Sarah's Heart and Passion by Ginger Simpson

Author:Ginger Simpson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, historical, western, sioux, wagon train, ginger simpson, mixed race, books we love, indian war
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sarah stood in front of the whitewashed building and gazed up at the pitched roof. In two days, she’d be greeting her pupils, making another new start. She hoped this one didn’t end on a disastrous note like her last attempt. Taking a deep breath, she ascended the four stairs to the front door and keyed the padlock. The door creaked open. Once inside, the stifling, musty air washed over her, making her nose crinkle at the unpleasant smell. How long had it been since the place had been occupied? She left the door ajar to vent the room.

Sun beamed through the top panes of the large windows on the east side. Someone had sewn and hung burlap curtain panels along the bottom half of the casements, she supposed to keep the heat to a minimum and deflect the brightness away from the students. Two matching windows on the opposite wall bore the same cloaking. The large one on the far wall was bare, shaded by a large elm outside.

A pot-bellied stove stood in the corner. Opposite was a small room lined with wall hooks. The vision of the coats and hats hanging there during the winter months brought a smile to her face.

She walked down the wide aisle separating the rows of tables and chairs, and paused at the huge desk at the head of the room. Turning, she gazed at the empty space that would hold a passel of strange faces on Monday. Rubbing her dampened palms together, she tried to find a comfortable posture to address her imaginary pupils. “Good morning, class, I’m Sarah… no, I’m Miss Collins, your new teacher, I’d like you to…”

Applause echoed in the empty room.

Sarah’s glanced up to see Jonathan standing in the doorway.

“Bravo. You sound like a natural.”

A flush crept up her neck and burned into her cheeks. “What are you doing here?”

He removed his hat. “Maggie told me where I could find you. I hear congratulations are in order. I just came from the bank and wondered if you might like to join me for lunch.”

The bank? Had he gone there to undermine Wolf’s purchase? She wanted to ask but feared the answer.

“It’s a simple yes or no question,” he said, when she didn’t reply.

“I would really love to go, but I have so much to do to get ready for the students. Can we celebrate my good fortune another day?”

He shrugged. “Maybe that’s a good idea. I really don’t have much cause for merriment at the moment. It seems the bank is legally bound to honor your friend’s agreement on that parcel of land I want. I have to wait until the allotted time expires to see if he honors his end of the bargain. If he defaults, then I can step in.”

The sad look on Jonathan’s face almost made her want to apologize, but she didn’t. Instead, she found it hard to hide her glee. Wolf still had time to come up with the remaining money. She wondered where he was and what he was doing.

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