Echoes From The Past (Women of Character) by Grace Brannigan Read Free Book Online Page B

fireplace and fiddled with an
ornate iron poker. It struck Christie that he might be nervous.
    "I’m sorry," Garrett
said. "What you’re asking is difficult." He paused, then said,
"Judith liked a good time. If a party was boring, she’d soon liven it up,
whether it was dancing or doing whiskey shots. She had very little inhibition.
People liked her. She was that type of person."
    "She sounds a lot like my
sister Ellen," Christie said softly. "There are -- were -- three of
us."
    "Hannah was pretty
traumatized when her mom died."
    "Of course she would be.
H-how did it happen? She was so young."
    A resigned expression crossed his
face. "It was a car accident. Hannah survived, but still suffers
flashbacks. She’s only just coming back to the happy kid she was before, but
it’s been a struggle and sometimes we have setbacks."
    Christie’s heart went out to him.
"Poor Hannah. And you lost a wife."
     "We all lost." His
guarded expression said he wasn’t looking for sympathy. "You should also
know Hannah can be temperamental at times. If my daughter’s deliberately rude
to you, please let me know." Garrett pushed a hand through his hair.
    Christie recalled Ruth saying he
was almost at wit’s end.
    "Hannah is testing me. At
least that’s the psychologist’s theory."
    Christie felt her respect for
Garrett go up another notch. "I think it’s important that children get
help." Christie clenched her jaw. "Many times people close their eyes
to problems."
    "With you staying in the
house, Hannah may see your proximity as a sign of. . ." he paused, and the
silence felt suddenly very heavy.
    "Are you saying Hannah may
see me as a rival for your attention?"
    A hint of color touched his tanned
cheeks but his gaze remained level. "Yes. Not that there’s any reason for her
to think that, but yes."
    Christie felt like she’d stepped
into a sticky situation. Slowly, she came to her feet. "Well, I certainly
won’t give her cause to see me as a threat, if that’s worrying you. And I won’t
be here that long anyway."
    Garrett looked relieved.
    "You know, I still think it
would be better if you told her who I am."
    "I disagree for now. I think
it will upset her."
    "I don’t want to cause
problems but eventually the truth will have to come out. Kids can be amazingly
resilient."
    Garrett smiled grimly. "How
many children do you have, Christie?"
    Heat came into her face.
"None. But I know children --"
    "You don’t know my child, so
abide by my wishes."
    Orders, she wanted to say, but bit
her lips instead. "All right."
    Brimming with mixed emotions,
Christie murmured goodnight and left Garrett in the living room. She would work
at the farm, get to know Hannah, and then go on her way. Emotion raced through
Christie. She was an outsider who had no place in this family’s life other than
a temporary one. Garrett was putting up with her because he had to.
    Christie went into the kitchen.
Opening cabinet doors she located the drinking glasses and poured herself a
glass of water. Rinsing the glass out, she placed it upside down on the dish
drainer. Giving Bo Peep a gentle rub under her chin, Christie opened the
kitchen door and went outside to sit on the step.
    Night had fallen and the air felt
warm on her skin. Resting her head against the wood railing, she stared up at
the sky. To distract herself from the man she’d just left, Christie thought of
all the changes she’d made in her life. . .the bridges she’d burned. Christie
wished she could talk to Ellen about how her life had been turned around and
upended. Her career and schooling, once so important to her, now seemed a world
away. New York was as far removed from this farm as you could get. Whether she
was on a fool’s errand or not, as her brother-in-law Darrell had accused her,
only time would tell.
    A flash of light shot across the
sky. Christie closed her eyes and made a wish. It had to be right, her coming
here. When she reopened her eyes, Christie saw the tail end of the star