River Bend by Barbara Shepherd

Author:Barbara Shepherd [Shepherd, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical, women's fiction, Texas
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2017-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The man named String paced endlessly when his captain and friend, Trader Jake, had not returned to the hotel, not even for the supper repast. The mismatched group of new friends at the hotel cast an occasional glance at the old sideboard that held remnants of a delicious evening meal, food now cold and some of it unpalatable.

Except for the large family of Campbells, Belle had never been around so many people at once, and they were all chattering away as if they had known one another for years. Anyone viewing the scene in the hotel lobby would swear they were all part of one big family. All except String, who was like a panther in a cage, or maybe like his name, a string about to break.

Belle could stand it no longer. “Would you please sit before I get someone to help me tie you in a chair?”

He glared at her and walked out on the porch where he continued to pace.

Although she tried to ignore him as the others seemed able to do, Belle eventually joined him outside. Pacing beside him, she earned a hint of a smile from him as she tried to keep up with his long strides. When he slowed to accommodate her company, she spoke, a little out of breath for all her efforts. “What is worrying you, Mr. String?”

He laughed out loud.

“Well, that’s a start,” she said.

“String is a nickname,” he volunteered. “No mister involved. Just String.”

They continued their pacing.

“Well,” she prompted, after a time.

He shrugged. “Partly, it’s getting rid of my sea legs. This wooden plankin’ don’t move like the ship’s deck does. Sure feels funny when I take a step, but then it always does ’til we’ve been on land for a while.”

“All right,” she said. “Now, what’s the rest? What is really bothering you, Mister, uh, String?”

He stopped pacing and looked down into her face before he spoke. “Your eyes really are like emerald jewels. Just like he said.”

“Who told you that?” Belle could feel a blush warming her cheeks.

“Don’t matter none.”

“It matters to me.”

“Don’t get your dander up, ma’am. It was the captain.”

Her eyebrows shot up at that unexpected bit of information, and she could swear she felt fire leap into her eyes when she thought of Trader Jake saying something like that about her. “Why, I think that man is rude and insufferable.” When she realized String was taken aback by her lashing remark, she apologized, “Oh, I’m sorry, String. He’s probably your good friend.”

“Yes, ma’am, he rightly is, and if that’s how you feel about him, I’d have to say you’ve never met the real man.” He took a step back. “And this talk is over.”

Belle laid her hand on his weathered forearm. “Wait,” she said. “Please.”

String halted but did not say anything.

She removed her hand from his arm. “I don’t want the others to hear.”

String nodded and moved closer.

“I won’t tell you everything, but I do have my reasons for disliking your captain, String.” She paused before whispering, “Once, he hit me in the face with his fist and knocked me unconscious.

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