Katie's Dream by Leisha Kelly Read Free Book Online Page B

and inviting. I certainly knew what that felt like.
    Looking in on Lula Bell first, I noticed her bulging eyes, the slow breaths. “Not feeling the best anymore, are you?” I said aloud. “Hate to say it, but my brother might have been right. Might be better to end it for you than to let you go on and suffer. Guess I better ask George about it.”
    Lula Bell was a good cow, the first I’d ever milked. Emma’s cow, Sarah still said. It wasn’t a happy thought, to consider losing her. But some things are inevitable.
    George would want to butcher. Save the meat. But Lula Bell might not wait till fall. I sighed, filling the feed trough, though the cow didn’t show the slightest bit of interest. She didn’t seem to want a drink either, or to go to pasture, though Sukey and her calf were eager. I milked as quickly as I could, but still Sukey was impatient. She didn’t like standing still for me, not if she could go out and run and play like a kid.

    Robert had long since taken the eggs in by the time I got done milking; he was back out at the well, filling a bucket of water for his mother.
    â€œCan I still go fishin’?” he called to me.
    â€œI think so. And I expect Willy to have a mind for it and probably meet you over there.”
    â€œHope so,” he said. “More fun with him there.” He hurried to walk with me on the little path to the house, both of us with our buckets almost full.
    Sarah stepped out on the back porch with Katie slowly following her and holding Sarah’s doll. Maybe Juli had told them to play outside till breakfast. If so, I was glad. It might give me a chance to talk to Juli alone a minute. I would need to use Barrett’s truck again, and now young Sam had it. I expected I’d have to walk over to Barrett’s later and ask about it. I always offered him work in exchange for its use, since I couldn’t fill his gas tank. And he was pretty understanding, knowing I wasn’t the only one in these parts who couldn’t afford an automobile.
    â€œDad, how come Uncle Edward didn’t stay?” Robert asked.
    â€œThat’s kind of a long story.”
    â€œI thought he was in prison.”
    â€œSo did I.”
    He moved his bucket to the opposite hand and looked at me with some concern. “He didn’t bust out, did he?”
    â€œNo. I suppose they let him out.”
    â€œThen he don’t steal no more?”
    â€œLet’s hope not.”
    â€œWhy’d he leave that girl? Is she my cousin?”
    I looked to see where Sarah and Katie had gotten to. They were under the lilac bushes, safely out of earshot. “No. Robert, we don’t know who she is. Or where she belongs. I’ll have to take her to town today and see if I can get the sheriff to help me find out.”
    â€œDad, that don’t make no sense. Don’t she know her name?”
    â€œYes. But we need to know where her mother is, or whatever family would be closest to her. We need to get her home, if she has a home.”
    â€œWell, why was she with Uncle Edward?”
    â€œI don’t know. I guess you’d say that what he told us didn’t make any sense.”
    â€œDid he steal her?”
    I’d wondered the same thing. But that didn’t really fit with what Katie had said about her mother. “Probably not. I think he just happened upon someone who didn’t want to take care of her anymore.”
    â€œWell, how do you know they’ll want her back, then?”
    â€œRobert.” I shook my head, not wanting to think all this through. Or talk about it. “There’ll be someone. Grandparents or something.”
    We were just approaching the porch steps when we heard the sound of Barrett Post’s truck coming up the lane. I could always distinguish that tinny old Ford from what little other traffic came our way.
    Young Sam pulled in quickly with Willy sitting in the front seat with him.