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  “Lissa and Rusty went on up to bed, but Becky and Henry will be back down in a minute. I’m going to take a slice to Mr. Murphy. You-all eat your pie, and if I’m not back when you’re done, go on upstairs. Annie and I can take care of the dishes.”

  Laura dished out a generous slice for Sean and set it on one of the older, chipped plates, then covered it with a towel. She wished they could sit down together and enjoy each other’s company, but she saw the wisdom in being cautious.

  She found him outside, leaning against the porch railing.

  “Sure is a pretty evening, even if it’s a wee bit hot still,” he said.

  “Such is life in Texas.”

  He chuckled. “True enough.”

  “Thank you again, for helping us tonight.”

  He turned, leaning back against the post, his features illuminated by the light streaming out the open front door. A smile tugged at his lips, and the intense look in his green eyes branded her heart. “My pleasure. Anytime you need something, Laura, you only have to ask.”

  She handed him the pie. “I need to tell you something, before you hear it from someone else.”

  Concern dipped his eyebrows and he straightened. “What is it? You’re not sick, are you?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” The tinny noise of a saloon’s piano already littered the peaceful evening. She stared off at the lights of town, summoning the strength to tell him.

  He reached down with his free hand and clasped hers. “Tell me, and put me out of my misery. I’m imagining all kinds of things.”

  Her hand seemed tiny compared to his brawny, callused hand. Such a strong, capable man. She licked her lips and glanced up at him. “Unless a miracle occurs, the school will be closing in a few weeks.”

  His eyes widened. “Closing? Why?”

  She relayed the story of Mr. Ramsey’s visit, and Sean scowled.

  “How could that sidewinder do such a mean thing?”

  Laura shook her head. “I don’t know, but he did. He gave us thirty days. I’ve been all over town, trying to get alternate support for the school, but I’ve had no luck, except for whatever Reverend James collected today.” Sean released her hand and set the pie plate on a nearby rocker. Then he took hold of her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Laura. I know what this place means to you.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not the place, but the children. When I have to send them home, each one will take a piece of my heart with them. And I don’t know what I’ll do with the boys. Neither of them have families.”

  “The Good Lord will work out something. I can’t believe He’d let a tyrant close your school after all your hard work. But what will you do if that does happen?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. I have no desire to leave Texas. Maybe I can find a position as a schoolteacher, although most schools still prefer male instructors.”

  Sean stared up at the porch ceiling for a long minute, the warmth of his hands still heating her shoulders. Finally, he looked down. “I never stopped loving you, Laura. I want you to know that. It’s not too late to marry me—that is if you might still be interested in me.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  On the walk home with Riley, Annie felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. And she couldn’t quit smiling. God had forgiven her—for all her stealing, for her lies and deception. She was a Christian now, washed clean by the love of God. Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, died on the cross to set her free from her sin—and free she was—except for one remaining issue.

  Her bogus blindness.

  She hadn’t had the nerve to tell Reverend James about that, partly because Riley was so close and would surely have overheard. That’s not how she wanted him to find out. Her heart pounded harder just thinking about how she would tell him that she wasn’t blind. And she had to—sooner or later. She liked him a lot, but would he even cast her a second glance once he learned the truth?

  The glow of the thin moonlight illuminated the road just enough that they could see the well-traveled path, and in the distance, the lights of the school beckoned them. Riley’s heavier footsteps plodded along next to hers. He’d been awfully quiet since they left the public square. Had the minister’s message touched his heart too?

  “What did you think of the service?”

  His pace slowed, as if her words had taken him off guard. Well, what else could she expect when she hadn’t said a word to him all day?

  “It made me think a lot,” he said shortly.

  “Yes, me too. It’s like the blinders have been taken off my eyes, and for the first time I can fully understand Christ’s sacrifice for me. I’ve heard lots of sermons about being a sinner, but not until tonight did it really hit home. I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life.”

  He stopped and turned to face her. “You? Like what?”

  A rock-sized lump lodged in Annie’s throat. What could she say? Tell him that she’d been a pickpocket? A thief? She shrugged. “Don’t you have things in your past that you regret doing?”

  He hesitated, as if disappointed in her response. “Sure. I imagine everyone does.”

  Lifting his face to the sky, he stood there for a long moment, as if studying the stars. He took a breath then glanced down. “Annie, I’m sorry if I offended you yesterday. I don’t have much of a way with women. I just wanted you to know that I think you have beautiful eyes.”

  Beautiful like a cow’s? she wanted to ask, but the seriousness in his voice held her back. In the distance, she could hear the ruckus of the saloons, and to her left, some creature splashed in the water of the Brazos, while a bird’s lonely cry rent the air. Crickets sang all around them, and lightning bugs flickered, as if helping them find their way home. She and Riley were completely alone, and she wasn’t the least bit concerned. He would take care of her.

  Suddenly, tears filled her eyes, and she ducked her head. Somehow, without her knowledge, this man had crept into her heart, and she didn’t want to have to say good-bye to him. But soon she would.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you again. Please, Annie, don’t cry.”

  She sniffed. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just extra emotional today.”

  “I understand. I know you’re worried about the school closing.”

