A Time to Keep by Kelly Eileen Hake

Author:Kelly Eileen Hake
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Christian, Chick-Lit, Fiction, Romance, Montana, Inspirational, Women's Fiction, Love Stories
ISBN: 9781597896580
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc
Published: 2007-08-21T23:00:00+00:00

“Arthur?” Ewan made a beeline for the smithy as soon as he had a chance that afternoon. He waited for the older man’s hammer to stop ringing before he went on. “I’ve a question to ask you.”

“I assumed as much.” Arthur’s smile took the barb from the words. “Though I should warn you that Marlene spilled the news at lunch. I know you’ve spoken wi’ Rosey and decided to stay the winter. I’ll not be standing in your way, Ewan.”

“ ’Tis glad I am to hear it,” Ewan said. “Now that I’ve made the decision, I’ll have to find a way to make it work. I was wondering whether you could tell me who used to live in the smaller house so close to your own? As near as I can tell, ’tisn’t in use.”

“Ah. That used to be Gilda’s home. She lived there wi’ Cade—they were Kaitlin’s parents you ken—up until Cade passed on two years ago.” He shrugged. “ ’Twasn’t safe to let her live alone at her age, and she said the place held too many memories of Cade while she was grieving. So you’ve the right o’ it. Gilda stays wi’ us, and the house has stood empty for a bit.” He cast Ewan a sidelong glance. “I know Brent Freimont hoped to purchase it as a home not too far in the future.”

“Brent Freimont?” Ewan recalled the youth’s treatment of Rosalind at the corn husking and his menacing glare after Ewan claimed his kiss. “He’ll be having no need of it,” he stated flatly. “Do I have your approval?”

“Aye,” Arthur agreed. “Rosey has never looked on Brent wi’ the affection he bears for her. ’Twouldn’t hae been a good match.”

“Do I speak wi’ you or Gilda about renting the house through winter?” Ewan smiled at Arthur’s assessment of Brent.

“I’m all for it, but you’ll have to speak wi’ Gilda. Though she lives wi’ us, ’tis still the home of her heart.”

“And I’ll treat it as such.” He thought of Rosalind’s grandmam, the roadmap of wrinkles around her loving gaze and the way she’d looked him over when they first met. “She’s a good woman, and I’ll not be showing disrespect to her memories. Should she decide not to let me have the place, ’twill be simple enough to build a small soddy.” He thought of living half underground, shut in by snow and walled in by solid earth for months at a time. He’d bear with dirt and burrowing bugs to win Rosalind, but all the same…“I do hope Gilda will let me rent the house.”

“She’ll be at home now, if you’re half so anxious to ask as I’m thinking you are.” Arthur gave him a wry smile. “Gilda seems to have taken a liking to you, if that helps.”

“I’ll take all the advantages I can get when it comes t’ courting your daughter.” Ewan nodded his appreciation and began to leave the smithy. “My thanks for your advice, Arthur.”

He set off on the pleasant walk to the MacLean homestead.

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