Sixteen Brides by Whitson Stephanie Grace

Author:Whitson, Stephanie Grace [Whitson, Stephanie Grace]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9780764205132
Publisher: Bethany House
Published: 2010-03-31T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

PSALM 86:15

It was nearly over for Hettie. She’d stood here four times a day for the last three weeks watching people get off that train, but tomorrow that would end. The others might decide to come back into Plum Grove to stay until the house was finished, but Hettie would not. She’d camp on the land and be happy to never hear another train whistle. At least until she had things figured out. For now, she needed distance from the past. A blank canvas for a future. And time. Four Corners would give her all those things, and the only cost was a narrow cot, perhaps in a tent for a week or so, and then in the loft of a soddy. To Hettie’s mind, that wasn’t a trial. It was a blessing. The word came without warning and when she pondered it, it made her smile a bit. Blessing.

She’d used religious words so easily for years and years. But they’d slipped away, one by one, until here she stood beside the front door of a hastily constructed building in a fledgling town she’d never heard of only weeks ago. The religious words had started filtering back lately, mostly, Hettie knew, because of Zita Romano. The way she slipped in little phrases just as naturally as can be. The way she prayed over every meal. And, oddly enough, the way the older woman could laugh at things—as if she and the Creator of the universe had a special relationship that allowed Zita to observe human frailty from a place of knowledge and hope that Hettie had lost. If she ever had it.

God was a thorny topic these days—for each of the six women in different ways. Perhaps, Hettie thought, God was a thorny topic for everyone when life didn’t give what they’d come to expect from love. The other day Caroline had said something about people in the West having different meanings for some words. Maybe that was it, Hettie thought. Maybe God had different meanings for words.

At least for now, Hettie liked the idea of God staying where he was, which seemed to be along the fringes of things that pertained to her. She hoped he refrained from stepping into her personal life, at least until she was safe at Four Corners. Safe. Now, there was a word. Would she ever feel safe again? She’d ponder that another time.

For the moment, the last passenger on this evening’s westbound train was limping his way to the new hotel that had just opened a couple of days ago. The limp had caused a few heart palpitations for Hettie until she realized the owner of the limp was a stranger. She could breathe again. But now—what?

Two riders came tearing across the prairie from the north. Hettie went to the door and stepped outside just as they parted north of the railroad tracks. One continued

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