Scars of the Heart by Joni Keever Read Free Book Online Page A

felt you shiver. You can tell me when you need to stop. Chances are, so do I.” He spoke as if talking to the very old or very young.
    There was that expression again, as if he believed Carly was the strangest creature he’d ever encountered. Of course he thought nothing of disrobing in front of a boy. And his fingers continued to work at their task.
    Carly glanced away. She had to think of something fast. She couldn’t blame her shudder on cold weather. The day was already heating up nicely. Her mind whirling, she quickly made a show of fidgeting with the rope that held up her britches. That seemed to appease the man. He looked down, and Carly averted her gaze once more as she turned her back.
    Squeezing her eyes shut, she couldn’t block out the sound of Kade’s liquid stream splashing against the ground. As the waterfall diminished to a trickle, Carly turned toward the horse, making a show of retying her rope belt. She trained her gaze on the animal’s deep-brown eyes, blocking Kade from her peripheral vision.
    “That was fast,” he observed, checking the saddle cinch around the horse’s belly. “Ready?”
    Carly nodded quickly, keeping her head lowered as the man mounted. He reached out to help her up.
    “You sure are red in the face. Everything all right?” Kade asked as she moved to settle behind him.
    Genuine concern filled his voice, and Carly choked out reassurance. She felt the heat of embarrassment burn on her cheeks. “Gonna be a warm one today,” she mumbled in a tone a bit lower than was natural for her.
    The man seemed to accept her explanation. He urged the horse into motion with a touch of his spurs. She breathed a careful sigh of relief. She should’ve anticipated such a situation. Other dilemmas would most likely develop. She’d have to be ready next time. Shifting uncomfortably, Carly realized the worst part. She really did need to relieve herself.
    The sun climbed higher at a lazy pace. Her gaze traveled across the unfamiliar terrain. They kept near the winding stream where trees and bushes grew, but Carly knew that not far beyond lay endless plains of dry, brown grass. Why anyone would choose to live here was beyond her understanding. The land seemed so harsh; even the trees were scraggly little things. They refused to grow full, to spread branches that offered cool shade from the relentless summer heat. Carly shook her head.
    “You’re not from these parts, are you?”
    Kade’s question startled her. “What?”
    “I was asking where you’re from. It’s not anywhere near here, is it?”
    The man posed an observation, not an inquiry. “No, I was born and raised in the great state of Virginia.” Pride carried Carly’s words.
    “I thought so. I mean, I figured you were from the East. Why did you leave? What brought you west?”
    “Hmph. My father. He got this crazy idea that we sell most of what we own, pack up, and go help settle the new frontier. Oklahoma, of all places. He even had a cabin built and furnished before we arrived.” Carly’s speech dripped with sarcasm, but her burst of bravado was gone. “It was the biggest mistake anyone ever made. It was the last mistake he made.” Her words trailed to a near whisper.
    “Why do you say that? Was your father running from the war, avoiding the fight?”
    “No!” Indignation spiked her reply with more of a snap than she intended. She could speak negatively of her father’s actions, but no man—especially this man—would do so. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “My father did fight, early on, and returned to us after only three months, maimed for life. He carried a scar and limp that told of the horrors of battle he found too ugly and distasteful to share with my mother and myself.”
    Carly realized she’d almost slipped, almost classified herself as a lady. She continued quickly. “My father still considered me a child, and though a capable lad, one too young to hear such brutal details. His decision to