Read Online The Hand-Me-Down Family by Winnie Griggs - Free Book Online
Authors: Winnie Griggs
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marblesâtwo nice sized aggies and ten immies. Lanny had given him two of these and taught him how to use them, but the rest Jack had won for himself from schoolyard games.
Of course, heâd never beaten Lanny. Lanny had been good at just about everything he tried. Much as Jack loved his brother, growing up in his shadow hadnât been easy.
Which was one of the reasons heâd left Sweetgum. Only heâd never intended to stay away so long.
Jack shut the lid on the chest and left the room. Too bad he couldnât shut out his feelings of guilt so easily.
He walked across the hall and opened the door to Nellâs old room. It still had the stamp of a little girl occupantâlace and frills and brightly colored hair ribbons everywhere. This had to be Annabethâs domain now.
A rag doll lay on the bed. He should bring it to her in the morning, to give her back a little bit of her home.
Jack reached for it, but his fingers curled back into his palm. There was no similar memento he could bring to Nellâs kids. How would they feel as they watched Annabeth enjoy her piece of home?
He turned and left the room empty-handed.
Jack skipped the room next to Annabethâs and moved instead to the one across from it. This used to be his motherâs domain. Its main function had been as a sewing room, but it had served a multitude of other purposes, too. A pull-down bed had turned it into a guest room when the rare overnight visitor came calling. Spare odds and ends had been stored on shelves that lined two of the walls. And his mother had also hung dried flowers and herbs in bunches from the rafters.
As soon as Jack pushed the door open, he was assaulted by the familiar smells of his childhood. Floral scents mingled with dill, mustard and mint. He could almost imagine his mother working in here, humming in that off-key way she had.
As he looked at the room, he noticed a nearly finished lap quilt attached to the quilting frame, patiently waiting for the seamstress who would never return.
A moment later it hit him that it wasnât a lap quilt but one made for a babyâs bed.
He turned abruptly and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
The only room left to visit was the one that his parents had slept in. Except it would now be Lannyâs room, the one he and Julia had shared when she was alive. The one he had, no doubt, been prepared to share with Callie.
Jack decided heâd faced enough ghosts from his past for one night. He took the stairs two at a time and headed straight for the front door. Stepping out on the porch, he took a deep, soul-cleansing breath. Leaning his elbows on the rail, he listened to the night sounds and stared out at the shadowy forms of the landscape.
So many reminders, so many pieces of his familyâs historyâand dreams for the futureâencompassed in this building, this place.
Did it all really belong to Lannyâs widow now? Just because of some quirk of timing that had her married to his older brother for a few short hours before his death?
If a person really decided to press the matter, he could argue that you couldnât even call it married.
But it seemed mean-spirited to challenge her claim. After all, sheâd come out here in good faith, pursuing her own dreams, and none of what had happened had been her fault.
It might be better for all concerned if he offered to buy out her claim on the farm. That way she could either purchase herself a place in town or head on back to where she came from with a nice little nest egg in hand.
As for the guardianship of Annabeth, Callie would come around on that once he talked to her again. Sure, he didnât know exactly how he was going to handle raising the youngsters on his own, but heâd find a way. After all, there was no arguing that it was his responsibility to take care of Simon and Emma, so it just made sense for him to take Annabeth as well.
How much extra work could
Of course, heâd never beaten Lanny. Lanny had been good at just about everything he tried. Much as Jack loved his brother, growing up in his shadow hadnât been easy.
Which was one of the reasons heâd left Sweetgum. Only heâd never intended to stay away so long.
Jack shut the lid on the chest and left the room. Too bad he couldnât shut out his feelings of guilt so easily.
He walked across the hall and opened the door to Nellâs old room. It still had the stamp of a little girl occupantâlace and frills and brightly colored hair ribbons everywhere. This had to be Annabethâs domain now.
A rag doll lay on the bed. He should bring it to her in the morning, to give her back a little bit of her home.
Jack reached for it, but his fingers curled back into his palm. There was no similar memento he could bring to Nellâs kids. How would they feel as they watched Annabeth enjoy her piece of home?
He turned and left the room empty-handed.
Jack skipped the room next to Annabethâs and moved instead to the one across from it. This used to be his motherâs domain. Its main function had been as a sewing room, but it had served a multitude of other purposes, too. A pull-down bed had turned it into a guest room when the rare overnight visitor came calling. Spare odds and ends had been stored on shelves that lined two of the walls. And his mother had also hung dried flowers and herbs in bunches from the rafters.
As soon as Jack pushed the door open, he was assaulted by the familiar smells of his childhood. Floral scents mingled with dill, mustard and mint. He could almost imagine his mother working in here, humming in that off-key way she had.
As he looked at the room, he noticed a nearly finished lap quilt attached to the quilting frame, patiently waiting for the seamstress who would never return.
A moment later it hit him that it wasnât a lap quilt but one made for a babyâs bed.
He turned abruptly and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
The only room left to visit was the one that his parents had slept in. Except it would now be Lannyâs room, the one he and Julia had shared when she was alive. The one he had, no doubt, been prepared to share with Callie.
Jack decided heâd faced enough ghosts from his past for one night. He took the stairs two at a time and headed straight for the front door. Stepping out on the porch, he took a deep, soul-cleansing breath. Leaning his elbows on the rail, he listened to the night sounds and stared out at the shadowy forms of the landscape.
So many reminders, so many pieces of his familyâs historyâand dreams for the futureâencompassed in this building, this place.
Did it all really belong to Lannyâs widow now? Just because of some quirk of timing that had her married to his older brother for a few short hours before his death?
If a person really decided to press the matter, he could argue that you couldnât even call it married.
But it seemed mean-spirited to challenge her claim. After all, sheâd come out here in good faith, pursuing her own dreams, and none of what had happened had been her fault.
It might be better for all concerned if he offered to buy out her claim on the farm. That way she could either purchase herself a place in town or head on back to where she came from with a nice little nest egg in hand.
As for the guardianship of Annabeth, Callie would come around on that once he talked to her again. Sure, he didnât know exactly how he was going to handle raising the youngsters on his own, but heâd find a way. After all, there was no arguing that it was his responsibility to take care of Simon and Emma, so it just made sense for him to take Annabeth as well.
How much extra work could
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