Love's Enduring Promise (Love Comes Softly Series #2) by Janette Oke Page A
Authors: Janette Oke
Ads: Link
be vanishing. If Jedd was moving away, there would be no hope of the girls ever getting any schooling.
Jedd answered, "What 'bout the girls? Wagon-trainin' won't hurt 'em none. Do 'em good to see more of the country." "But--but they be so young."
Marty stopped. Something within her warned her to be silent, but she suddenly felt sick to her stomach as all her hopes and unanswered prayers came crashing down about her.
Jedd looked at her evenly, but said nothing. He then reached for another piece of gingerbread and went on as though Marty had never spoken.
"This new man--name's Zeke LaHaye. Seemed to like the looks of my land real good--paid me a first-rate price fer it. He's got 'im three young'uns--a near-growed girl an' two Young boys."
56
"Thet right?" Clark responded. "Guess I should pay me a call on 'em. Might want to send his young'uns to school." Jedd snorted.
"Don't know why he'd do a fool thing like thet. Both of those boys be big enough to git some work out of. Must be around twelve an' eight I'd say. An' thet daughter be almost of an age to take on a home of her own. I be thinkin' myself thet she might be right handy to have along goin' West."
He grinned a lecherous grin. Marty felt her stomach sicken. Clark humored the man.
"S'pose," he said slowly, "thet a young good-lookin' buck like you be takin' another bride 'fore ya know it."
He winked at Jedd, and Marty felt hot anger raise against him. Clark looked thoughtful, then broke the silence.
"Ya know I'm a thinkin' thet when it comes to marryin' agin a young woman might think twice 'bout takin' on two near-growed girls. 'Course an older, more sensible-like woman might not mind. Ya could always do thet--take ya an older, settled one 'stead of some flighty, pretty young thing. Might not be as much fun but. . ."
Clark was silent, and it was obvious by the look on Jedd's face that he was thinking on the words.
"Ya could leave the girls here I s'pose, so's they wouldn't slow ya down none, either in yer travel, or any other way."
Clark gave Jedd a playful jab with his elbow. Jedd grinned.
"Hadn't thought of thet," he deliberated, "but those new folk gonna move into my house--hafta have everythin' all cleared out tomorra. Don't s'pose they want the girls hangin' on."
"Thet's tough," said Clark and appeared to really be working on Jedd's problem. "Kinda puts a man at a disadvantage- like, don't it?"
Jedd looked worried. Marty wished that she could excuse herself and go be sick. Never had Clark made her so angry--or so puzzled. To sit there feeding the ego of this, this disgusting person and disposing of his two daughters as though they were unwanted baggage made her so upset that she feared at any
57
moment she might explode.
Clark seemed to have suddenly thought of something.
"S'pose ya could put 'em up here fer a while. We do have us an extry bedroom. Mightiest be able to make room."
So that was it. Marty's climbing temper began to recede. Clark was using Jedd's self-image as a male of desirable qualities to try to fight for the girls. He was offering to keep them. Marty wondered why she hadn't thought of it. She sent Clark a quick glance to show him that she now understood and to implore him to please, please fight.
Jedd rubbed his grizzly chin.
"Thet right?"
"I think we could manage--'til ya got kinda settled-like," Clark grinned and jabbed with his elbow again.
Jedd appeared to be thinking carefully.
" 'Course," Clark continued, "Marty has the say of the house an' how crowded-in she wants us. Sorta up to her."
Marty wanted to cry out, "Oh, please, please, Jedd," but instead she took her cue from Clark, and even surprised herself at her nonchalant empty-sounding voice.
"S'pose we could--fer a while--iffen it'll help ya out some."
"Might do," Jedd finally said. "Yeah, might do."
Marty didn't dare look up. The hot tears in her eyes threatened to spill into her coffee cup. She quickly left the table on the pretense of tending to the fire. When
Jedd answered, "What 'bout the girls? Wagon-trainin' won't hurt 'em none. Do 'em good to see more of the country." "But--but they be so young."
Marty stopped. Something within her warned her to be silent, but she suddenly felt sick to her stomach as all her hopes and unanswered prayers came crashing down about her.
Jedd looked at her evenly, but said nothing. He then reached for another piece of gingerbread and went on as though Marty had never spoken.
"This new man--name's Zeke LaHaye. Seemed to like the looks of my land real good--paid me a first-rate price fer it. He's got 'im three young'uns--a near-growed girl an' two Young boys."
56
"Thet right?" Clark responded. "Guess I should pay me a call on 'em. Might want to send his young'uns to school." Jedd snorted.
"Don't know why he'd do a fool thing like thet. Both of those boys be big enough to git some work out of. Must be around twelve an' eight I'd say. An' thet daughter be almost of an age to take on a home of her own. I be thinkin' myself thet she might be right handy to have along goin' West."
He grinned a lecherous grin. Marty felt her stomach sicken. Clark humored the man.
"S'pose," he said slowly, "thet a young good-lookin' buck like you be takin' another bride 'fore ya know it."
He winked at Jedd, and Marty felt hot anger raise against him. Clark looked thoughtful, then broke the silence.
"Ya know I'm a thinkin' thet when it comes to marryin' agin a young woman might think twice 'bout takin' on two near-growed girls. 'Course an older, more sensible-like woman might not mind. Ya could always do thet--take ya an older, settled one 'stead of some flighty, pretty young thing. Might not be as much fun but. . ."
Clark was silent, and it was obvious by the look on Jedd's face that he was thinking on the words.
"Ya could leave the girls here I s'pose, so's they wouldn't slow ya down none, either in yer travel, or any other way."
Clark gave Jedd a playful jab with his elbow. Jedd grinned.
"Hadn't thought of thet," he deliberated, "but those new folk gonna move into my house--hafta have everythin' all cleared out tomorra. Don't s'pose they want the girls hangin' on."
"Thet's tough," said Clark and appeared to really be working on Jedd's problem. "Kinda puts a man at a disadvantage- like, don't it?"
Jedd looked worried. Marty wished that she could excuse herself and go be sick. Never had Clark made her so angry--or so puzzled. To sit there feeding the ego of this, this disgusting person and disposing of his two daughters as though they were unwanted baggage made her so upset that she feared at any
57
moment she might explode.
Clark seemed to have suddenly thought of something.
"S'pose ya could put 'em up here fer a while. We do have us an extry bedroom. Mightiest be able to make room."
So that was it. Marty's climbing temper began to recede. Clark was using Jedd's self-image as a male of desirable qualities to try to fight for the girls. He was offering to keep them. Marty wondered why she hadn't thought of it. She sent Clark a quick glance to show him that she now understood and to implore him to please, please fight.
Jedd rubbed his grizzly chin.
"Thet right?"
"I think we could manage--'til ya got kinda settled-like," Clark grinned and jabbed with his elbow again.
Jedd appeared to be thinking carefully.
" 'Course," Clark continued, "Marty has the say of the house an' how crowded-in she wants us. Sorta up to her."
Marty wanted to cry out, "Oh, please, please, Jedd," but instead she took her cue from Clark, and even surprised herself at her nonchalant empty-sounding voice.
"S'pose we could--fer a while--iffen it'll help ya out some."
"Might do," Jedd finally said. "Yeah, might do."
Marty didn't dare look up. The hot tears in her eyes threatened to spill into her coffee cup. She quickly left the table on the pretense of tending to the fire. When
Similar Books
