Baker City by C. J. Petit

Author:C. J. Petit [Petit, C. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-03-12T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Hugh was the first one up in the morning, as usual. He had just lain in bed for a long time before falling asleep, running through the entire wacky scheme he had come up with and it was still in the foreground of his thoughts when he awakened.

He started the cookstove and had some hot water soon for shaving, then went into the bathroom, washed and shaved, before he returned to the kitchen and made coffee. There was stirring in the house behind him and he hoped it was Rebecca.

He turned, sought her eyes and found them focused on his.

“Good morning, fair Rebecca.”

“Good morning, Hugh. You’re up early as usual.”

“I made some coffee. Would you like some?”

“Please.”

Hugh poured them each a cup of coffee and they sat down at the kitchen table.

“Ours is such a strange relationship, Rebecca.”

“That, Hugh, is the understatement of the century.”

“Tomorrow, that will all change. There will be no danger of losing your children. I know that worries you more than anything, but I think I have a way to prevent that. I can’t tell you about it because I need your reaction in the courtroom to be totally normal. Will you trust me, Rebecca?”

“With my life, Hugh, and more importantly, with my children’s lives.”

They were still staring into each other’s eyes when another adult stepped into the kitchen.

“How are you this morning, Rebecca?” Susan asked.

Rebecca and Hugh broke eye contact and turned as Rebeca replied, “I’m fine, Susan. How are you?”

“Great. Never better. Would you like some breakfast, Hugh, or are you just going with coffee today?”

“I’m not sure. I need to get that wagon brought in. It’s only a half mile down the road, so I think I’ll just roll a replacement wheel down there rather than taking the buggy. I already looked outside, and the wind has dried out the mud already. It looks like it’s a clear day and a warm one, so I think I’ll head out in a minute. I may have something when I get back, though.”

“We’ll save something for you,” Susan said.

“Thanks. I’m off, then.”

He took once last glance at Rebecca before he left the house through the kitchen door. He went to the barn, found the spare wheel, greased it just in case Betty’s wagon was low on grease, then he began rolling it. It was almost like a game as he spun the wheel down the access road and then turned onto the road heading toward the stricken wagon. He’d roll it and trot to catch up to it and reached the wagon in just six minutes.

He set the wheel on the ground, and looked underneath the wagon, found the jack and put it in place under the axle, loosened the holding nut one turn then began lifting the heavy wagon, surprised the jack didn’t sink at all. The mud had dried as hard as rock. He finally got the wagon high enough to remove the destroyed wheel, removed the nut and slid the remains of the shattered wheel from the axle.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.