hard to concentrate on his driving instead of the weeping girl clinging to his side.
Buddy steered the horse down a side street that ran alongside the railroad tracks and parked the rig. Setting the brake, he pulled Charity closer and patted her shoulder while she cried. He searched his mind for comforting words but came up painfully short. “There now. It can’t be all that bad.”
“Yes, it is!” she wailed. “How can you say that? I’ll be sleeping in the streets tonight.”
He tried not to focus on how small she felt against him, how soft. “I’m right sure that won’t happen.”
“It has happened. I have nowhere else to go. I can’t stay at Mother Dane’s. I won’t.” Her wail became a sob, and she hid her face in her hands. “Don’t ask me to explain. You wouldn’t understand.”
He cleared his throat. “Oh, I don’t know so much about that. I might understand a lot better than you think.”
Charity grew still against him. “What are you implying, sir?” When he didn’t answer, she leaned to stare up at him, her face a swollen mess. “You know, don’t you?”
Buddy raised his brows. “Any way I answer that question makes me a cad. If I say yes, I risk embarrassing you. If I say no, I’ve deceived you. Which do you prefer?”
She burrowed into his chest again. “I could just die. Oh, please don’t look at me. I’m so ashamed.”
“There’s no need to be.”
“Yes, there is. I’m a jealous, spiteful shrew.”
Buddy couldn’t help but smile. He was glad she couldn’t see him. “I’m sure you’re neither of those things.”
“I am. You don’t know what I’ve done.”
He patted her on the back. “I can’t imagine you doing anything wrong.”
She tilted her head and peered up at him. “Last night Emmy climbed out a window to be with Daniel. I locked her out of the house ... in her nightdress.”
One look at her guilty expression should’ve been all the warning Buddy needed to keep a straight face, but his callous sense of humor betrayed him. He was going to laugh whatever the cost. He held her and roared until his sides ached.
When he dared to look up, he was shocked to find Charity beaming. Her nose was still red, her eyes bright with tears, but mirth lit her glowing face. By golly, the Okie was right. She was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Her big eyes held his for a heartbeat, and he forgot to breathe.
“You are a cad indeed, sir.” Her rebuke might’ve stung if not for her broad smile.
He took off his hat and placed it over his heart but couldn’t stifle a smile of his own. “I guess I owe you another apology.”
“Well, don’t you bother. Though I’m touched by your sincerity.”
“Miss Bloom, I sense you doubt me.”
She waved her hand. “Please, call me Charity. Now that I’ve bared my soul and given you a glimpse of my lower nature, I believe we can dispense with formalities.”
Hat still at his chest, he bowed his head. “I would be honored.”
Huge raindrops began to fall, pelting the top of Buddy’s bare head. Instinctively, he held his hat over Charity.
She leaned from under the brim and peered up at the sky. “Now do you see how awful this is? I can’t even get in out of the rain. There’s no place for me to go.”
“Wait a minute.” He should have thought of it before. Or had she just inspired him? “I think maybe there is.”
“But where?”
The rain came down harder, soaking them to the skin. Buddy handed her his hat and took up the reins, whirling the horse into the street. “Hang on,” he shouted. “You’ll find out when we get there.”
CHAPTER 6
Bertha lay curled at the foot of Magdalena’s green-striped divan, one finger dead center of a checker. Magda sat across from her, propped against the flower-print pillows at her back. Earlier she had raised the sash to ease the cloying stillness. Now the scent of rain wafted in on a lively breeze that pestered the curtains and flapped the shade. Though it put
Buddy steered the horse down a side street that ran alongside the railroad tracks and parked the rig. Setting the brake, he pulled Charity closer and patted her shoulder while she cried. He searched his mind for comforting words but came up painfully short. “There now. It can’t be all that bad.”
“Yes, it is!” she wailed. “How can you say that? I’ll be sleeping in the streets tonight.”
He tried not to focus on how small she felt against him, how soft. “I’m right sure that won’t happen.”
“It has happened. I have nowhere else to go. I can’t stay at Mother Dane’s. I won’t.” Her wail became a sob, and she hid her face in her hands. “Don’t ask me to explain. You wouldn’t understand.”
He cleared his throat. “Oh, I don’t know so much about that. I might understand a lot better than you think.”
Charity grew still against him. “What are you implying, sir?” When he didn’t answer, she leaned to stare up at him, her face a swollen mess. “You know, don’t you?”
Buddy raised his brows. “Any way I answer that question makes me a cad. If I say yes, I risk embarrassing you. If I say no, I’ve deceived you. Which do you prefer?”
She burrowed into his chest again. “I could just die. Oh, please don’t look at me. I’m so ashamed.”
“There’s no need to be.”
“Yes, there is. I’m a jealous, spiteful shrew.”
Buddy couldn’t help but smile. He was glad she couldn’t see him. “I’m sure you’re neither of those things.”
“I am. You don’t know what I’ve done.”
He patted her on the back. “I can’t imagine you doing anything wrong.”
She tilted her head and peered up at him. “Last night Emmy climbed out a window to be with Daniel. I locked her out of the house ... in her nightdress.”
One look at her guilty expression should’ve been all the warning Buddy needed to keep a straight face, but his callous sense of humor betrayed him. He was going to laugh whatever the cost. He held her and roared until his sides ached.
When he dared to look up, he was shocked to find Charity beaming. Her nose was still red, her eyes bright with tears, but mirth lit her glowing face. By golly, the Okie was right. She was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Her big eyes held his for a heartbeat, and he forgot to breathe.
“You are a cad indeed, sir.” Her rebuke might’ve stung if not for her broad smile.
He took off his hat and placed it over his heart but couldn’t stifle a smile of his own. “I guess I owe you another apology.”
“Well, don’t you bother. Though I’m touched by your sincerity.”
“Miss Bloom, I sense you doubt me.”
She waved her hand. “Please, call me Charity. Now that I’ve bared my soul and given you a glimpse of my lower nature, I believe we can dispense with formalities.”
Hat still at his chest, he bowed his head. “I would be honored.”
Huge raindrops began to fall, pelting the top of Buddy’s bare head. Instinctively, he held his hat over Charity.
She leaned from under the brim and peered up at the sky. “Now do you see how awful this is? I can’t even get in out of the rain. There’s no place for me to go.”
“Wait a minute.” He should have thought of it before. Or had she just inspired him? “I think maybe there is.”
“But where?”
The rain came down harder, soaking them to the skin. Buddy handed her his hat and took up the reins, whirling the horse into the street. “Hang on,” he shouted. “You’ll find out when we get there.”
CHAPTER 6
Bertha lay curled at the foot of Magdalena’s green-striped divan, one finger dead center of a checker. Magda sat across from her, propped against the flower-print pillows at her back. Earlier she had raised the sash to ease the cloying stillness. Now the scent of rain wafted in on a lively breeze that pestered the curtains and flapped the shade. Though it put
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