Read Online The Imposter by Suzanne Woods Fisher - Free Book Online Page A

effect. He cringed, thinking of the reproach he could expect from Freeman.
    David’s stomach tightened. How did Jimmy Fisher get his mother’s blessing to leave? Edith Fisher had relied on his help with her chicken and egg business, especially after Tobe and Naomi Schrock moved to Kentucky to start their own chicken and egg business. He couldn’t imagine that Edith would let Jimmy leave without protest. She was a woman who didn’t like the wind to blow unless she told it which way to go.
    Things started to piece together in David’s mind. Maybe those chickens were why he left. Jimmy hated chickens.
    A fresh round of tears started up in Bethany and he quickly found a box of tissues to hand to her. “Maybe he’ll be back soon.” He hoped both boys would find what they were looking for—adventure, no doubt—get it out of their system, and come home to Stoney Ridge.
    â€œAnd maybe he’ll love it there and never come back. Maybe he’ll meet someone else and marry her and raise a passel of Colorado children.” She grabbed a tissue, gasping between sobs.
    Katrina nodded deeply, confirming that Bethany’s prediction was entirely justified. “Jimmy gave his horse to Galen King.”
    â€œLodestar? He gave Lodestar away?” David felt the vice around his stomach tighten another turn. Jimmy Fisher loved that horse of his. He had big plans to use him as a stud and start a horse-breeding business. Plans that never seemed to get off the ground.
    â€œHe’s never coming back!” Bethany wailed. “There’s no men left in Stoney Ridge! Only toothless old men and bald babies.”
    David let that implied criticism pass. When Katrina said she had to get back to Thelma’s, he encouraged Bethany to go with her, but she insisted she wanted to stay and work, to keep busy. He went to his desk in the storeroom to finish up some orders. Out in the shop front, there alternated long jags of crying and long stretches of silence. Mixed in between were big, sad sighs.
    This workday was a lost cause.
    It took some doing, but David finally convinced Bethany to go home, that it was a slow day and there weren’t enough customers to keep the store open—which was partially true. A little before three o’clock, he couldn’t take it anymore. He closed the store, and walked to school to meet his daughters. He wanted to hear about the first day of school while it was fresh on their minds. Nearly halfway there, he regretted that he hadn’t driven the buggy today. The strong north wind that had come in to blow away lingering clouds from last night was now surrounding him at every turn, slamming against him. He barely snatched his hat before it went sailing, and he walked the rest of the way with one hand firmly on its brim.
    A metaphor, he realized, for this was how he felt as a minister in Stoney Ridge—pushing against a strong but invisible force. Maybe he should consider returning to Ohio. Certainly, he wasn’t doing much good here. Maybe his children had enough time away to heal by now. Maybe the fact that Katrina’s ex-boyfriend was getting married was a sign—it was time to go home.
    As he turned onto the road that led to the schoolhouse, he saw that the playground had already emptied out. Only Birdy was left, standing on the porch in nearly the same spot she had been this morning, her eyes fixed on the sky.
    â€œIsn’t it amazing?” she said, pointing to a hawk riding the wind. “That majestic creature is playing. The wind is his friend.”
    David laughed. “After trying to walk straight into the wind to get here, it’s no friend of mine.” He looked to the hawk flying low on the horizon. The hawk aimed his head toward the sun and thrust his body upward. When he reached an invisible peak, he adjusted his angle, succumbed to the force of the wind, and gently glided left, then right, down, and up