AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His lips slowly curved into a smile, and his eyes sparkled like sun on water. “Don’t mind if I do.”
He shifted her body around until she faced him. Strong arms wrapped around her, cocooning her with them and the blanket.
His face leaned toward hers at the same time hers raised upward. Lips soft, yet firm, took hold of hers in the gentlest way.
Being wrapped in his arms felt right and good.
After what seemed like forever, he raised his head.
“Somethin’ wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.” He smiled and his voice sounded breathless and croaky. “It’s stopped raining. We’d better head for home.”
She wasn’t ready to leave, though. “What about the lunch you packed? I’m mighty hungry.”
“I am, too,” he whispered, his eyes swirled with emotion. “Let’s eat, first.”
Could it be that Michael was falling in love with her? For the first time since she got here, she had hope for just that. And that hope set her stomach and heart to fluttering as much as it did when Michael kissed her. Lord, have my prayers been answered?
Chapter Thirteen
The next day, Selina went to check on Rainee. Afterward, she went home, changed from her dress into some trousers, grabbed her rifle, placed the sling around her neck and went for a long walk through the trees.
She took in a deep breath, enjoying every little aroma that mid-September in the Idaho Territory brought her way—moist leaves, pine, forest dirt and a hint of rain.
Stems of light filtered down through the trees from the bright afternoon sun. She walked higher and higher up the mountain. She stopped between two cedar trees and slowly followed their trunks upward with her eyes. Those giants sure made a person feel small. They were so tall that it looked like they could reach up with their branches and touch the few clouds speckling the sky.
“God, You sure outdone Yourself with these. They’re mighty pretty to behold. Thank You, Lord, for allowin’ me to be a part of somethin’ so wonderful. I just love it here, Lord. And Lord, iffen there’s any way, could You help me and Michael to become a real family someday? I’d sure be beholden to You. Thank You kindly, Lord.”
She continued walking. Every once in a while, she stopped to smell and to feel the softness of the wild pink rose petals, to admire the brown center in wild daisies, the fine bright yellow color of buttercup flowers and the different kinds of bush berries. Some berries she hadn’t seen before. She wondered if they were something she could eat. But not knowing for sure, it was best to leave them alone.
She walked through fields of grass that almost reached her waist. Her eyes took in the green-and-gold rolling hills of Paradise Haven. A name most fitting.
Birds entertained her with their happy songs as she continued to take in the area Michael had called the Palouse.
Snuggled against a hillside with dirt patches, grass and bushes stood an old broken-down house and a barn. Curiosity got the best of her.
She headed toward the buildings, running her hands over the top of the tall grass blades and enjoying the soft yet stiff feel of them against her fingertips.
Off to the right of the house stood a large cottonwood tree and on its left a grove of green bushes.
No glass filled the windows or doors. Part of the roof had caved in and the chimney was in mighty poor shape, broken into all kinds of pieces.
She stepped up to the door and peeked inside. A broken drop-leaf table lay on the floor along with a heap of broken boards.
She strained to see everything from the doorway but couldn’t, so she placed one foot on the wooden floor to make sure it was safe before she placed the other one, too. The planked floor was solid as a rock, so she took a look around, imagining what the place had been like before being deserted.
In one bedroom sat a rusty bed frame and an old broken-down dresser with only one drawer that hung as if it were fixing to fall at any minute.
She looked at the staircase, wondering what was up there. Should she go see? Was it safe? She tested the first step. It creaked under her weight but felt pretty solid to her.
Careful not to get in too big a rush, she tested each step as she made her way up.
At the third step from the top she could see what was in the open space. Besides busted-up chimney bricks and broken boards, the only other thing here was a wooden box in the corner. From what she could tell, it looked like it wasn’t in too bad of shape. She wondered what might be in it.
The boards groaned as she slowly made her way toward it.
Holding her rifle back out of the way with one hand, she leaned over and raised the lid.
A mouse darted out from behind it, startling her.
Selina screamed and jumped back.
The crunching sound of splintering wood echoed loudly in the empty space.
