don’t speak of your fiancée like that!”
“Well, I don’t know if I’ll live long enough to get married. It seems like I been havin’ lots of ailments lately.”
No one wanted to hear about Rosie’s imaginary ailments.
And now Sarah was turning to face Tom, who got slowly down from the wagon and approached her.
Leah expected Tom to take Sarah in his arms, but he simply pulled his hat off and stood there, saying, “Hello, Sarah.”
If Sarah was disappointed at the sparseness of his greeting, she tried not to show it. “Hello, Tom,” she said. She hesitated and put out her hand.
He took it, then stepped back. “I guess I’d better get these horses unhitched. They’re pretty tired.”
Sarah turned away, tears in her eyes, and Leah whispered, “He’ll be all right, Sarah. You’ll see.”
At that moment Ezra Payne appeared. He let out a whoop, for he had been good friends with Leah and Jeff. After he shook hands with everybody and nearly everyone had started toward the house, Ezra turned to Leah. “I don’t guess you heard about me, did you?”
“Heard what, Ezra?”
“I’m courtin’ Helen McGee down the road a piece.”
“Why, I think that’s wonderful, Ezra! She’s a fine girl. Are you going to get married?”
“If she’ll ever have me, I will. I guess there’s going to be a lot of marrying going on. Rosie marrying up with Miss Charlene, and Royal marryingLori Jenkins. And then, of course, there’s Miss Sarah and Dewitt Falor.”
Tom was unhitching the horses, and he turned and looked at Ezra. “What’s this about Dewitt Falor?”
“You don’t know about him?” Ezra asked innocently. “He’s been courtin’ her for up to a year now. His pa’s the richest man in the valley, you know. I reckon he’d be quite a catch for Sarah.”
Tom stared at the tall, young hired man and said through stiff lips. “I guess it would be.” He limped away, leading the horses off toward the barn.
Instantly Leah turned to Ezra. “I wish you hadn’t said that!”
He was astonished. “But everybody knows it. Dewitt’s been talkin’ for a long time now about how he intends to marry Sarah.”
“What does Sarah say?”
Ezra shrugged. “She doesn’t talk about it, but, of course, most people around here know that Dewitt Falor gets pretty much anything he wants.”
“I’ll bet he won’t get Sarah,” Leah said with an angry light in her eyes as Ezra headed toward the barn.
She went over to Jeff. “Did you hear what Ezra said?”
“I sure did. I didn’t like it. Tom feels bad as it is.”
“It won’t come to anything. Sarah doesn’t love anybody but Tom.”
Jeff, however, seemed not so sure. “I don’t know, Leah. A lot’s happened since we left. Sarah may have changed her mind.”
“I don’t believe it!”
Inside the house, she quickly found a time to whisper to Sarah, “What’s Ezra talking about—you and Dewitt Falor?”
Sarah’s cheeks flushed. “I wish he hadn’t said that. I haven’t done a thing to encourage Dewitt.”
“He thinks he’s going to marry you.”
“I know he does, but he’s wrong.”
“Why don’t you just tell him so?”
“I have told him so, and I’ll tell him again,” Sarah said. “But you know Dewitt. He’s bullheaded, and he’s always gotten everything he wanted. Now he’s got his mind set on me.”
“How about Tom?” Leah asked abruptly.
Sarah turned and looked at her younger sister. Quietly she said, “I’ve always loved Tom. Ever since we were sixteen years old. I still do—and I always will.”
Leah threw her arms around Sarah, whispering, “Oh, I’m so glad!” Then she drew back and frowned. “But Tom feels bad about not having any money. And he’s back to worrying about losing his leg.”
“I know, and he won’t let me show how I feel about him.”
“We’ll find a way,” Leah said.
Sarah smiled. “You’re quite a little matchmaker, aren’t you?”
“Well, somebody has to do it!”
Supper was
Gina Robinson
Lesley Cookman
Bathroom Readers’ Institute
Unknown
Sarah Cornwell
David Liss
Dotti Enderle
Christine Feehan
Katherine Sparrow
Sigal Ehrlich