  “Yes, that’s part of it.” That, and how she was going to tell everyone who knew her that she’d lied to them and tricked them. Everyone would hate her.

  Riley lifted his hand, and held it right beside her cheek. “You have a tear here.”

  She swallowed hard, as his index finger gently swiped across her flesh.

  “Your skin is so soft.”

  She blew out a laugh, and turned her face away. “Don’t tell me it feels like duck down or something.”

  He chuckled, then gently grasped hold of her chin and turned her toward him. “All right. How about if I say it’s as soft as a flower petal?”

  She shuffled her feet, quelling her sudden urge to run away. Talking like this with a man—with anyone, actually, but especially Riley—well, she’d never done it before.

  “Um … several of the children have asked to touch my face so they could know what I look like.” Riley cleared his throat. “You can do that—if you want to, that is.”

  Annie felt her mouth drop, but she snapped it shut, she hoped before he noticed. The children had done the same thing to her, many times, but it seemed so inappropriate for her to touch Riley’s face—and yet she wanted to. She started to look around to see if anyone was near, but she knew they were all alone.

  Riley moved from foot to foot, just as she had a few moments earlier.

  Annie lifted her hand. Her fingers trembled as they drew close, and then she touched his chin. She couldn’t help the giggle that broke forth. “It’s prickly.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t get a chance to shave before tonight’s service. I had to go to Sean’s to see if I could borrow his wagon and mules.” His voice trembled a smidgen, and his breath sounded ragged.


  Annie moved closer so she could reach higher. His warm breath caressed her hand as her fingers brushed the softer skin of his cheekbone. With her arms stretching up so high, she found it hard to breathe, but she rather enjoyed exploring his face. She ran her fingertips across the stiff hair of his eyebrows and then brushed them down the hair at his temples. He sucked in a breath, as if her touch affected him. Her hands trembled as she lowered them, again feeling the bristle of his chin whiskers.

  Her hands dropped to her side, as if all the bones were suddenly gone from them. How could touching a man make her feel so—so feminine? She swallowed hard. “You … uh … have a very nice … uh … face.”

  He coughed and cleared his throat. “My hair is dark brown, and my eyes are blue.”

  Blue as the sapphire ring for sale in the mercantile.

  “I—” She caught herself before saying I know.

  He cupped her cheeks with his hands, his breath warm on her face. Then he lowered his lips to hers, hovering just above them. Annie’s eyes widened, but his were closed. Then he sucked in a shaky breath and suddenly dropped his hands, leaving her feeling limp.

  “I … uh … suppose I should get you home before Miss Laura calls out the Texas Rangers.

  Annie stared at Riley’s dusty boot tops, half relieved, half disappointed. “I thought the Rangers all left to fight in the war.”

  “All right, a posse then.”

  He took her hand and led her back to the house, then he opened the gate and walked her up the porch steps. He tipped his hat. “Good night, Annie.”

  “Thank you for waiting for me.”

  “You’re most welcome.” He smiled then hurried down the steps and disappeared into the darkness.

  She closed the door then leaned back against it. How much her life had changed since she last walked through that door!

  The rooster crowed, loud and annoying, from his favorite spot in the hayloft. Annie pulled the pillow over her head, but soon the lack of air forced her to push it away. She stretched, yawned, and glanced at Laura’s already made-up bed. How did she almost always manage to wake up first and get dressed without Annie hearing her?

  Letting out a long, satisfied sigh, she realized the reason she hadn’t heard Laura today was because she’d been dreaming of a certain man. Pushing up from the bed, she hurried to the window and looked over at the barn. The wide doors already hung open, but Riley wasn’t in sight. She rested her elbows on the windowsill and remembered last night. First and most important, she’d made peace with her Creator. Her heart had filled with warmth after her brief talk and prayer with Reverend James, and now her sins had been forgiven. She was a child of God.

  And that thrill didn’t even include Riley. He held her hand yesterday and had come within a hairsbreadth of kissing her, and she had actually wanted him too.

  She rushed through her morning ablutions and hurried downstairs to help Mrs. Alton finish breakfast, while Laura roused the children, as she normally did. Half an hour later, Annie’s excitement dimmed when Riley didn’t come inside for breakfast. Had he overslept? Just gotten distracted with chores?

  She fixed Riley a plate and set it down on the kitchen counter near the back door, intending to deliver it as soon as she was free after breakfast.

  “Will we get to sing at the revival again tonight?” Camilla asked as she placed her plate on the cart.

  “Yeah, will we?” Lissa shouted, from her place at the table.

  “I don’t know, but you need to finish up. Almost everyone else is already done and doing their chores. Camilla, go put the clean silverware away, then you need to hurry upstairs and take the sheet off your bed so it can be washed.”

  Annie surveyed the serene scene. Tess was washing the last of the dishes, while Becky dried, and Camilla gathered the forks and spoons. Laura was off somewhere with the boys, and Mrs. Alton stood at the far counter, putting away the supplies she’d used to make breakfast. Annie wiped off the table, all except the spot where Lissa still dawdled. She pushed each chair in all the way so no one would trip, and stopped and leaned on the last chair. How different would her life be next month?

