Read Online The Shepherd's Daughter (Dry Bayou Brides Book 1) by Lynn Winchester - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynn Winchester
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she’d plain forgotten about her responsibilities.
Her ma placed the mending in the basket beside her chair and winced as she sat back. “Oh, aye, I had trouble, but Pedro helped.”
Feeling like a thoughtless, selfish brat, Ray knelt at her ma’s feet and gripped her calloused hands in hers. “I promise I won’t forget ever again, Ma. I didn’t want you to do those chores.”
Ma cupped her face. “I ken what’s goin’ on, bairn. I ken Billy’s gettin’ betrothed to that new girl, the one his ma and pa ordered from a catalog, as if she were a new set of pots. I ken ye’re havin’ a hard time wrappin’ yer mind around Billy leavin’ ye and being wit another woman.”
Her ma was speaking truth.
“I ken ye’re in love with the rancher’s son, bairn, and I ken yer heart is achin’ somethin’ fierce. But what I don’t ken, is how I’m gonna make all that go away.”
Tears streamed down her face. “Ma, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine. I need to find a way to get him back, that’s all.”
“I ken ye will. Ye’re a fighter, just like yer pa. He asked me to marry him near forty times before I finally gave in. It was his persistence that won me.” Her ma’s sorrow-filled smile warmed her heart.
“Ack, lookit me, gettin’ maudlin in my auld age. Here, take this. Billy stopped by right before supper and left this for ye.” Her ma pulled a folded sheet of paper from her breast pocket and handed it to her.
“Billy was here?” Ray asked and her mother nodded. “Did he say what he wanted?”
She shook her head. “Nay, but I’m assumin’ an explanation is in the letter.”
Ray thanked her ma, gave her a kiss, then practically ran to her room.
Heart in her throat, she unfolded the paper and read it.
MEET ME AT THE CREEK AFTER SUNDOWN. WE NEED TO TALK.
–BILLY
A thrill zapped through her. He wants to meet me?
“It’s already an hour past sundown, so I’ll have to get goin’ right now to make it to our spot before he gets tired of waitin’,” she muttered to herself as she turned to head right back out the door.
It wasn’t their spot, anymore. He’d taken Rebecca there, smiled and laughed with her there, and called Ray the shepherd’s daughter there.
No longer their special place, Billy was out of his mind if he thought she was going to meet him there. Besides, he was getting married to another woman in a few short weeks. If his parents and Rebecca had their way. Ray knew she meant no more to him than someone who worked for his pa.
She threw herself back on the bed and stared up at the knotholes in the ceiling.
Whatever Billy wanted to talk about would have to wait until the bright light of day.
The creek was the worst place to meet a man betrothed to another woman.
But what did he want to talk to her about?
She groaned. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not goin’.” It took all the strength left within her to change into her night clothes and douse the candle on the bedside table.
Her stomach growled for the food her ma had left for her, but the thought of eating only made her ill.
She didn’t know how long she laid there, watching the shadows dance across the ceiling as they mocked her, sniggering at her that she’d never dance with Billy like that, that she’d never get to kiss him in the dark, or touch him as she so wanted to. As the minutes ticked by on the clock beside her bed, she wondered if she’d ever be happy again.
*
Billy rounded the bend toward Ray’s house and stopped for a moment. “What am I doing?” He kicked at the dirt and groaned.
He’d written her the note and waited like a fool down at the creek. But he’d guessed she wouldn’t come.
Why would she after what he’d said to her, after how he’d treated her in front of Rebecca? After not telling her that she was the most important thing in his life?
He’d spent the last three days in pain—somewhere between living and dying. With everything in him, he wished he could
Her ma placed the mending in the basket beside her chair and winced as she sat back. “Oh, aye, I had trouble, but Pedro helped.”
Feeling like a thoughtless, selfish brat, Ray knelt at her ma’s feet and gripped her calloused hands in hers. “I promise I won’t forget ever again, Ma. I didn’t want you to do those chores.”
Ma cupped her face. “I ken what’s goin’ on, bairn. I ken Billy’s gettin’ betrothed to that new girl, the one his ma and pa ordered from a catalog, as if she were a new set of pots. I ken ye’re havin’ a hard time wrappin’ yer mind around Billy leavin’ ye and being wit another woman.”
Her ma was speaking truth.
“I ken ye’re in love with the rancher’s son, bairn, and I ken yer heart is achin’ somethin’ fierce. But what I don’t ken, is how I’m gonna make all that go away.”
Tears streamed down her face. “Ma, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine. I need to find a way to get him back, that’s all.”
“I ken ye will. Ye’re a fighter, just like yer pa. He asked me to marry him near forty times before I finally gave in. It was his persistence that won me.” Her ma’s sorrow-filled smile warmed her heart.
“Ack, lookit me, gettin’ maudlin in my auld age. Here, take this. Billy stopped by right before supper and left this for ye.” Her ma pulled a folded sheet of paper from her breast pocket and handed it to her.
“Billy was here?” Ray asked and her mother nodded. “Did he say what he wanted?”
She shook her head. “Nay, but I’m assumin’ an explanation is in the letter.”
Ray thanked her ma, gave her a kiss, then practically ran to her room.
Heart in her throat, she unfolded the paper and read it.
MEET ME AT THE CREEK AFTER SUNDOWN. WE NEED TO TALK.
–BILLY
A thrill zapped through her. He wants to meet me?
“It’s already an hour past sundown, so I’ll have to get goin’ right now to make it to our spot before he gets tired of waitin’,” she muttered to herself as she turned to head right back out the door.
It wasn’t their spot, anymore. He’d taken Rebecca there, smiled and laughed with her there, and called Ray the shepherd’s daughter there.
No longer their special place, Billy was out of his mind if he thought she was going to meet him there. Besides, he was getting married to another woman in a few short weeks. If his parents and Rebecca had their way. Ray knew she meant no more to him than someone who worked for his pa.
She threw herself back on the bed and stared up at the knotholes in the ceiling.
Whatever Billy wanted to talk about would have to wait until the bright light of day.
The creek was the worst place to meet a man betrothed to another woman.
But what did he want to talk to her about?
She groaned. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not goin’.” It took all the strength left within her to change into her night clothes and douse the candle on the bedside table.
Her stomach growled for the food her ma had left for her, but the thought of eating only made her ill.
She didn’t know how long she laid there, watching the shadows dance across the ceiling as they mocked her, sniggering at her that she’d never dance with Billy like that, that she’d never get to kiss him in the dark, or touch him as she so wanted to. As the minutes ticked by on the clock beside her bed, she wondered if she’d ever be happy again.
*
Billy rounded the bend toward Ray’s house and stopped for a moment. “What am I doing?” He kicked at the dirt and groaned.
He’d written her the note and waited like a fool down at the creek. But he’d guessed she wouldn’t come.
Why would she after what he’d said to her, after how he’d treated her in front of Rebecca? After not telling her that she was the most important thing in his life?
He’d spent the last three days in pain—somewhere between living and dying. With everything in him, he wished he could
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