On Ice by J. D. Faver Read Free Book Online Page A

tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt her body releasing the tension of the past few days as she laughed helplessly. The children seemed frozen as they stared at the spectacle.
    “I’m---I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “It’s just so funny. I mean...your name.”
    “Yes Ma’am,” the man agreed pleasantly.
    “I’m sorry,” she repeated, struggling to recover some composure. “I’m Rene Nichols. These are my children, Seth and Sara. We were about to try some of Mrs. Jolly’s apple pie. Would you join us? Please, Mr. Franklin.” As she said his name, Rene burst into a fresh spasm of giggles. “Sit here, please.” Rene pulled out the remaining chair for him.
    “Well, I don’t mind if I do.” He hung his hat on the doorknob and took the chair she offered.
    Placing a large slice of pie in front of him, she then served the children. “Would you like milk? I’m afraid that’s all we have in the way of liquid refreshment.”
    “Water’d be fine, Ma’am.”
    “I only have tap water.” Rene thought how stupid that must sound to this man. She filled a glass with water and found that it ran ice cold.
    She served herself a slice of pie, tasting it as she took her chair. “Oh, this is delicious!” The light flaky crust and sweet apple-cinnamon filling was heavenly.
    “Yes Ma’am. Miz Jolly always wins blue ribbons at the festival.” Mr. Franklin was using the tines of his fork to scrape up every morsel of the tasty pie.
    She offered him more pie, which he accepted readily. “What brings you here tonight, Mr. Franklin?”
    “It’s just Ben, Ma’am,” he said, fixing her with his good eye. “I wanted to introduce m’self, Ma’am, an’ see if you needed anything. Mr. Brett said I was to do for you.”
    “We’re glad to meet you, Ben,” Rene said. “We’re just fine for tonight. Thank you for your concern.”
    “I’ll be getting home, now.” He was nodding his head again as he got up from the table and began a crab-like sideways shuffle toward the door. Once there, he retrieved his hat from the doorknob, holding it over his heart until he stepped outside. “Remember, Ma’am, if you need anything, my cabin is just a little ways on this path.”
    Rene thanked him, noting that the color of the sky seemed to be changing. She closed the back door and crossed to open the front. The display of colors reached with long fingers across the sky, took her breath away. It looked as though someone had smeared an artist’s oil palette overhead. Wordlessly, she dropped into one of the rocking chairs by the door and watched the spectacle before her. Seth took the other rocker and Rene lifted Sara onto her lap. They watched as reds, fuchsias and oranges cooled to mauves and shades of purple.
    “You children need your jackets.” She realized it was chilly without the direct sun. They couldn’t tear themselves away from the brilliant display. “Let’s go in. It’s nippy out here.”
    Rene wondered if she was capable of laying a fire in the grate but found she had forgotten to turn off the oven and the cabin was quite cozy. The fireplace still had the remnants of the previous fire. She carefully positioned two more small logs among the glowing embers and replaced the screen. She weighed the options of freezing to death against burning the cabin down and decided to risk the latter.
    Rene tucked Sara into bed and cleared away the remains of supper. Seth grumbled but bedded down on the sofa with the soft quilts to protect him from the coarse wool.
    “Seth, are you feeling better about coming here with me?” She snuggled the quilt around his shoulders. “I was really scared on the plane but everyone seems so nice here.”
    “I know, Mom. I--- I’m just worried about when Dad comes. I don’t want him to hurt us. I hate it when he hurts you.”
    “Me, too.” She kissed his forehead. “We have to be very careful and very smart.”
    “I’ll try.”
    “We’ll be okay,” she said with more confidence