Tennessee Waltz by Simmons Trana Mae

Author:Simmons, Trana Mae
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, ebook, historical romance, tennessee, sweet romance, ebook romance, bargain books, small town romance, trana mae simmons, cozy romance
Publisher: TM Simmons

Chapter 13

It was a silent ride back to Sawback Mountain. As he had on the way there, Wyn led the way. Sarah's horse needed little guidance, plodding along with its nose close to the tail of the horse Wyn rode. Patty and Pete had chattered on the previous trip, and they hadn't seen any animals, although birds filled the trees. On the return trip, she spotted a deer watching them at one point, and a red fox ran across the trail at another. The birds were still singing, but now she heard an owl hoot a few times.

After about fifteen minutes, Wyn stopped his horse and silently pointed up the side of the mountain. Quite a ways above them, she could see a cave. A tiny dark shape flew out of the cave mouth, then several more. Suddenly an huge cloud of black shapes poured out of the cave, rising into the sky and scattering much like smoke.

"Bats," she said in an apprehensive voice.

"They won't bother you," Wyn assured her. "They're only after bugs and mosquitoes."

He urged his horse forward again, and she followed. Her scalp prickled and she glanced behind her a couple times. However, the cloud of bats had dispersed into the air.

Though the days were lengthening, the horses threw long shadows against the setting sun by the time they passed the stone chimney left from a previous cabin. Sarah recognized that as a landmark from the trip up the mountain. Just past the chimney, the trail widened a little, and Sarah urged her horse up beside Wyn's.

"Are all the places like that one?" she asked.

He didn't appear to need further explanation that she was talking about Patty and Pete's home.

"No, that's really one of the worst," he said. "Except for Cabbage Carter's place. Although there are a few just as bad. Clem's none too ambitious, and if it wasn't for Nettie working herself all the time and Pete's ability with that gun, those young'uns would starve."

"Why does she stay with him?" Sarah asked in disgust.

Wyn turned to stare at her for a moment before he answered. "What else would she do? She's usually carrying a babe. She's got the four of them, but she's lost at least that many more. And she never got to school a day in her own life. Guess that's why she's so adamant about her young'uns getting as much education as they can. She had hopes for Patty, but I saw Sam Carter hanging around. Sam will never amount to any more than his old man."

"Well, there should be an option for her!" Sarah thinned her lips. "Good heavens, she could at least insist that man leave her alone so she doesn't have a babe every year."

Wyn swung his horse across the trail, blocking her way. On past him, she could barely see the buildings of Sawback Mountain. Beyond them was a sky filled with the violent but stunning colors left behind from the sun, which had already gone below the mountain peaks.

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