Learning to Trust by Ruth Logan Herne

Author:Ruth Logan Herne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-01-09T20:57:36+00:00

Chapter Nine

Christa studied the sloping apple orchard, the four kids, then Tug late Sunday morning. “How do you pick apples and keep the kids close by, because one minute of distraction means Jonah or Jeremy have disappeared into the wilderness at the back of the orchard.”

His laugh reassured her. “It’s a creek bed, but the creek’s just a trickle right now. In answer to your question, we divide and conquer.”

“The words of a true general.”

“I do like taking charge,” he admitted. “How’s this?” he asked. “Vangie and I will take Jeremy. You and Nathan keep an eye on Jonah. If he plunks himself down to eat an apple, all the better.” He polished a Gala apple against his soft-knit pullover and handed it to the boy.

“Can he chew the skin?” she asked because she’d always peeled the skin off apples at Tug’s parents’ house.

“We’ll soon find out.”

He threw her a rogue grin, but must have taken pity on her when she cast a worried look because he nudged her shoulder. “He’s almost three. He’s got molars, right? He’s going to do fine.”

To prove him right, Jonah wasted no time taking a tiny bite of the apple. Then he peeked up at her and Tug and flashed a mouthful of baby teeth.

Oh, that smile!

Being younger, Jonah didn’t seem as affected by the loss of his mother. Or maybe it was his more easygoing personality. He was like a friendly puppy, loving on everyone. It wasn’t that he didn’t miss Marta, but he wasn’t consumed by it.

Jeremy was a different story. He went along with Vangie and Tug when they moved to the Granny Smith row to fill two baskets specifically for applesauce, but as she watched, he kept glancing around. Looking for something. Or someone. He was a lost soul, and while he tried to have fun, the effort was a struggle.

That lasted until a fluffy black-and-white dog trotted into the area, followed by an eccentrically dressed little girl. “Hey, Nathan! Me and Dreamer wanted to come see you guys! I’m glad you came to our farm again!”

“CeeCee!” Arms out, Nathan raced down the row. “My dad came, and our friends came, too, and some other friends were going to come but they got sniffles, so they couldn’t, and we’re gonna make applesauce with Grandma and I love your dog so much because he’s the best dog ever, right?”

Nathan wasn’t the only one enamored with the shaggy dog. Jonah looked surprised and a little discomfited to see the big dog.

Not Jeremy.

His eyes went wide, and the moment Nathan dashed for the dog, so did he. “That’s a big dog.” He moved close, but not too close, and he looked back at Christa. “He might be a really big dog, maybe bigger than Mr. Finn’s dog. Only that one was just a black dog. This dog is black and white all over. Can I pet him?”

Mr. Finn’s dog. A clue to where the boys had been living? Definitely something to run by Tug later because nothing had been uncovered so far.

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