wasn’t really happening.
“It’s late.” He ran his thumb down her jawline. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
Following closely behind him, she stepped into the cabin and watched as Adam entered his room and shut the door behind him. With a smile on her face, she sat down beside her sleeping brother, wondering all the time what tomorrow might bring.
Lidia arose early the next morning, careful not to disturb her brother as she went about the morning chores in the small cabin one last time. She smiled as she chopped up the potatoes and fried them, remembering her dreams filled with Adam and the softness of his touch. She longed to know more about the man she’d diligently nursed back to health over the past few days. It seemed unbelievable that he might care for her.
Standing in front of the kitchen window that overlooked the maple grove, she flipped the last of the pancakes in the hot pan as the morning sun began to peek above the horizon. Not only had she decided to prepare a decent breakfast for Adam, she also wanted to make sure everything was in order before he took them to the mill this morning. It was the least she could do.
Or maybe it was simply because she wanted to prolong her time here. But the dark clouds that had hovered above them the past few days had vanished, and with Adam’s health returning, there was no excuse for her to stay.
With the pancakes cooked and the potatoes nearly finished, she quickly worked to tidy up the room. Dusting the wooden bookshelf, a small stack of newspaper clippings fluttered to the floor. She picked them up, then froze as she glanced at the familiar face.
“Jarek.”
She hadn’t spoken the name of her older brother for almost a year and a half. Her family hadn’t known anything until her father had happened to see the sketch of his eldest son in the post office—wanted for murder. Jarek had been missing for weeks and with a bounty on his head; none of her family believed they’d ever see him again.
She scanned the paper, which told briefly about the incident. Here, in black and white, were the details she’d tried to forget during the months that followed her father’s discovery. Then her parents died, bringing another fresh wave of grief. A name caught her attention. One of the details she’d apparently chosen to forget. But this time the named burned across her heart. Her brother, Jarek, had murdered Samuel Johnson.
six
Lidia crinkled the paper between her fingers and let the sketch of her brother drop to the floor. It was happening again. Feelings of panic, grief, and helplessness washed over her in a single wave. She remembered the day they learned the truth about why Jarek had run away. Father had sat her and Mother down and told them what he’d seen in town, revealing the awful truth that a thousand dollars was being offered for the capture of her brother.
Her mother had refused to believe the accusations that Jarek had killed someone. Lidia hadn’t wanted to believe them either, yet she’d seen the way his temper flared, time and time again, with little provocation. Then there was the fact that her father’s gun was missing. Her father hadn’t told her mother, but Lidia had opened the empty case and at that moment realized the accusations were true. Her brother was a murderer.
Until today, she’d never really stopped to think about the family of the young man Jarek killed. At the beginning she’d felt sorry for them, wishing she could go back in time and change things, but all she’d known was that someone had died. He’d been a nameless person she couldn’t put a face to, and her own grief in losing her brother was still too new. Now the family had a name. Her heart ached for Adam.
Lidia straightened the papers and shoved them back inside the cabinet. She’d seen the pain in Adam’s eyes when he spoke about his brother. Even after almost a year and a half, the pain ran deep. She could sense the closeness the two men had shared.
“It’s late.” He ran his thumb down her jawline. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
Following closely behind him, she stepped into the cabin and watched as Adam entered his room and shut the door behind him. With a smile on her face, she sat down beside her sleeping brother, wondering all the time what tomorrow might bring.
Lidia arose early the next morning, careful not to disturb her brother as she went about the morning chores in the small cabin one last time. She smiled as she chopped up the potatoes and fried them, remembering her dreams filled with Adam and the softness of his touch. She longed to know more about the man she’d diligently nursed back to health over the past few days. It seemed unbelievable that he might care for her.
Standing in front of the kitchen window that overlooked the maple grove, she flipped the last of the pancakes in the hot pan as the morning sun began to peek above the horizon. Not only had she decided to prepare a decent breakfast for Adam, she also wanted to make sure everything was in order before he took them to the mill this morning. It was the least she could do.
Or maybe it was simply because she wanted to prolong her time here. But the dark clouds that had hovered above them the past few days had vanished, and with Adam’s health returning, there was no excuse for her to stay.
With the pancakes cooked and the potatoes nearly finished, she quickly worked to tidy up the room. Dusting the wooden bookshelf, a small stack of newspaper clippings fluttered to the floor. She picked them up, then froze as she glanced at the familiar face.
“Jarek.”
She hadn’t spoken the name of her older brother for almost a year and a half. Her family hadn’t known anything until her father had happened to see the sketch of his eldest son in the post office—wanted for murder. Jarek had been missing for weeks and with a bounty on his head; none of her family believed they’d ever see him again.
She scanned the paper, which told briefly about the incident. Here, in black and white, were the details she’d tried to forget during the months that followed her father’s discovery. Then her parents died, bringing another fresh wave of grief. A name caught her attention. One of the details she’d apparently chosen to forget. But this time the named burned across her heart. Her brother, Jarek, had murdered Samuel Johnson.
six
Lidia crinkled the paper between her fingers and let the sketch of her brother drop to the floor. It was happening again. Feelings of panic, grief, and helplessness washed over her in a single wave. She remembered the day they learned the truth about why Jarek had run away. Father had sat her and Mother down and told them what he’d seen in town, revealing the awful truth that a thousand dollars was being offered for the capture of her brother.
Her mother had refused to believe the accusations that Jarek had killed someone. Lidia hadn’t wanted to believe them either, yet she’d seen the way his temper flared, time and time again, with little provocation. Then there was the fact that her father’s gun was missing. Her father hadn’t told her mother, but Lidia had opened the empty case and at that moment realized the accusations were true. Her brother was a murderer.
Until today, she’d never really stopped to think about the family of the young man Jarek killed. At the beginning she’d felt sorry for them, wishing she could go back in time and change things, but all she’d known was that someone had died. He’d been a nameless person she couldn’t put a face to, and her own grief in losing her brother was still too new. Now the family had a name. Her heart ached for Adam.
Lidia straightened the papers and shoved them back inside the cabinet. She’d seen the pain in Adam’s eyes when he spoke about his brother. Even after almost a year and a half, the pain ran deep. She could sense the closeness the two men had shared.
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