Read Online Stony River by Ciarra Montanna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ciarra Montanna
Ads: Link
insisted. “I must have turned it the wrong way, because flames went clear to the ceiling.”
Fenn relit the lantern, and as the flame strengthened he stood before her in the smoky light, arms folded across his bare chest. “Sevana, are we going to do this every night?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry, Fenn. The lantern didn’t go out when I turned it down; and when I turned it the other way, it caught on fire.”
“You flooded it when you turned it up,” he informed her. “If you’d just waited after you turned it down the first time, it would have gone out on its own. It’s not instant, you know, like a light switch.” Then he saw the wet spot on the table and the bucket beside it. “You threw water on it?” he asked, appalled. “It could have exploded!”
She was shocked. “Why would it?”
“Hot glass, cold water—didn’t you take science?” He reached up a muscled arm and examined the charred spot on the ceiling before addressing her again. “You know, Sevana, I never thought you would find this simple life so complicated.” But he broke off his lecture, looking suddenly toward the front window. “What’s that?” he asked in a different tone.
“What?” She tensed, just from his alertness of attitude.
“Voices.” Fenn went to yank open the front door and look out. “I thought I heard voices.” But after staring into the dark longer and satisfying himself with the quiet, he closed the door. “So, Sevana, is there any other trouble you’re planning to get into tonight? Because if there is, I’d like to hear about it now .”
She bit her lip without reply.
Without wasting further time with her, he extinguished the lantern and left them in the dark.
Sevana groped her way blindly up the stairs after him, and was glad to see the moon lighting her room. She opened the window and leaned on the sill, breathing in the sweet night air and listening to the river’s song while she watched the moon slip down to the ridgetop, balance there a moment on the serrated tops of those faraway trees, then sink slowly out of sight. When the last gleam of light had been extinguished behind the mountain, she lay down, but left the window open a crack so she could still hear the river.
In the darkness of the newly absent moon, her thoughts went to the implacable man lying in that same night-shadow just across the hall, and it hurt her to know she was no closer that day to finding his heart. But at the same time there was something higher than that disappointment—a feeling inspired by her rendezvous earlier out under the night sky, that her heart was still straining toward, trying to catch. It was like a wind blowing high above the earth, moving the clouds but not the trees…something calling to her beyond all she had known—dreams of the heart that had always been there, but had never been defined.
CHAPTER 5
Not wishing to be reminded of last night’s incident, Sevana stayed in her room next morning until Fenn had careened away in his truck, leaving her with another day alone. When she went downstairs, she was relieved to find the ceiling so blackened by years of woodsmoke that the newly scorched wood was barely noticeable.
She ate bread and butter and drank lukewarm coffee rather than build up the fire, then added the last flowers to her picture. When it was finished she propped it on an irregular log in the wall, and was thinking how the vibrant colors helped liven the kitchen when she heard a truck grinding up the lane. She ran out the door in time to see the black pickup passing the homestead, and realized Joel must only now be getting back from wherever he had gone last night.
She stayed out on the porch until the rumble of the motor was lost among the trees. She found herself wishing he had stopped to say hello. She still was not used to this reclusion, the heavy weight of solitude.
And in the emptiness of that beautiful day, the river was the only voice to be heard in all that silent
Fenn relit the lantern, and as the flame strengthened he stood before her in the smoky light, arms folded across his bare chest. “Sevana, are we going to do this every night?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry, Fenn. The lantern didn’t go out when I turned it down; and when I turned it the other way, it caught on fire.”
“You flooded it when you turned it up,” he informed her. “If you’d just waited after you turned it down the first time, it would have gone out on its own. It’s not instant, you know, like a light switch.” Then he saw the wet spot on the table and the bucket beside it. “You threw water on it?” he asked, appalled. “It could have exploded!”
She was shocked. “Why would it?”
“Hot glass, cold water—didn’t you take science?” He reached up a muscled arm and examined the charred spot on the ceiling before addressing her again. “You know, Sevana, I never thought you would find this simple life so complicated.” But he broke off his lecture, looking suddenly toward the front window. “What’s that?” he asked in a different tone.
“What?” She tensed, just from his alertness of attitude.
“Voices.” Fenn went to yank open the front door and look out. “I thought I heard voices.” But after staring into the dark longer and satisfying himself with the quiet, he closed the door. “So, Sevana, is there any other trouble you’re planning to get into tonight? Because if there is, I’d like to hear about it now .”
She bit her lip without reply.
Without wasting further time with her, he extinguished the lantern and left them in the dark.
Sevana groped her way blindly up the stairs after him, and was glad to see the moon lighting her room. She opened the window and leaned on the sill, breathing in the sweet night air and listening to the river’s song while she watched the moon slip down to the ridgetop, balance there a moment on the serrated tops of those faraway trees, then sink slowly out of sight. When the last gleam of light had been extinguished behind the mountain, she lay down, but left the window open a crack so she could still hear the river.
In the darkness of the newly absent moon, her thoughts went to the implacable man lying in that same night-shadow just across the hall, and it hurt her to know she was no closer that day to finding his heart. But at the same time there was something higher than that disappointment—a feeling inspired by her rendezvous earlier out under the night sky, that her heart was still straining toward, trying to catch. It was like a wind blowing high above the earth, moving the clouds but not the trees…something calling to her beyond all she had known—dreams of the heart that had always been there, but had never been defined.
CHAPTER 5
Not wishing to be reminded of last night’s incident, Sevana stayed in her room next morning until Fenn had careened away in his truck, leaving her with another day alone. When she went downstairs, she was relieved to find the ceiling so blackened by years of woodsmoke that the newly scorched wood was barely noticeable.
She ate bread and butter and drank lukewarm coffee rather than build up the fire, then added the last flowers to her picture. When it was finished she propped it on an irregular log in the wall, and was thinking how the vibrant colors helped liven the kitchen when she heard a truck grinding up the lane. She ran out the door in time to see the black pickup passing the homestead, and realized Joel must only now be getting back from wherever he had gone last night.
She stayed out on the porch until the rumble of the motor was lost among the trees. She found herself wishing he had stopped to say hello. She still was not used to this reclusion, the heavy weight of solitude.
And in the emptiness of that beautiful day, the river was the only voice to be heard in all that silent
Similar Books
