One Step Enough by Carla Kelly

Author:Carla Kelly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Published: 2018-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

L

Della settled into life in Knightville, almost but not quite welcoming the first snowfall near the end of September. She had missed Owen the week he was in Salt Lake City, accompanied by a mining engineer, as they arranged for timber shipped to his carpenter shop, located between the Union Pacific tracks and the Denver and Rio Grande tracks.

At least she had spared him another of her nightmares, one of those dreams that found her waking up on the floor on her hands and knees, staring down into what, she had no idea. She began to dread falling asleep, wondering if she would wake that way again, or if the image would be one she could bat away like a lone mosquito flitting around in a darkened bedroom.

Owen came home with presents from Mr. Auerbach. “I went in to pay a friendly visit, and what did he do but send me home with enough date nut sandwiches for everyone in your class, Angharad.”

“Da! Really?”

“Would I tease about something so serious?” he asked her. “I did eat one.”

“I’ll forgive you, even though thousands wouldn’t,” she teased back.

“From me to you,” he told Della later in the privacy of their bedroom, when he pulled out a pale yellow silk nightgown, one she remembered from the corner of Lingerie where shoppers went for a peek but seldom bought.

“How did you ever work up the nerve to go to the lingerie department?” she asked.

“I just walked in there like a Welshman, looked the frosty old dame behind the counter right in the eye, and told her to wrap up her favorite one. This is it.”

Della laughed until tears ran from her eyes. “That was Miss Marchbanks! I hope you didn’t tell her who your wife was.”

“I might have mentioned Della Anders. Can’t be certain of that because the number she pulled out fair blinded me.”

“It doesn’t mean anything to you if I’m rolling my eyes in the dark, does it?”

“Not even a little. Go to sleep.”

She kissed him back and closed her eyes, happy to obey, except that he shook her shoulder.

“You still there, fairest?” he asked.

“Barely.”

“Here’s something else I did. The engineer had some shopping of his own to do, so I went to your uncle’s office.”

Funny how the mention of her uncle snapped her wide awake. “And?”

“I stopped in to say hello.” He nudged her. “Remember, I am a gregarious chap.”

“That you are, Owen Davis,” she agreed.

“It was just a short visit, to tell him how things were here in Knightville.”

She heard him move a bit and turned to see him up on one elbow, the better to see her. “Say on, sir.”

“He said your aunt simply isn’t getting better.”

Is that all? she thought, irritated. Well, boohoo, Aunt Caroline. Immediately ashamed of herself, she tried to muster up a sentence of sympathy, but nothing came out, except, “Salt Lake has good physicians. I am certain they’ll find one.”

“That’s the thing: they’ve been to several, to no particular relief for your aunt. Her throat hurts all the time.

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