The Brides of Chance Collection by Cathy Marie Hake, Kelly Eileen Hake, Tracey V. Bateman Read Free Book Online Page B
would come to terms with the situation and could be counted on to behave himself decently for a few days until Miriam went back home.
Once supper was over, Dan swiped little Polly straight off of Miriam’s lap without so much as a word of warning. Only the ring of his boots on the floor planks broke the crackling silence until he reached the door. He kicked the door shut behind himself.
Every last brother watched as Miriam flinched. Bryce opened his mouth, but Gideon booted him under the table to keep him from saying something stupid.
Titus offered, “I’ll wash the dishes. Paul, you dry.”
“Fine.” Gideon stood. “Bryce, see to the beasts and be sure to check that latch on the chicken coop.”
Miriam wet her lips, then murmured, “Please excuse me.” She slipped out of her chair and across the floor, her gait a soundless glide. Then she shut the door behind herself noiselessly.
“Poor thing,” Titus mumbled.
“Sadder’n a hound that tangled with a porcupine,” Bryce added.
Paul smacked the tabletop, and all of the dishes jumped. “Dan tries that again, and I’m gonna deck him!”
Though he privately agreed, Gideon didn’t want his brothers brawling. “No one’s going to do anything.” He glared at his brothers. “All you’ll do is pour kerosene on his temper if you stand up for her. His temper will burn hotter, and she’ll get the blast. Stay out of it.”
“Now wait just a minute—”
“No, you all hold your horses.” Gideon folded his arms across his chest and stared them down. “Some things are best left alone. Dan’s raging, but he’ll run out of steam. In the meantime, just try to keep her away from him. He’ll come to his senses.”
“It ain’t a matter of keeping her away from him,” Bryce groused. “It’s a matter of keeping him away from her.”
“No,” Gideon said heavily. “He can’t bear the sight of her. She looks too much like Hannah.”
“Ain’t her fault, Giddy.” Bryce cocked his head to the side and continued as if he’d come to a brilliant deduction. “They were sisters.”
Titus ignored Bryce and stacked dishes into a bucket. “The real problem is going to be keeping her away from the kids.”
“I don’t give a hang if Dan doesn’t want her seeing them,” Gideon decided. “There’s nothing wrong with her singing and playing with them.”
“More likely praying,” Logan corrected him.
“Yeah,” Gideon said, “but Hannah and Mama both would’ve done the selfsame things. Until she leaves, let her enjoy them. We’ve jawed about this enough. You all pitch in and get things done.”
Gideon fought the urge to dab his thumb into a little pile of sugar and cinnamon crumbs left from the cobbler. He’d love that last little taste, but he needed to look stern and in control just now. Sucking a sweet off of his thumb would spoil the effect. Instead, he picked up his plate and shoved it on the top of the teetering stack in Titus’s bucket.
A few more minutes passed. Gideon figured Miriam had gone off to the privy and taken a little extra time to regain her composure, but when she didn’t come back after a while, he grew concerned. He didn’t want his brothers setting off like hounds after a frightened hare, so he silently went in search.
The privy was empty, the door hanging off to the side in careless disregard to privacy. They’d left it that way so Polly wouldn’t be afraid of the dark when they took her there. With Miriam visiting, that needed to be fixed—at least temporarily. All day long, little details like that illustrated just how lackadaisical they’d become in regard to propriety. Having a woman around—even for a handful of days—was making his to-do list grow by leaps and bounds.
Gideon pondered where to turn next. Since his brother had told him she’d asked about the grave, he paced toward the tall pines. Wildflowers lay at the base of the wooden marker Daniel had carved as Hannah’s headstone. That had to be
Once supper was over, Dan swiped little Polly straight off of Miriam’s lap without so much as a word of warning. Only the ring of his boots on the floor planks broke the crackling silence until he reached the door. He kicked the door shut behind himself.
Every last brother watched as Miriam flinched. Bryce opened his mouth, but Gideon booted him under the table to keep him from saying something stupid.
Titus offered, “I’ll wash the dishes. Paul, you dry.”
“Fine.” Gideon stood. “Bryce, see to the beasts and be sure to check that latch on the chicken coop.”
Miriam wet her lips, then murmured, “Please excuse me.” She slipped out of her chair and across the floor, her gait a soundless glide. Then she shut the door behind herself noiselessly.
“Poor thing,” Titus mumbled.
“Sadder’n a hound that tangled with a porcupine,” Bryce added.
Paul smacked the tabletop, and all of the dishes jumped. “Dan tries that again, and I’m gonna deck him!”
Though he privately agreed, Gideon didn’t want his brothers brawling. “No one’s going to do anything.” He glared at his brothers. “All you’ll do is pour kerosene on his temper if you stand up for her. His temper will burn hotter, and she’ll get the blast. Stay out of it.”
“Now wait just a minute—”
“No, you all hold your horses.” Gideon folded his arms across his chest and stared them down. “Some things are best left alone. Dan’s raging, but he’ll run out of steam. In the meantime, just try to keep her away from him. He’ll come to his senses.”
“It ain’t a matter of keeping her away from him,” Bryce groused. “It’s a matter of keeping him away from her.”
“No,” Gideon said heavily. “He can’t bear the sight of her. She looks too much like Hannah.”
“Ain’t her fault, Giddy.” Bryce cocked his head to the side and continued as if he’d come to a brilliant deduction. “They were sisters.”
Titus ignored Bryce and stacked dishes into a bucket. “The real problem is going to be keeping her away from the kids.”
“I don’t give a hang if Dan doesn’t want her seeing them,” Gideon decided. “There’s nothing wrong with her singing and playing with them.”
“More likely praying,” Logan corrected him.
“Yeah,” Gideon said, “but Hannah and Mama both would’ve done the selfsame things. Until she leaves, let her enjoy them. We’ve jawed about this enough. You all pitch in and get things done.”
Gideon fought the urge to dab his thumb into a little pile of sugar and cinnamon crumbs left from the cobbler. He’d love that last little taste, but he needed to look stern and in control just now. Sucking a sweet off of his thumb would spoil the effect. Instead, he picked up his plate and shoved it on the top of the teetering stack in Titus’s bucket.
A few more minutes passed. Gideon figured Miriam had gone off to the privy and taken a little extra time to regain her composure, but when she didn’t come back after a while, he grew concerned. He didn’t want his brothers setting off like hounds after a frightened hare, so he silently went in search.
The privy was empty, the door hanging off to the side in careless disregard to privacy. They’d left it that way so Polly wouldn’t be afraid of the dark when they took her there. With Miriam visiting, that needed to be fixed—at least temporarily. All day long, little details like that illustrated just how lackadaisical they’d become in regard to propriety. Having a woman around—even for a handful of days—was making his to-do list grow by leaps and bounds.
Gideon pondered where to turn next. Since his brother had told him she’d asked about the grave, he paced toward the tall pines. Wildflowers lay at the base of the wooden marker Daniel had carved as Hannah’s headstone. That had to be