  Laura strode into the kitchen and looked right at her. “May I speak with you privately, please?”

  Nodding, Annie followed her out of the kitchen and into the quiet parlor. Laura sat on the settee and patted the space beside her. Sitting, Annie couldn’t help wondering, what now?

  Squeezing her hand, Laura smiled. “Stop worrying. I want to run to town and see how much was collected last night. The reverend told me he’d deposit the money in our account at the bank this morning so that we wouldn’t have to keep it here overnight.”

  Annie nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “I’m hoping it’s enough to pay off all the accounts I’ve charged since receiving Mr. Morrow’s last payment and to purchase some additional supplies to hold us over until we close.”

  A sharp sting lanced Annie’s heart. “So we truly are shutting down the school?”

  Pain filled Laura’s eyes. “I don’t see an alternative. I’ve talked to everyone I know who might be able to help, but with the war just being over and the Confederate dollar now worthless …” She sighed and shook her head. “Nothing but a miracle or Mr. Ramsey’s change of heart could stop us from closing now, and I don’t see either of those happening.”

  Annie sat up straighter and smiled. “A miracle of sorts happened to me last night. I repented of my sins and received God into my heart. So … maybe He will yet work a miracle for us.”

  Some of her joy faded when Laura didn’t seem the least bit delighted. “Aren’t you happy for me?” she asked.

  Cupping her face, Laura offered a halfhearted smile. “Yes, of course. It’s just that, well … I’ve never made peace with God for taking Milly at such a young age.”

  “Milly? That’s Mr. Morrow’s daughter, right?”

  Laura nodded. “She contracted a disease when she was around Tess’s age and nearly died. We were all so glad when she started getting better, but I was devastated that her sight never returned. Milly was my best friend, and her blindness changed everything.”

  “How did she die?” Annie asked softly.

  Laura turned her head and seemed to be staring out the window. “It was a tragic accident. Mr. Morrow was having a special addition built onto his home to make life easier for her. She got bored and went exploring while her nurse had run downstairs for a moment. Milly wandered into the construction area and fell from the second story. A workman had gone down to his wagon for something and hadn’t erected a barrier to block the opening in the wall. Milly broke her neck in the fall.” Laura blinked her eyes. “She was only twelve.”

  Annie took her friend’s hand. “I’m sorry. I know how hard it must have been to lose your best friend.” Soon, she would know just how Laura felt.

  “Now you understand why educating blind children has been so important to me.”

  Gathering her composure, Annie nodded.

  Laura still maintained her faraway gaze. “But I have a feeling certain things are about to change.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Laura hopped up. “I need to get to town. We can talk about that later. Can you work with the children on their arithmetic and spelling until I get back?”

  She nodded and stood. “Sure. How long will you be gone?”

  Walking to the door, her friend shrugged. “I’m not sure. Not too long, I hope.”

  Ambling back to the kitchen, Annie’s thoughts swirled. Her heart ached for young Milly, and for Laura dealing with such a deep loss when she was so young. She paused at the doorframe, checking on the girls. “Are you-all about done?”

  “Yes,” Tess said. “Just a few more things to dry.”

  “Lissa, are you finished eating?” Annie asked, even though it was obvious the girl wasn’t in the room. She winced at her deception. The children would still need to learn that she wasn’t blind.

  “She went out to
the privy, Miss Annie.” Becky hung the towel she’d been using on a peg to dry. “And Mrs. Alton went out to the garden to hunt for some vegetables for lunch.”

  “All right. If you’re finished, run upstairs and strip the sheets off your beds.”

  The girls shuffled from the room. Annie surveyed the near spotless kitchen. She turned toward the back door, eager to finally have a chance to run Riley’s breakfast to him, but his plate was gone. She sighed and grabbed the broom. She couldn’t sweep away the things that were to come, but maybe her newfound faith in God would give her the courage to face them head-on.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Riley dragged an old, hardened pair of chaps from a dark corner of the tack room and tossed them onto the pile of debris, leaving only the bed and a crate that held his pitiful few possessions. He grabbed a broom and knocked down the cobwebs in the rafters and swept the dust, horsehair, and dried manure from the corners and out the door. Miss Laura’s request for him to get the barn in order for their leaving and to repair the equipment so they could sell it would keep him busy for a while. He had mentally prepared himself to leave the school when she had told him it was closing, but at her request, he had agreed to stick around and take care of the barn and the animals and make sure those raiders didn’t come back and harm them.

  But he agreed just so he could keep watch on Annie for a little while longer.

  He kicked at a warped board poking out from the wall. A loud bang reverberated through the room, making hens on the other side of the wall squawk. What had he been thinking to ask Annie to touch his face like that? When the children had studied his face with their small fingers, it had tickled a bit, but when Annie had—why, he almost kissed her. Good night, he barely knew her. Yanking off his hat, he pushed back his sweaty hair. What had he been thinking?

  He snatched the feather tick off his bed, strode outside, and whacked it against the fence rail, raising a dusty cloud. Across the yard, Annie and Tess were hanging up the freshly washed sheets, his included. Her efforts were mostly wasted, since he had yet to spend a whole night on the bed. Maybe one of these days …