Valley of Promises by Bonnie Leon

Author:Bonnie Leon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2010-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

The chiming of bells hanging from the door accompanied Laurel into the store. She hoped Celeste would be working. Since her conversation with Adam, she'd felt miserable. He'd been right. Farming life could be ordinary and monotonous. What would happen if she married a farmer, then found out she hated being a farmer's wife?

She considered the single men she knew in camp—none seemed interesting. She liked Robert well enough, but he felt more like a brother than a husband. Adam was the only one who intrigued her, but he was interested in world travel, excitement, and the high life.

“Hi, Laurel,” Celeste called from behind the counter. “How are you?”

“Angry and mixed up.” She glanced around the store to make sure no one was around to hear their conversation.

“What's wrong?”

Laurel sighed. “I don't know. I like living here, but sometimes I wonder if I ought to be doing something else with my life. I'd planned on staying just until my family got settled. I wanted to go to school— become a teacher.” She shrugged. “Somehow it doesn't seem so important anymore.”

“So? What's wrong with that?”

Laurel picked up a pen lying on the counter. “I don't know. When I look at my mama's life it seems … ordinary. She cooks and cleans, changes diapers, kisses scraped knees. I admire her, but I don't know that I want to be like her.”

“You don't have to be like her. You can be a wife and mother and still have lots of other things in your life.” Celeste placed an elbow on the counter and rested her chin in her hand. “I know I want to get married and have kids.” She smiled dreamily. “Robert would make a good father.” She straightened and shrugged. “Sorry. I can't help liking him.”

“Why apologize? Maybe you ought to let him know how you feel.”

“All he sees is you.”

Laurel took a peppermint out of a jar sitting on the counter and popped it into her mouth. “Robert's just a friend.”

“That's not how he feels.”

Laurel glanced at a newspaper lying on the countertop. Adam Dunnavant's name leaped out at her from an article. Remembering he'd be leaving soon, sadness swept over her. “Adam's going to Europe.”

Celeste brushed bouncy curls off her shoulder. She gave Laurel a smug smile. “Why don't you tell Adam how you feel about him?”

“What?” Laurel asked, staring at her friend. Finally finding her voice, she said, “I don't care about him like that. It's just that life will be less interesting without a reporter here.”

“That's all, huh?” Celeste grinned. “I don't believe you.”

Laurel leaned close to her friend and said softly, “All right. I admit I do think he's interesting, but we don't get along. In fact, he's the most infuriating man I've ever met. Every time we see each other, we end up in a fight.”

“You know, they say opposites attract.”

Laurel turned her back to the counter and leaned against it, folding her arms over her chest. “It doesn't matter anyway. He's leaving.”

“Maybe you should go too.

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