the
little girl, winking at Suzanne. “Of course you were, Helen. In
fact, your father told me he couldn’t have managed these last
months without your help.”
“Did he really say that?” she asked, her
voice a mixture of hope and suspicion.
Sarah turned and gave the girl her full
attention. “Yes. You’ve done a wonderful job with your sister and
brother. You should be very proud.”
“I can’t cook like Ma.” With her chin in the
air, Helen tossed the words out like a challenge.
“Your mother had years of practice,” Sarah
said.
“I can’t sew as good as Ma.”
Sarah nodded. “I imagine not.”
“Ma promised she was going to teach me
but…”
Silence hung in the air. Sarah’s heart broke
for the little girl. But she died before she had the chance. She searched for the right words. “I’m sure—”
“I’m not much of a seamstress either,”
Suzanne interrupted, her voice soft. “And I haven’t ever done much
in the way of cooking. But I know a woman in town who can do both.
Problem is, she can’t read.”
“I’m a good reader. Pa is always saying
so.”
Suzanne walked over to Helen. “You don’t
suppose you’d be willing to spend a couple hours helping her learn
to read? Maybe she’d be willing to share some cooking and sewing
secrets with you.”
Helen’s eyes lit up. “I’ll ask my Pa.”
“You do that. If he says its fine, then I’ll
make the arrangements.” Suzanne patted the girl’s shoulder. “You go
on outside now. Who knows what Thomas is in to?”
“Ma used to say that trouble followed Thomas
around.”
“Your mother was a very wise woman,” Suzanne
said.
“And pretty too,” Helen added.
“Pretty, too,” Suzanne agreed.
“Not as pretty as you,” Helen said, as she
opened the door. Halfway down the steps, she turned. “You’re
beautiful.”
Sarah waited until Helen got out of hearing
range before turning to Suzanne. “That was brilliant. She loves
books.”
“I know. Her father told me.”
“Oh. Are you and Fred friends?”
“We’re…” Suzanne looked around the room as if
the answer was written on the walls. “We’re sort of friendly. Look,
I really do have to be going.” She reached for her purse but Sarah
grabbed it first.
“Please stay,” she said. “I like you, and
right now, I could use a friend.”
Suzanne shook her head. “It’s not in your
best interest to be friends with me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
Sarah waved her hand. “I used to live here
but it’s been a while.”
Playing with her ear lobe, Suzanne looked at
Sarah. “I came to Cedarbrook about two months ago.”
Wonderful. She wouldn’t have known the
dastardly Sarah One. “Do you live in town?” Sarah asked.
Suzanne nodded, looking frustrated. “I live
above the saloon.”
Those silly puzzle pieces started to line up
their irregular edges. Low self-esteem. A room over the saloon.
“Fred was one of my first…acquaintances.”
Click. Corner piece just slid home. Sarah
didn’t have to wonder any longer about that pained look in Fred’s
eyes earlier when he’d confessed his weakness.
“I gather his father-in-law doesn’t know,”
Sarah said.
Suzanne looked alarmed. “That would be
horrible for Fred.”
So that’s the way it was. She didn’t care
about her own reputation but she didn’t want Fred’s to be maligned.
“Just how long did it take before you knew Fred wasn’t just another
acquaintance?” Sarah asked.
Suzanne blushed, her fair skin turning a
bright pink. “The second time,” she whispered. “He brought me a
flower. Nobody had ever done that before.”
“He’ll be sorry he missed you. He’s in the
field.”
“I heard that Missy scared off the Indian
woman.”
For a world without e-mail or cell phones,
word sure did travel fast. “When did you hear that?”
“Last night, at the saloon. The woman must
have run right from here to the next place east, the
little girl, winking at Suzanne. “Of course you were, Helen. In
fact, your father told me he couldn’t have managed these last
months without your help.”
“Did he really say that?” she asked, her
voice a mixture of hope and suspicion.
Sarah turned and gave the girl her full
attention. “Yes. You’ve done a wonderful job with your sister and
brother. You should be very proud.”
“I can’t cook like Ma.” With her chin in the
air, Helen tossed the words out like a challenge.
“Your mother had years of practice,” Sarah
said.
“I can’t sew as good as Ma.”
Sarah nodded. “I imagine not.”
“Ma promised she was going to teach me
but…”
Silence hung in the air. Sarah’s heart broke
for the little girl. But she died before she had the chance. She searched for the right words. “I’m sure—”
“I’m not much of a seamstress either,”
Suzanne interrupted, her voice soft. “And I haven’t ever done much
in the way of cooking. But I know a woman in town who can do both.
Problem is, she can’t read.”
“I’m a good reader. Pa is always saying
so.”
Suzanne walked over to Helen. “You don’t
suppose you’d be willing to spend a couple hours helping her learn
to read? Maybe she’d be willing to share some cooking and sewing
secrets with you.”
Helen’s eyes lit up. “I’ll ask my Pa.”
“You do that. If he says its fine, then I’ll
make the arrangements.” Suzanne patted the girl’s shoulder. “You go
on outside now. Who knows what Thomas is in to?”
“Ma used to say that trouble followed Thomas
around.”
“Your mother was a very wise woman,” Suzanne
said.
“And pretty too,” Helen added.
“Pretty, too,” Suzanne agreed.
“Not as pretty as you,” Helen said, as she
opened the door. Halfway down the steps, she turned. “You’re
beautiful.”
Sarah waited until Helen got out of hearing
range before turning to Suzanne. “That was brilliant. She loves
books.”
“I know. Her father told me.”
“Oh. Are you and Fred friends?”
“We’re…” Suzanne looked around the room as if
the answer was written on the walls. “We’re sort of friendly. Look,
I really do have to be going.” She reached for her purse but Sarah
grabbed it first.
“Please stay,” she said. “I like you, and
right now, I could use a friend.”
Suzanne shook her head. “It’s not in your
best interest to be friends with me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
Sarah waved her hand. “I used to live here
but it’s been a while.”
Playing with her ear lobe, Suzanne looked at
Sarah. “I came to Cedarbrook about two months ago.”
Wonderful. She wouldn’t have known the
dastardly Sarah One. “Do you live in town?” Sarah asked.
Suzanne nodded, looking frustrated. “I live
above the saloon.”
Those silly puzzle pieces started to line up
their irregular edges. Low self-esteem. A room over the saloon.
“Fred was one of my first…acquaintances.”
Click. Corner piece just slid home. Sarah
didn’t have to wonder any longer about that pained look in Fred’s
eyes earlier when he’d confessed his weakness.
“I gather his father-in-law doesn’t know,”
Sarah said.
Suzanne looked alarmed. “That would be
horrible for Fred.”
So that’s the way it was. She didn’t care
about her own reputation but she didn’t want Fred’s to be maligned.
“Just how long did it take before you knew Fred wasn’t just another
acquaintance?” Sarah asked.
Suzanne blushed, her fair skin turning a
bright pink. “The second time,” she whispered. “He brought me a
flower. Nobody had ever done that before.”
“He’ll be sorry he missed you. He’s in the
field.”
“I heard that Missy scared off the Indian
woman.”
For a world without e-mail or cell phones,
word sure did travel fast. “When did you hear that?”
“Last night, at the saloon. The woman must
have run right from here to the next place east, the
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