Joanna and the Footloose Cowboy by Linda Ford

Author:Linda Ford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

nine

“A picnic?” Emotions chased each other across Freddy’s face. Surprise then a flash of excitement quickly wiped away with fear then settling into indifference.

Rudy understood his confusion. Likely he’d never gone on a picnic or anything just for the fun of it. Rudy certainly couldn’t remember doing so as a child. Sure, he’d eaten outdoors lots of times, especially since he’d taken to a cowboy sort of life. But just for fun? Just to share time with others?

Or was he reading too much into the situation? Expecting something always resulted in disappointment. He ought to know that well enough. “Miss Joanna says she wants to show us a nice place.”

Freddy nodded. “Can I bring my knife?”

“Don’t see why not.” Rudy wished he could take something along to guard himself against hoping for things beyond his reach. But all he had at his disposal was the good sense to be cautious.

Joanna set a picnic basket on the verandah where he and Freddy waited. “I’ll just grab a wrap, and then I’m ready to go.”

Rudy picked up the basket. She sure must have packed a lot of food. But hauling the thing gave him something to pin his thoughts to besides admiring Joanna and wishing things could be different.

He might as well wish for the stars to land in his pocket. A man couldn’t undo the past or change who he was or how he felt.

Joanna pointed to the trail leading up the hill, and Freddy scampered ahead, exploring every root and cluster of trees along the path.

“It’s a glorious day, isn’t it?” Joanna lifted her arms heaven-ward as if embracing the world.

“I haven’t paid much attention, but it is.” One of those golden autumn days when the light had a warm glow to it, the wind was gentle and kind, the leaves flashed like coins caught on the branches, and the air practically burst with a scent peculiar to fall and crispy foliage. And beside him, a woman whose brown eyes were even warmer than the sunshine and who carried an inner source of light that shone through her.

“Days like this remind me how much God loves me.”

He couldn’t say he agreed. Nothing much made him think God loved him. After all, if his mother couldn’t love him, who could? Betty had answered that question for him in an unmistakable way. Seemed no one could. But he wasn’t about to introduce any note of discord.

They drew near a clearing with a log house.

“This is where Trace and Mandy live.”

“Nice house.”

“That’s the one Trace built.” She directed his attention to a crude shed. “That’s the one Mandy built.” Then she told an amusing story of a race between Mandy and Trace. The agreement was, whoever got their house built first got the land. “Trace called it a twig house.”

“So who won?”

“I guess Trace, though Mandy would say she did. But she abandoned her house to help Trace with his, and now they share it as man and wife.”

He chuckled. “Your sisters are quite a pair.

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