Excerpt from Chapter 5: Peach Blossom Rancher
FREE THROUGH BLACK FRIDAY
By Ada Brownell
As
soon as John Parks opened the gate to the north pasture and lifted the new
leather bridle off the sleek animal’s long quivering neck and nose, the black
stallion galloped away, stirring the wind
Pinions
scented the cool breeze in the early morning light.
The
horse came to the white three-rail fence at the north end of the pasture,
pivoted abruptly, and rounded the pasture again at a full run.
Bile
filled John’s stomach and tongue. Would the formerly abused animal jump the
fence?
The
mare grazing nearby in the green field tilted her head toward the galloping
stallion and neighed.
The
regal horse swung toward her.
John
and Abe walked a distance away to let them get acquainted.
Weariness seemed to spread in John’s young bones as he
walked. He felt the weight of caring for the people in his home. How long had
it been since he’d had a good laugh and no worries?
He sighed, and Abe turned and looked at him.
“The young mama we found in the barn is lots better
now.” Abe puffed a little and sounded out of breath as he climbed up the hill.
“The babe doesn’t cry as much, either.
What you gonna do with ’em? Polly said you was a prayin’ ’bout it.”
John rubbed his cheek. The scar seemed to be shrinking
some. “You know I wish God would talk to us out loud. Abe, how do you know what
to do when it comes to making hard decisions?”
Abe blinked his dark eyes. The fluttering lashes now had grown white, like most of his curly hair.
“Oh, God speak to us all right.” He patted the area near his heart. “Sometimes
I hear ’im right here. Other times, when
I’s reading the Bible, his will is loud and clear. Right regularly when the
preacher gets wound up on Sundays, he say things straight from God. The main
thing is to decide to do God’s will even before he shows it to you. Then when
things develop a certain way, you know what ya s’pose
to do.”
“I think I need to do more readin’ and prayin’.” John
trudged toward the house.
After John cleaned up for dinner, his gaze followed
Bellea Peabody as she brought the baby to the table and sat down shyly, tipping
her face downward, letting the light show freckled skin as pale as a bucket of
milk. Her shabby dress clung close to her body, and he guessed her bones filled
out the garment.
Abe prayed
another powerful prayer for each person around the table, and goose bumps raised
over John as he whispered his own prayer before lifting his head. Tears pooled
in Bellea’s eyes but didn’t spill onto her cheeks.
“My daddy used to pray.” Soft and shaky, her voice
barely broke the stillness. “Thank you for praying for me and helping me. But I
must be going. I can’t keep eating your food forever.”
“You’re welcome to stay here until you find a job.”
John didn’t even need to think about it.
“I … I don’t know if I can get a job with little David
Jonathan to care for.”
A horse and carriage rumbled into the yard. Taking
another gulp of coffee, John stood. A woman in a fancy black hat and velvet
cape hopped down and charged forward like a rooster ready to flog.
Bellea gasped and ran for the bedroom, leaving her
plate.
A fist or a foot rattled the door.
“I heard you have a young woman and baby here.” The
red-faced woman barged through the door. “I’m Mrs. Davenport. I have reason to
believe you harbor a girl who used to work for me. The boy she delivered is my
grandson. I’m not leaving the child for a trollop to raise. I want the babe.”
John stared at the woman until he realized his jaw
hung open. He closed his mouth tight.
“She enticed my son, and now she can bear the
consequences. Besides, she has no money to care for the boy.” Her voice rose to
a higher pitch. “Let me see him. Where is he?”
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