Free Falling by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Read Free Book Online

had done all of them much good. Dierdre told Sarah where to find items in the cottage she didn’t even know she needed, and she reminded her to make sure the goats were locked in at night to protect them from roving dog packs. David had promised to come back in a few days and help Seamus mend a fence around the hen house.
    The hospitality had given Sarah a warm feeling of connection that salved their isolation and homesickness. It surprised Sarah that someone she had nothing in common with could make her feel so connected and safe. She was too tired tonight to figure out how that could be but was grateful for her new friend. Her exhaustion and her pleasure at the evening, combined with a full stomach, also made the ride a peaceful one without anxiety.
    The small bottle of Sancerre that Dierdre had brought out at the end of the meal had gone a long way to soothing Sarah’s jangled nerves about the horses. She was now taking pleasure in the ride, enjoying the feel of the evening air on her skin and the sight of the dear nodding head of the boy who rode beside her. She and David spoke little on the ride home. They were both enjoying their own thoughts as they processed the day’s events.
    When they got to the house, David pulled John out of the saddle and handed him to Sarah. He took the pony’s reins.
    “Wait here while I put these two to bed then I’ll come back for big Dan there.”
     “Are you sure?” As pleasant as the ride had been, Sarah was tired enough to be very grateful to have David untack and feed the horses. David walked the two horses to the barn, and she stood with her horse and John at the front porch steps. Suddenly, she froze. John, sensing the change in her, shook his sleepiness away.
    “What is it?” he whispered.
    Sarah caught her breath and pulled him away from the front steps.
    “The front door’s open,” she said.
     

 
     
    CHAPTER SIX
     
    They had taken the electronics, the new lanterns and all the food in the cubbards. The lock on the front door was broken and the interior of the cottage was messy but not trashed. After minimizing the robbery as much as she could to her son, Sarah put him to bed. Then she and David sat on the porch sharing a bottle of wine the thieves had not found.
    “We were lucky,” David said. “They took mostly the useless stuff,” he said.
    “Our cell phones?” Sarah said. “Our television, the iPad?”
    “But  they left the Gor-Tex jackets,” David pointed out. “And the axe and the knives.”
     “I hope they choke on the food.”
    “They were probably hungry if that’s any consolation.”
    “The food they took was food stolen out of your son’s mouth.”
    “Maybe they have a son to feed, too.”
    “Okay, fine, David. Whatever. It’s not a good thing, though, you know? We’re not safe here.”
    “They waited ‘til we left...”
    “And what about when they or people like them get really desperate and don’t wait for us to leave first? This...this crisis is not going to bring out the best in people, David.” She finished her wine and looked out across the pasture. There was no moon and the fields were black.
    “They didn’t find the wine,” David said with a smile. He pulled her close to him and kissed her. “We’ll sort it out. We’ll find a work-around.”
    Sarah sighed. The pleasure of the day was long gone.
     
    The next morning, David was up early hammering on the house’s exterior. Sarah assumed it had something to do with better fortifying them. But as she had nothing to add in the way of advice along those lines, she turned her attention to the kitchen and the task of making bread. Dierdre had given her a small yeast starter and while sour dough bread had been her least favorite kind back in the States, she was looking forward to eating it from now on if she could actually produce a loaf.
    John had been playing outside. He came in the front door. “Mom, Dad says the goats have to live with the horses from now on. Is there