The River Girl's Song: Texas Women of Spirit, Book 1 by Castillo Angela

Author:Castillo, Angela [Castillo, Angela]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2015-05-20T04:00:00+00:00

December 1888

9 A Place to Winter

Zillia scanned the house. Would they need anything else? Much could stay here. Definitely the beds, since the Fowler’s guest rooms offered much nicer places to sleep than old cots and feather ticks. She’d packed the few articles of wearable clothing. Orrie’s growing collection of wooden toys from the Eckharts would come along on the wagon. Gruff, and the goats and chickens, had gone to stay with the Eckharts for the time being.

“God, keep the house safe while we’re away.” A bit of sadness dripped into Zillia’s heart. Though the building needed repairs, it had been her only sanctuary for twelve years. We won’t be gone forever. It’s just for a few months.

Soonie waited for her outside. “We’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss being here.” Zillia slung a bag over the wagon’s side. “But you can visit whenever you come into town. Perhaps we can plan lunches after church on Sundays. I sure won’t miss the cold.” She smiled. “Just think, Soonie, the Fowler’s have a real bathtub!”

“It does sound nice.” Soonie swung a rope over the boxes and pulled it tight. “Of course, I prefer to bathe in the river.”

“Oh, Soonie, you don’t really do that?”

“Not on the coldest days.” Soonie’s eyes danced with mischief.

Orrie stood by the fence, feeding the goats bits of hay.

Zillia patted his shoulder. “Let’s go, Orrie, say goodbye to the house.”

“Goodbye!” Orrie called. He followed her to the wagon and climbed in.

“I can’t believe you really take baths in the river.” Zillia shook her head, while the wagon rattled down the road. “We’ve been friends for so long, but you still surprise me sometimes.”

Soonie stared down at the reins. “You might not want to know about that part of me, the Comanche girl who loves to be in the woods. You’d probably think I’m not right in the head.”

Zillia stared at her. Does she truly not see how much I respect her? “Of course not, Soonie, I would never think that. You’re my best friend. My life is so crazy, with the farm and Orrie. I get caught up in my own worries and it may not seem like I care about anything else. I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t hurt my feelings,” Soonie replied. “But it does surprise me how much Grandma Louise knows about my activities when she has so many other things to do. Of course, she has Grandpa Walt to help bear her burdens.”

“That might be nice,” Zillia blurted.

“What would be nice?”

“Well, to have a good man to share my life. Maybe we could help each other.”

“You have anyone in mind?”

“No.” Zillia pulled her sunbonnet down to hide her red face. “But I’m almost nineteen. In Virginia, I’d be an old maid.”

“Don’t forget, I’m only a month younger. I’m not old!” Soonie huffed.

“I’ve just been doing this for so long on my own. It would be nice to have a man to swoop in and help me, so I don’t always have to figure everything out.”

‘Men,” Soonie scoffed. “They don’t always have the answers either.

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