Read Online The Calling of Emily Evans by Janette Oke - Free Book Online Page B

troublesome interview over and the girl out of his yard and life.
    “Well, let’s git ya hitched up and outta here,” he barked as he walked toward the barn.
    “It’s—it’s not that simple,” began Emily.
    He stopped and looked at her.
    “The wagon tongue—the horses—Star spooked in the storm and stepped on the tongue, and it’s—it’s broken,” she finished lamely.
    He just stared at her, open-mouthed and unbelieving.“You jest keep yerself an’ those horses outta my way and outta trouble,” he said tersely, and stalked off toward the sagging barn.
    Emily’s hand tightened on the lead rope and she jerked up the head of the feeding Shadow, tugging him toward the fence where Star still remained tied to a post.
    “C’mon,” she said to them in almost a whisper.“Let’s not get into any more trouble,” and she untied Star and led the team away from the fence, away from the barn, toward the lane.
    Then she spotted the dilapidated Ford truck that stood at the entrance to the lane. For a moment her heart jumped, thinking another human was close by who might be able to rescue her from her present circumstance. And then she realized dismally that the truck likely belonged to the man who was fussing and swearing in the barn as he surveyed the broken tongue.
    He was soon back outside, storming angrily as he headed for the truck at the road and rummaged in the back for some tools. When he walked back down the lane, he reminded Emily of last night’s thunder storm.
    Emily stayed out of his way all the while she heard the pounding and grumbling. When at last the commotion subsided, Emily debated whether she should approach the barn.
    Fighting to keep the horses’ heads up so they would not be grazing on any more grass that did not belong to them, Emily was hard put to hold them steady.
    A gruff voice behind her said, “You can hook’em up now.”
    Emily just stared at him.
    “You can hitch a team, can’t ya?”
    Emily’s face began to flush and she fought for control of her emotions. She sighed, looked at the big man, and replied, “Yes. Yes, I can.”
    She gave a sharp tug on the ropes to get Shadow and Star going in the right direction. But the buggy is still in the barn, she thought.
    Then even as the thought flitted through her mind, Emily saw that the buggy had been backed out of the barn and was standing on the grass, waiting for the approaching team.
    She led the two horses into position before she realized that Shadow’s harness was still hanging on the fence. With a red face she looked around, expecting to see the big man leering at her. But he was nowhere around, and then Emily heard the chug of the engine as he started his truck.
    Emily led both horses around the barn so she could keep an eye on Star while she harnessed Shadow. Emily struggled as she made one attempt after another of getting the harness over the big horse’s back. At last she got it on, and she sighed with relief. She was flushed and dirty and shaking from her exertion.
    Maybe the girls who have to walk aren’t so bad off, after all, she reasoned.
    Emily led the team to the waiting buggy and hitched them for the remaining trip. She did hope that it wasn’t far.
    Noticing her dirty hands, a new thought came to Emily. She really was in quite a mess. Her hair was disheveled, her dress wrinkled and covered with dirty spots. She had planned to put on her deaconess bonnet just before she entered the town. Now, she reasoned shamefully, she would not wish to disgrace the hat.
    “Oh, God,” she prayed, “I’ve really made a mess of things. Could you show me a back way into town, Lord? I don’t want to shame the church or you by coming in looking like this.”
    Emily clucked to the team and took her leave of the farmyard. It looked even more desolate and run-down in the light of day than it had in the darkness of the storm.
    How could he make such a fuss about the broken fence? she asked herself. Most of the fence is falling