Lori Austin by When Morning Comes

Author:When Morning Comes [Comes, When Morning]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Eight

When Seth arose with the dawn, he felt good. Remarkable, in fact, in the face of what had happened last night. But if he’d come out of every other spell with Ella in his arms, he would never have needed to drown his fears with a bottle. He hadn’t touched whiskey since he’d arrived in Winchester, and he hadn’t missed it.

As Seth dressed, his mind went back to the previous night. He couldn’t believe that he’d kissed Ella, or that she’d let him. In times past, his behavior would have earned him a shotgun wedding. The prospect wasn’t as unappealing as it should have been.

From the front porch, he enjoyed the sight of a cool mist hovering over the fields. Soon the heat of the sun would wash the fog away, but right now it appeared as if heaven had come to Virginia.

Seth took a deep breath of the damp morning air. What if he stayed? Married Ella, raised these children, and had a few more?

They’d all starve, that’s what. The only way to keep them alive was for him to return to Boston and an existence he loathed.

The door opened, and Cal stepped out. The boy looked as if he hadn’t slept a wink. Good. He needed to learn that actions had consequences. Always.

Cal joined him at the porch rail, and together they watched the mist disappear.

“Where did you get them?” Seth asked.

“I didn’t buy candy yesterday—’cept for Delia.”

“Hmm.” Seth had paid for his own torture. He couldn’t fault the boy’s cleverness. “You lied to me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I understand that you want me off your place. I’d feel the same way.”

Cal glanced at Seth quickly from beneath his overgrown bangs. “You would?”

“Sure. You were handling things just fine without me. Then a stranger, and a Yankee to boot, shows up and starts taking over. Hard for a man to just sit back and let that go.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Seth saw Cal straighten, throw his shoulders back, nod. He stifled a smile.

“So while I can understand what you did, even applaud it, I can’t let the lying pass. When I leave, you’ll be the man here again, and you have to set a good example. Honorable men don’t lie or cheat.”

“No, sir.”

“I think a day digging holes in the field behind the apple tree ought to make you think twice about lying again, don’t you?”

“Sure will.”

Seth let his smile break free. “Have breakfast and get started, then.”

Cal paused at the door. “I didn’t mean to scare you with the firecrackers.”

Seth’s smile faded. “You heard?”

Cal hung his head, nodded. “When you came I only saw you as the enemy. You were alive and my father was dead. It made me mad.”

“Me, too.”

The boy shot him another quick glance. “I’ve seen our soldiers come back all pale and jumpy. But I never thought about Yanks havin’ the same troubles.”

“We do.”

“I guess that would follow. Anyway, I’m sorry I did what I did.”

Cal disappeared into the house. Seth felt as if he’d turned a corner, though he wasn’t sure to where.

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