Winter’s Awakening by Shelley Shepard Gray Read Free Book Online

she’d purchased it. “ Jah . I mean, yes. Yes, the wind is fierce.”
    She smiled before turning away. Luckily, she had enough sense to step over a pile of soiled hay instead of walking right through it. “Can I see your horses?”
    “Sure. They’re right there.”
    “No, I mean, can I go up to them? Is it okay?”
    “It’s fine,” he murmured from where he stood, choosing to keep his distance for a moment.
    But that didn’t stop him from watching her every move. With great interest he watched her smile at the horses, look in an empty stall, and wrinkle her nose at the smell. Finally, she stopped in front of Jim, their main workhorse. Jim was ten years old and a good horse. Easy of temperament and a good worker. His ears pricked up a bit when Lilly approached.
    Joshua was just about to warn Lilly to have a care—to not do anything too fast or jerky around Jim, when she slowly pulled off her glove and placed her bare hand under the horse’s nose. When Jim moved his head a bit, as if he were nodding permission, she smiled and tentatively patted his nose.
    “I may not look like it, but I’ve been around horses a time or two,” Lilly said with a smile. “My mom letme have horseback riding lessons when I was ten. Those didn’t last long, but I still love horses.”
    “I…I like horses, too,” he murmured, then closed his eyes as he heard his voice stumble and squeak. There was something about her that made him nervous, he couldn’t deny that.
    Joshua noticed that Jim looked to be plenty in love himself. The silly horse edged closed to the stall’s door and craned his head so she could scratch his neck.
    Lilly complied with a laugh.
    Joshua simply stared, spellbound. Lilly’s easy cheerfulness was so sweet, so fresh, he felt renewed in her presence. Almost like the Lord had dropped an angel in his barn to take away his cares and worries.
    When she looked his way again, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry you heard me grumble so much. I’ve been having to do both my brothers’ work—Caleb’s and Anson’s. Sometimes I resent it.”
    “I know all about doing siblings’ chores. Ty tries to get out of anything and everything.” Still scratching Jim, she said, “What chores need to be done in here?”
    “Tending to Jim, of course.”
    She looked around. “Jim?”
    “That there is him.”
    When she still looked confused, his mouth went dry as he fumbled for the right words. For any right word. “Jim is the horse.”
    “Ah.” Her hand paused. “Do you mind me petting him?”
    “Not at all. He likes the attention, don’tcha think?”Jim looked as if he’d invite her right into his stall if he had the words.
    She smiled. “I do.” As the sun continued to fall outside, the light in the barn dimmed, making the conversation seem even more intimate. Lilly, in her jeans, green sweater, and form-fitting white jacket seemed to shine the brightest.
    Not that he should be thinking about her in any way at all.
    Searching for something to say, Joshua said, “I better warn you, if Anson enjoyed being at your house this afternoon, he’ll be back again.”
    “Ty was glad to see him. He still hasn’t made too many new friends at school.”
    “Well, Anson has yet to meet a stranger.”
    She chuckled. “We got that idea. He’s really friendly.”
    “It’s his way.” Yes, it had always been Anson’s way to be open and carefree. Perhaps because of his experiences at the store, or simply because of who the Lord had made him to be—he’d never had the natural reticence that had always plagued Josh.
    When he spied Lilly looking at him thoughtfully, he knew he had to at least try to make more of an effort to befriend her. She was, after all, standing in his barn. “Um…what about you?”
    “What about me what?”
    “Have you been happy in Sugarcreek?”
    To Joshua’s surprise, a bit of her happiness seemed to float away. “I…I suppose.”
    Feeling embarrassed for asking such a personal question,