Forget Me Not (The Heart's Spring) by Amber Stokes

Author:Amber Stokes [Stokes, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Seasons of a Story
Published: 2014-01-18T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Night pressed down on the hillside as Elizabeth sat on the steps of her brother’s porch. The sun was setting behind her. As it touched the tip of Sun Mountain, scattered clouds of red crept across her peripheral vision, sparks of fire fanning across the sky. The approaching darkness, less bold but far more consuming, sent a shudder down her spine.

Movement caught her eye just then, and she let out a gasp. “Joe, ya startled me!”

His gentle smile put her at ease, though, as he came and sat down next to her, clasping his hands around his knees. “Sorry. I guess ya didn’t see me comin’.”

She returned her gaze to the clouds. “No. I was distracted by the sky. Isn’t it strange tonight?”

He looked up at the lingering pink and shrugged. “Yeah.”

The following silence ate at her like the darkness. She wanted to ask him about her brother, wanted to pry out the knowledge he held so tightly in his grasp, far above her reach, like Amos holding something above his head when he was in a mood to tease her about her shortness. She wished she could forget about it, but whatever the problem was, it made her feel that her new friends and family were out of her reach, as well. She couldn’t ignore that.

Still, no words came as she turned to Joe. She knew he wouldn’t betray her brother. Or maybe he was trying to shield her. But she didn’t want to be barred from the truth. Didn’t he know that?

“What is it, Elizabeth?” He studied her, wary.

She huffed out a sigh and looked down at her feet, bound tightly in her boots as they rested on the lower step. Shaking her head, she said nothing.

“Are ya homesick?”

Perhaps in some ways she was, but she shook her head back and forth again. Homesickness was not her primary concern at the moment.

“I’m glad.”

Genuine warmth filled his voice, and she startled when he cupped her cheek with his strong hand and turned her face to his. Without hesitation, he pressed his lips to hers.

***

“I appreciate you coming with me.” David offered Myghal a tight smile as he walked down the slope toward Elizabeth’s brother’s home. His nerves were on edge, from more than just seeing his girl.

My girl. His smile turned true, and he pushed aside the uncertainty. He was just concerned the late visit might be taken the wrong way. “I only want to stop and say goodnight to Elizabeth, maybe let her know that I’m keeping my word.”

Myghal grinned as he ambled alongside David. “I see yer takin’ my advice. Ne’er let a day go by without seein’ her face, that’s me motto.”

David nodded, anticipation churning in his gut. They turned toward Jacob and Annabelle’s house as the stars slowly appeared, the moon nowhere in sight. As they approached, he noticed the silhouettes of two people on the porch.

Suddenly Myghal grabbed his arm.

“Perhaps we better pay ’er a visit tomorrow, my friend. Didn’t ya say there was a lot ye needed to do tonight?”

David made no reply.

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.