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Authors: Wendy Lindstrom
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at Kyle. “It’s not too late to change your mind about marrying her.”
“Boyd Benjamin!” Radford’s mother covered her eyes and shook her head. “Lord, why did I have that child?”
“If you don’t want Evelyn, I’ll take her,” Radford said, not realizing how his statement sounded until it was out of his mouth. When Kyle raised his eyebrows, Radford scrambled to cover his blunder. “Ah...the way Duke is playing, I could use a new partner.”
Flustered by the sudden attention, and Kyle’s scrutinizing gaze, Evelyn took a drink from her wine glass. She wasn’t foolish enough to think Radford meant that as a compliment. Not after their earlier conversation about Rebecca. He didn’t like Evelyn reaching out to his daughter, but she couldn’t help herself. Rebecca was clinging to the safety of her father and a three-foot piece of cotton the same way Evelyn had clung to her livery. She had felt safe inside those four walls and gave her love to her horses, who wouldn’t hurt her. Now she was a misfit, uncomfortable anywhere else. Evelyn didn’t want Rebecca’s need for security to imprison her—as it had Evelyn.
“Your turn,” Kyle said, startling Evelyn.
She scrambled to keep her wine glass from tipping over and dropped her cards. They fluttered to the floor at her feet. Evelyn leaned over to retrieve them, but saw a pair of tiny, slippered feet step forward and two small hands reach down for the cards she had dropped. Rebecca gazed up at Evelyn, her brown eyes dark and nervous as though she was afraid to touch the cards.
Evelyn nodded for her to go ahead, and Rebecca’s inept fingers reached for the cards, fumbling at the edges until she managed to curl her fingers beneath them. With both fists, she gathered them to her chest, clasping the bent cards for dear life as she stood. Slowly, she moved to Evelyn’s side, then leaned forward. “Here,” she said shyly, releasing the cards into Evelyn’s lap.
A riot of dark curls spilled across Rebecca’s back and rolled over her shoulders. Of its own volition, Evelyn’s hand lifted and stroked Rebecca’s head. “Thank you, sweetheart,” she said, her voice sounding emotional to her own ears.
Rebecca looked up at Evelyn with a shy smile, then stuck her finger in her mouth and took a step back, leaning against her daddy’s knee.
Radford lifted his daughter onto his lap, drawing Evelyn’s gaze to his. A deep sadness registered in his eyes and Evelyn experienced a sudden urge to put her arms around both of them.
o0o
Evelyn stopped beneath the oak tree with its giant limbs spreading several feet across the yard, one of them still holding her childhood swing that Rebecca now used. “It’s late,” she said to Kyle, who had walked her home after their card game. “I’d better go in.”
Kyle braced his hand against the tree trunk. “Radford’s capable of helping your father up to bed. Let’s enjoy the breeze and talk for a few minutes.”
Evelyn slipped between the ropes of the swing and sat on the wide wooden seat. “All right, but it seems all we talk about lately is our wedding and building a house.”
Kyle gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “That's what most women want to talk about.”
“I'd rather talk about horse races, or the cities we might visit someday. Those are the things we used to share.” Evelyn turned to Kyle. “Why don’t we do that anymore?”
He shrugged. “I guess right now there are things more pertinent. Maybe after the wedding we'll have time for that.”
“I hope so. I really miss our talks.” Evelyn stood up and grasped his hands, needing to connect with her old friend. “I want us to be happy.”
“So do I.”
“I mean
really
happy.” Evelyn met his eyes. “Like we were when we used to race our horses to the gorge. Remember the feeling of being eight years old and not afraid of anything?”
“
You
weren’t afraid. That’s why you always won the race.”
Evelyn laughed and her
“Boyd Benjamin!” Radford’s mother covered her eyes and shook her head. “Lord, why did I have that child?”
“If you don’t want Evelyn, I’ll take her,” Radford said, not realizing how his statement sounded until it was out of his mouth. When Kyle raised his eyebrows, Radford scrambled to cover his blunder. “Ah...the way Duke is playing, I could use a new partner.”
Flustered by the sudden attention, and Kyle’s scrutinizing gaze, Evelyn took a drink from her wine glass. She wasn’t foolish enough to think Radford meant that as a compliment. Not after their earlier conversation about Rebecca. He didn’t like Evelyn reaching out to his daughter, but she couldn’t help herself. Rebecca was clinging to the safety of her father and a three-foot piece of cotton the same way Evelyn had clung to her livery. She had felt safe inside those four walls and gave her love to her horses, who wouldn’t hurt her. Now she was a misfit, uncomfortable anywhere else. Evelyn didn’t want Rebecca’s need for security to imprison her—as it had Evelyn.
“Your turn,” Kyle said, startling Evelyn.
She scrambled to keep her wine glass from tipping over and dropped her cards. They fluttered to the floor at her feet. Evelyn leaned over to retrieve them, but saw a pair of tiny, slippered feet step forward and two small hands reach down for the cards she had dropped. Rebecca gazed up at Evelyn, her brown eyes dark and nervous as though she was afraid to touch the cards.
Evelyn nodded for her to go ahead, and Rebecca’s inept fingers reached for the cards, fumbling at the edges until she managed to curl her fingers beneath them. With both fists, she gathered them to her chest, clasping the bent cards for dear life as she stood. Slowly, she moved to Evelyn’s side, then leaned forward. “Here,” she said shyly, releasing the cards into Evelyn’s lap.
A riot of dark curls spilled across Rebecca’s back and rolled over her shoulders. Of its own volition, Evelyn’s hand lifted and stroked Rebecca’s head. “Thank you, sweetheart,” she said, her voice sounding emotional to her own ears.
Rebecca looked up at Evelyn with a shy smile, then stuck her finger in her mouth and took a step back, leaning against her daddy’s knee.
Radford lifted his daughter onto his lap, drawing Evelyn’s gaze to his. A deep sadness registered in his eyes and Evelyn experienced a sudden urge to put her arms around both of them.
o0o
Evelyn stopped beneath the oak tree with its giant limbs spreading several feet across the yard, one of them still holding her childhood swing that Rebecca now used. “It’s late,” she said to Kyle, who had walked her home after their card game. “I’d better go in.”
Kyle braced his hand against the tree trunk. “Radford’s capable of helping your father up to bed. Let’s enjoy the breeze and talk for a few minutes.”
Evelyn slipped between the ropes of the swing and sat on the wide wooden seat. “All right, but it seems all we talk about lately is our wedding and building a house.”
Kyle gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “That's what most women want to talk about.”
“I'd rather talk about horse races, or the cities we might visit someday. Those are the things we used to share.” Evelyn turned to Kyle. “Why don’t we do that anymore?”
He shrugged. “I guess right now there are things more pertinent. Maybe after the wedding we'll have time for that.”
“I hope so. I really miss our talks.” Evelyn stood up and grasped his hands, needing to connect with her old friend. “I want us to be happy.”
“So do I.”
“I mean
really
happy.” Evelyn met his eyes. “Like we were when we used to race our horses to the gorge. Remember the feeling of being eight years old and not afraid of anything?”
“
You
weren’t afraid. That’s why you always won the race.”
Evelyn laughed and her
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