Read Online The Storekeeper's Daughter by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wanda E. Brunstetter
Tags: Fiction/General
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good.”
“Makes sense to me,” Papa said.
Caleb grabbed the new hat off the counter, gave Naomi another wink, then headed out the front door. “See you around, Abraham,” he called over his shoulder.
Papa’s only response was a muffled grunt, and Naomi almost laughed out loud. Sometimes it amazed her the way a twenty-two-year-old man could act so big and smart one minute, and the next minute he was carrying on like a little boy.
***
As soon as Caleb pulled into his yard, he realized something was amiss.
Timmy, one of their goats, had gotten out of his pen and was running around the yard, baa -ing like crazy.
“Get back in your pen, you stupid animal, and leave my buggy alone!”
Caleb jumped down from his rig as his dad whizzed past, brandishing a buggy whip and hollering like the barn was on fire.
“What’s goin’ on?” Caleb called.
“That stupid goat was in my buggy, and he chewed up the front seat.” Pop jumped to one side as the goat whizzed past him and leaped onto a tree stump. He raised the buggy whip, but the critter took off before he could take aim. Timmy jumped onto the front porch, toppling a chair in the process. He raced back and forth two times, then ran down the other side and headed straight for Pop’s buggy.
“Oh no, you don’t!” he railed.
When Pop climbed in after him, Timmy hopped into the front seat and made a beeline for the back. Out the back side the goat went, tearing the canvas cover in the process.
Deciding to join the chase, Caleb sprinted after Timmy, with his dad right behind him. They cornered the goat near the barn, but when Caleb reached for him, the animal skirted away and took off again. Pop was on his heels, with the buggy whip swishing this way and that.
Caleb ducked to avoid being hit, but it was too late.
Snap! The whip caught Caleb’s left shoulder, and he winced. “Hey, it’s Timmy you should be after, Pop, not me!”
His dad halted. “I hit you?”
Caleb nodded and reached up to rub the welt that had already formed on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Son. Sure didn’t mean that to happen.”
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Caleb said, forcing a smile. He’d never admit it, but the welt stung like crazy.
Timmy made another pass, this time right between Caleb’s legs. He leaned over and grabbed the goat’s back legs, and the animal hollered like a stuck pig.
“It’s off to the goat corral for you.” Caleb lifted the squirming animal into his arms and trudged toward the pen. If this were any indication of how the rest of his day was going to be, he might as well take the afternoon off. Only trouble was, he had tons of work to do. Now, thanks to Timmy the goat, he’d have his daed’s buggy to fix, as well.
“You’d better let your mamm take a look at that shoulder. Don’t want to chance infection,” Pop called as Caleb headed to his buggy shop.
Caleb shook his head and kept walking. “I’ll be okay. It can’t be any worse than the bletschings I used to get when I was a boy.”
CHAPTER 6
As Caleb rolled out of bed the next morning, a stinging pain sliced through his left shoulder. He winced as he lifted one arm to slip on his cotton shirt. “Should have asked Mom to put some salve on it last night,” he muttered as he stepped into his trousers.
A short time later, he found his mother in the kitchen, slicing an apple crumb pie. His younger sisters, Irma and Lettie, were busy setting the table for breakfast.
“How ya feelin’ this morning?” Mom questioned. “Your daed never said a thing about the goat gettin’ out and him hitting you with the buggy whip ’til we went to bed last night.”
Caleb shrugged. “I’ll live, and Pop didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Of course not.” Mom pushed a wayward strand of grayish blond hair back into place and pulled out a chair. “Have yourself a seat, and I’ll put some peroxide on that welt. No doubt it’s hurtin’ this morning.”
Caleb’s manly pride called
“Makes sense to me,” Papa said.
Caleb grabbed the new hat off the counter, gave Naomi another wink, then headed out the front door. “See you around, Abraham,” he called over his shoulder.
Papa’s only response was a muffled grunt, and Naomi almost laughed out loud. Sometimes it amazed her the way a twenty-two-year-old man could act so big and smart one minute, and the next minute he was carrying on like a little boy.
***
As soon as Caleb pulled into his yard, he realized something was amiss.
Timmy, one of their goats, had gotten out of his pen and was running around the yard, baa -ing like crazy.
“Get back in your pen, you stupid animal, and leave my buggy alone!”
Caleb jumped down from his rig as his dad whizzed past, brandishing a buggy whip and hollering like the barn was on fire.
“What’s goin’ on?” Caleb called.
“That stupid goat was in my buggy, and he chewed up the front seat.” Pop jumped to one side as the goat whizzed past him and leaped onto a tree stump. He raised the buggy whip, but the critter took off before he could take aim. Timmy jumped onto the front porch, toppling a chair in the process. He raced back and forth two times, then ran down the other side and headed straight for Pop’s buggy.
“Oh no, you don’t!” he railed.
When Pop climbed in after him, Timmy hopped into the front seat and made a beeline for the back. Out the back side the goat went, tearing the canvas cover in the process.
Deciding to join the chase, Caleb sprinted after Timmy, with his dad right behind him. They cornered the goat near the barn, but when Caleb reached for him, the animal skirted away and took off again. Pop was on his heels, with the buggy whip swishing this way and that.
Caleb ducked to avoid being hit, but it was too late.
Snap! The whip caught Caleb’s left shoulder, and he winced. “Hey, it’s Timmy you should be after, Pop, not me!”
His dad halted. “I hit you?”
Caleb nodded and reached up to rub the welt that had already formed on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Son. Sure didn’t mean that to happen.”
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Caleb said, forcing a smile. He’d never admit it, but the welt stung like crazy.
Timmy made another pass, this time right between Caleb’s legs. He leaned over and grabbed the goat’s back legs, and the animal hollered like a stuck pig.
“It’s off to the goat corral for you.” Caleb lifted the squirming animal into his arms and trudged toward the pen. If this were any indication of how the rest of his day was going to be, he might as well take the afternoon off. Only trouble was, he had tons of work to do. Now, thanks to Timmy the goat, he’d have his daed’s buggy to fix, as well.
“You’d better let your mamm take a look at that shoulder. Don’t want to chance infection,” Pop called as Caleb headed to his buggy shop.
Caleb shook his head and kept walking. “I’ll be okay. It can’t be any worse than the bletschings I used to get when I was a boy.”
CHAPTER 6
As Caleb rolled out of bed the next morning, a stinging pain sliced through his left shoulder. He winced as he lifted one arm to slip on his cotton shirt. “Should have asked Mom to put some salve on it last night,” he muttered as he stepped into his trousers.
A short time later, he found his mother in the kitchen, slicing an apple crumb pie. His younger sisters, Irma and Lettie, were busy setting the table for breakfast.
“How ya feelin’ this morning?” Mom questioned. “Your daed never said a thing about the goat gettin’ out and him hitting you with the buggy whip ’til we went to bed last night.”
Caleb shrugged. “I’ll live, and Pop didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Of course not.” Mom pushed a wayward strand of grayish blond hair back into place and pulled out a chair. “Have yourself a seat, and I’ll put some peroxide on that welt. No doubt it’s hurtin’ this morning.”
Caleb’s manly pride called
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