Into The Deep by Lauralee Bliss

Author:Lauralee Bliss [Bliss, Lauralee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-07-24T04:00:00+00:00

Nine

She was a beautiful vision to him. Her hair caught in the wind. Her blue eyes held a measure of expectancy as she extended the invitation to him with fair and unblemished hands. He wished he hadn’t been so suspicious during her visit, wishing, instead, he could have revealed his true heart. He had wanted to tell her that he would run all the way if he could, dashing by horseback over hills and dales, just to dine with her and stare into her eyes. How he wanted to shout what lay hidden within his heart, if not for other things that barred the way. He wanted to cast away all obstacles—the suspicions, the rifts, the cave, his aunt’s death—everything, so he might experience love and marriage. Perhaps God had opened the door by allowing this dinner to take place. He would speak what lay on his heart and forget about it. He would drink in Susanna for as long as he dared, and afterward, take her on an evening stroll.

As he rode over to his uncle’s place, he hoped he could convince Uncle Dwight to accept the invitation without raising further difficulty or suspicion. He had not heard from the man in quite some time. He would have checked on him sooner if not for the recent memories of the rifle and the harsh words. Easing his hold on the reins, he slowed to a stop. The cabin looked forlorn and still, as if shrouded in a veil of sadness. He slowly approached the place, keeping careful watch, and called out a greeting so as not to be hailed by another bullet. “Hello! Uncle, you here?”

The door slowly opened. Uncle Dwight emerged, a blanket wrapped around him, shivering. Jared dismounted from his horse and stared in disbelief. “Uncle?”

“I’m sick, Jared,” he said, interrupted by a hacking cough.

“Let me help you.” He assisted the older man inside to a chair, where Uncle Dwight fell down with grunt. The place was cold. Jared set to work stoking the fire. Then he looked around for something to make up a cup of tea. Finding a few dried herbs on hand, he put water in a pot to hang over the fire.

“Never felt so awful in my life,” he confessed. “Wish Mattie were here. How I miss her. Maybe this means I’m going to her soon.”

Jared said nothing but waited for the pot to boil. He then began mixing some corn pone in an iron skillet coated with lard. “I’ll get you food real soon, Uncle. Then you’ll feel better.” He did not realize his uncle had been staring at him until he turned to pour water onto the herb mixture, letting it steep.

“How’ve you been, boy?”

Jared looked up in a start. He couldn’t believe the question after all the heartache they had suffered, including his uncle’s abandonment. “Doing all right, Uncle,” he said softly.

“Need you to help plow the rest of the field there,” Dwight added, shifting about in the worn blanket. “Won’t have no crop come up lessen it gits plowed some more.

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