Forget Me Not (The Heart's Spring) by Amber Stokes Read Free Book Online Page B

wishing the opposite. That brought a grin to his grimy face—a face he knew would be cleaner during Elizabeth’s stay than it had been for years. He’d make sure of it.
    “Well, ma’am, I live out of town a ways, in the canyon.”
    “Oh. But didn’t you say you work for my brother here in Virginia City?”
    “Yep. I stay at a boardinghouse in town during the week, then head back home come week’s end.”
    “Who watches your home for you while you’re away?”
    “My brother. He and I both work a ranch down there in the canyon. Well, mostly my brother and some hired hands do the work now. I help out when I can.”
    “Why would you work in town when you have a ranch?”
    Joe looked back and gave her a wink as he replied, “Wouldn’t want to miss all the fun in town, now would I?”
    When Elizabeth blushed and glanced down at the ground, he returned his gaze to the street. “My brother’s the eldest of us two, so the ranch rightfully belongs to him. I would move into town, but I really do love it down there. So I make my living up here and get my rest, so to speak, on the ranch. And only the Lord knows whether I’ll have to someday make a choice between the two. Until then, I’m as content as cattle grazing on green grass.”
    “Which is rather scarce around here,” David mumbled.
    Joe smiled wide. “You noticed that, too?”
    When he arrived at Jacob’s house, Joe waited for Elizabeth and David to catch up. David seemed to be doing fine, although a noticeable drop of sweat slid down his forehead. But Elizabeth was breathing heavy, and her face was red from the hard walk. Joe wanted to ask if she was all right, but David kept very close to her and didn’t seem agreeable to anyone else doing the same.
    Elizabeth must have spotted the look of concern on his face, as she hurried to reassure him. “That was quite a walk, but I needed to stretch my legs after all that time on the train.” She smiled, and the temperature seemed to spike several degrees. Nodding, he led the way up to the front door and knocked.
    Annabelle answered the door right away, the constant lines of melancholy still etched on her face. Her gaze took in the newcomers, and she turned to Joe with new lines of confusion wrinkling her brow. “Who did you bring?”
    Elizabeth stepped forward, her smile only slightly dimmed. She held out her hand. “I’m Jacob’s sister, Elizabeth. It’s so wonderful to meet you.”
    Annabelle gasped. “Jacob’s sister? I didn’t even know he had any siblings.” Not waiting for an explanation, she bypassed Elizabeth’s outstretched hand and gathered the girl up in a hug. “I’m Annabelle.”
    Joe grinned, sensing a friendship forming. Good. The Lord knew Annabelle needed a friend.
    The smile that had grown on Annabelle’s face faded when she looked past Elizabeth to see David. “And may I ask who this is?”
    “Oh! This is my…uh…dear friend, David. He made sure I got here safely.”
    Annabelle nodded to David. He removed his hat and replied, “Ma’am.” Well, at least the man had manners for everyone else but Joe.
    Joe cleared his throat, and Annabelle stepped out of the doorway, motioning for all of them to come in. “I wish Jacob could have been here to greet you, but he should be home later today.”
    While he doubted Elizabeth or David caught it, Joe didn’t miss the skepticism in her eyes. And he couldn’t blame her for it, either. The contrasting innocent delight in Elizabeth’s green eyes—clearer than her brother’s—was all the motivation he needed to say his farewells and head straight back to C Street. He was going to give Jacob a piece of his mind…and maybe his fist.

Chapter 7
    A feeling of dread pulled hard on David, making him wish he could back out of the house like Joe had done and return to the train. He had done what he set out to do, which had, surprisingly, turned out to be easier than he had thought after Elizabeth’s confession back in Cheyenne. He’d