The Journey Home by Linda Ford

Author:Linda Ford
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2008-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Kody kept his hand over his pocket. John had given him the ad for the shoes. Kody intended to order a pair for Star before he left. In fact, he planned to do so this afternoon.

And get some supplies for the folks. He’d been to the basement to clean out the vegetable bins and noticed the shelves held only a few canning jars from last summer and one lone can of beans. Ma usually kept the shelves well stocked. Always said you never knew when you might have unexpected company or some emergency.

Charlotte waited as if expecting an explanation for the scrap of paper. No doubt she’d figured out what the shoes were for.

“Star needs a pair of special shoes.”

“And you’re going to get them?”

“Ain’t like John can afford it.”

“They appear to live a pretty meager life.”

Her words seemed to slice through any defense. As if he was somehow to blame. But she didn’t need to point out he had a responsibility to see Star had all she needed. Which meant seeing John and Morning had their needs met.

“I figured on getting a few things for them while I’m here.”

“I’ll help.”

He finally relaxed at her eagerness. “How?”

“If I had some fabric I could make dresses for Morning and Star. And a shirt for John.”

Her unexpected generosity made him look at her with fresh interest. She’d already impressed him with her gumption and her good humor. Again, he wondered how she really felt about Indians—and half-breeds. Was she only being charitable because they were poor unfortunates, or because she saw them as people like her with the same needs and wants and concerns? “The store has yard goods. If you go with me, I can buy what you need.”

“Great. When do you want to go?”

“When will you be finished here?”

“Another hour?”

“I should finish the roof by then, too.”

She nodded and began to turn away, then stopped. “You care about your daughter more than you want to admit.”

He gave her a warning look, silently reminding her of her promise, and glanced over his shoulder half expecting to see Ma standing in the front-room doorway. She wasn’t, of course. He could trust Charlotte to be careful not to give away his secret.

An hour later, they headed toward the business section of town.

As they stepped inside the mercantile store, he noticed the way the room grew quiet. He expected as much. It had been the same since he was big enough to attract attention.

Charlotte didn’t seem to notice, however. She rushed toward the yard goods and started to examine the bolts. “Look, this would be perfect for John.” She held out a bolt of deep blue.

Ignoring the way Mr. Boulter watched his every move, Kody went to Charlotte’s side. “He’d like that.”

Within minutes, Charlotte picked out a fawn-colored material for Morning. She went through the stacks twice. “I don’t see anything that’s just right for Star.” Charlotte signaled to the young woman hovering behind the counter and she hurried over. “Do you have anything else? I want something for a little girl.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.