first words out of his mouth
after I asked him were, "what took you so long?"
I chuckled to myself at the memory. It was
getting easier to think of her without the searing pain in my
chest.
By the time I was finished with painting the
inside of the cabin, it was mid-day and I was hungry. I ate a
sandwich and admired the walls, they looked much better.
The next few hours were busy with sanding the
wooden siding and hammering the shutters back down. Once the
outside of the cabin was prepared, I began to apply the white
paint. The sun was just beginning to set when I was putting the
finishing touches on the last shutter. I cleaned the brushes, and
stowed all of my equipment in the barn, and then retreated into the
house to eat dinner.
The day had been filled with strenuous
activity, and I wasn't even tired. Before my transformation, my
muscles would be aching from the work, but not now. Other than my
memory
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