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Authors: Victoria Bylin
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to relive. “I know what happened because Beau told me. He’s gone over that moment a thousand times. Maybe more.”
Dani thought of Emma standing at the window, recalling Patrick’s riderless horse and the smell of burned flesh. She heard Beau Morgan telling the child not to talk. He’d been trying to protect her from a heartache that rivaled his own. Dani had judged him as hard, yet he’d been acting with compassion.
Reverend Blue took a deep breath. “Beau was sitting at his desk with his foot on a stool when he saw Lucy pass by the window with a picnic basket. She’d been to the doctor that morning and had come to surprise him.”
Her heart squeezed. A healthy young woman went to the doctor for just one reason. The picnic basket…a surprise for her husband. Tears welled in Dani’s eyes.
Reverend Blue cleared his throat. “In spite of his bad toe, Beau got up to help her. When he opened the door, Johnson fired. Lucy died in Beau’s arms.”
In Wisconsin, Dani could look at a tulip and see God in the petals. She could catch a snowflake and see the divine beauty. Staring at the rippling grass, she saw nothing but Lucy Morgan’s blood and Patrick’s riderless horse. “Where was God?” she said in a whisper.
“Same place He is right now,” said the Reverend.
“I don’t feel Him.”
“I think you do, Miss Baxter.” She felt the Reverend’s gaze on the side of her face. “I see tears in your eyes. Our Lord’s weeping, too. For Beau. For you. For those three little girls. Bad things happen. It’s a fact. But the Lord will see you through.”
“I know that’s true,” Dani murmured. “It has to be true.”
Yet she couldn’t shake the niggling fear that she’d left God in Wisconsin. She looked to the Reverend for comfort but didn’t find it. His eyes were on his wife, blazing with a protectiveness that tore Dani’s heart in two. With Patrick’s death, she could only dream of a man looking at her that way.
The Reverend’s throat twitched with emotion.
Adie’s eyes misted.
Dani’s throat hurt. It tightened even more when the girls spilled out of the stable door. Emma had a blanket draped over her arm. Ellie had the box of kittens and Esther’s little legs pumped as she tried to keep up with her sisters. Dani raised her chin. God had denied her a husband, but she could still be a mother.
The Reverend broke into her thoughts. “I spoke at Lucy’s funeral.” He bit off the last word, as if he could barely say it. “I’m a man of God, Miss Baxter. I believe in Heaven and Hell and living well in between, but I could barely say a word that day.”
Adie interrupted. “I’ll tell the rest. I’m the one who cooked Beau his last meal.”
“It was roast beef,” the Reverend said.
“And raspberry pie. I’d given Lucy the recipe.”
Dani bit her lip to fight the dread.
Adie laced her fingers together. “I’ll never forget that last night on the porch. Lucy had been gone a month when Beau said he was leaving town. As cold as death, he said, ‘I’m going to hunt down Clay Johnson and kill him.’”
“I believed him,” said the Reverend.
“I still do,” Adie replied.
Dani shivered. “That’s why he’s been so protective, isn’t it? Clay Johnson…is he in the area?”
“Beau thinks so,” Adie said.
Fear, danger and dirt. Beau Morgan had brought all three into the lives of three little girls. Dani’s heart broke for his loss, but she feared for Patrick’s daughters. She turned to Adie. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.”
“Could the girls and I stay with you a few days?”
Adie tilted her head. “Are you still afraid of Beau?”
“No,” Dani replied. “But I am afraid of Clay Johnson. What if he comes to the farm?”
Adie looked at Josh. “Dani has a point.”
“I’ll speak to Beau,” said Reverend Blue. “He’ll know best.”
Dani thought of the ride through town. Surely Beau would want to keep them safe. “Thank you.”
Adie touched
Dani thought of Emma standing at the window, recalling Patrick’s riderless horse and the smell of burned flesh. She heard Beau Morgan telling the child not to talk. He’d been trying to protect her from a heartache that rivaled his own. Dani had judged him as hard, yet he’d been acting with compassion.
Reverend Blue took a deep breath. “Beau was sitting at his desk with his foot on a stool when he saw Lucy pass by the window with a picnic basket. She’d been to the doctor that morning and had come to surprise him.”
Her heart squeezed. A healthy young woman went to the doctor for just one reason. The picnic basket…a surprise for her husband. Tears welled in Dani’s eyes.
Reverend Blue cleared his throat. “In spite of his bad toe, Beau got up to help her. When he opened the door, Johnson fired. Lucy died in Beau’s arms.”
In Wisconsin, Dani could look at a tulip and see God in the petals. She could catch a snowflake and see the divine beauty. Staring at the rippling grass, she saw nothing but Lucy Morgan’s blood and Patrick’s riderless horse. “Where was God?” she said in a whisper.
“Same place He is right now,” said the Reverend.
“I don’t feel Him.”
“I think you do, Miss Baxter.” She felt the Reverend’s gaze on the side of her face. “I see tears in your eyes. Our Lord’s weeping, too. For Beau. For you. For those three little girls. Bad things happen. It’s a fact. But the Lord will see you through.”
“I know that’s true,” Dani murmured. “It has to be true.”
Yet she couldn’t shake the niggling fear that she’d left God in Wisconsin. She looked to the Reverend for comfort but didn’t find it. His eyes were on his wife, blazing with a protectiveness that tore Dani’s heart in two. With Patrick’s death, she could only dream of a man looking at her that way.
The Reverend’s throat twitched with emotion.
Adie’s eyes misted.
Dani’s throat hurt. It tightened even more when the girls spilled out of the stable door. Emma had a blanket draped over her arm. Ellie had the box of kittens and Esther’s little legs pumped as she tried to keep up with her sisters. Dani raised her chin. God had denied her a husband, but she could still be a mother.
The Reverend broke into her thoughts. “I spoke at Lucy’s funeral.” He bit off the last word, as if he could barely say it. “I’m a man of God, Miss Baxter. I believe in Heaven and Hell and living well in between, but I could barely say a word that day.”
Adie interrupted. “I’ll tell the rest. I’m the one who cooked Beau his last meal.”
“It was roast beef,” the Reverend said.
“And raspberry pie. I’d given Lucy the recipe.”
Dani bit her lip to fight the dread.
Adie laced her fingers together. “I’ll never forget that last night on the porch. Lucy had been gone a month when Beau said he was leaving town. As cold as death, he said, ‘I’m going to hunt down Clay Johnson and kill him.’”
“I believed him,” said the Reverend.
“I still do,” Adie replied.
Dani shivered. “That’s why he’s been so protective, isn’t it? Clay Johnson…is he in the area?”
“Beau thinks so,” Adie said.
Fear, danger and dirt. Beau Morgan had brought all three into the lives of three little girls. Dani’s heart broke for his loss, but she feared for Patrick’s daughters. She turned to Adie. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.”
“Could the girls and I stay with you a few days?”
Adie tilted her head. “Are you still afraid of Beau?”
“No,” Dani replied. “But I am afraid of Clay Johnson. What if he comes to the farm?”
Adie looked at Josh. “Dani has a point.”
“I’ll speak to Beau,” said Reverend Blue. “He’ll know best.”
Dani thought of the ride through town. Surely Beau would want to keep them safe. “Thank you.”
Adie touched
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