Good Hope Road by Lisa Wingate

Author:Lisa Wingate
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

EUDORA

Cheyenne tugged at my sleeve. I didn’t realize it until she pulled pretty hard. I looked away from the creek, where Toby was still jumpin’ in the shallows and Anna was following him around like a thirteen-year-old mother hen, reminding him he was only seven and couldn’t swim.

Cheyenne looked up at me with her little face too sober. “Did Daddy die in the tornado?” she asked.

The question stole my tongue.

Sitting alongside me, Christi clucked her lips. “Geez, Cheyenne. You’re such a baby. What a dumb question.”

I shook a finger at Christi. “You watch your tone, young lady. A nine-year-old girl ought not have such a smart mouth. Your little sister’s just worried about her daddy. That’s understandable.” I gathered Cheyenne in my arms and hugged her close, rocking her under my chin. “Your daddy’s fine, Sissy. He’s just been busy in town doin’ all he can to help folks, that’s all. That’s why he hasn’t been home.”

Cheyenne puffed a breath through her nose. “He oughta come home.”

“Oh, he will.” I noticed that Anna and Toby had stopped playing and come to the shore, so they could hear the answer to the question, too.

I thought for a minute before I said anything. I didn’t want to tell them that their daddy was helping to dig through the rubble, and, yes, it was dangerous. “He was home for a little while that first night, and then he was gone again early in the morning.” I asked him not to go. I’m ashamed of it, but I did. I kissed the top of Cheyenne’s damp hair. “He kissed you just like that.”

Cheyenne wiggled loose and craned her neck to look at me, her lips twisted to one side. “I didn’t feel anything.”

Anna piped up, her tone sweeter than her younger sister’s. “You were asleep, silly. Daddy left early this morning before you got up.”

“Did you see him?” Cheyenne asked her sister, sounding doubtful.

“Yes, I saw him.” Anna met my eyes and winked, like she was keeping a secret.

Cheyenne puffed out another sigh and leaned against me, burrowing under my chin. She looked down the creek at Lacy, who was writing on a piece of shale with a wet finger and watching the letters slowly fade. By herself, like she usually was.

“Is Lacy’s daddy ever coming home?” Cheyenne asked, too quiet for Lacy to hear.

“Hush.” I couldn’t bear to think about Cass, or what the future might bring.

“Of course Lacy’s daddy’s comin’ back,” Anna said, with the certainty of a thirteen-year-old. “Uncle Cass just has to get things worked out. That’s all.”

“How come Uncle Cass don’t ever come around?” Toby piped up, his brown eyes so innocent as he asked such a complicated question.

Because he went against his mama’s wishes and married that bar waitress. Because she don’t want him to come around here, that’s why. She don’t want him to be close to his family, and now look what’s happened. Poor Lacy’s so upset about being left with strangers, she won’t hardly talk.

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.