Renegade's Heart by Michelle Kidd (best ereader for students .txt) đ
- Author: Michelle Kidd
Book online «Renegade's Heart by Michelle Kidd (best ereader for students .txt) đ». Author Michelle Kidd
Frankie listened to the unmistakable sounds of pans and cutlery. Metal against metal, scraping, liquid sloshing and the clatter of plates told her someone was preparing a meal. The soothing chorus of food preparation and sharp aroma of pine logs burning in the hearth took the edge off, giving her something else to focus on besides the discomfort that coursed through her extremities. Sheâd never before realized there were so many noises she taken for granted.
A particular sound set her teeth on edge. The off key crooning of the kid. Great! She was just tuning up with a rendition of Oh! Susanna.
She tolerated a few bars before speaking up. âDo you mind?â
âSorry. Sometimes I get carried away.â
Frankie groaned and expelled a short snort. âYou donât say.â
âI was trying to be quiet.â
Frankie closed her eyes again in response.
âIâm kind of glad youâre awake. I wanted to âpologize for before. We got off to a bad start.â
More clattering of dishes and pans.
Canât this kid take a hint?
âIâm real sorry about your brother. I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother or sister. Itâs just Pa and me.â
Despite herself, Frankie found her curiosity piqued. What about the other woman? What do you care? Frankieâs mind challenged.
âPa told me those men kidnapped you. That must have been awful. I donât know what Iâd do if someone tried to do that to me. Iâd be scared to death . . . Is that why you were just standing there not saying anything that day at the bank? Bet you were afraid?â
âI wasnât scared!â Frankie snapped. âDidnât your Pa ever tell you children should be seen and not heard?â The tension-filled pause told her sheâd made her point. There!
âWell, no, I guess he didnât. But he did teach me to be kind to others. Didnât your ma ever teach you that?â
Something in the stiff little words caused Frankie to wince. The girl had spunk. Seth had a way of putting her in her place when she least expected it too. She swallowed and surprised herself by commenting. âMy maâs dead.â
âWell, that gives us one thing in common. My ma died too.â
Frankie considered the admission. If that was true, who was the woman in town? Another awkward silence filled the room as the girl moved about with what Frankie assumed to be dinner preparations. Neither spoke.
Frankie pressed her head against the pillow, trying to pick out familiar sounds: fat sizzling in the pan, water boiled, the metallic voices of pans bumping together. Soon the heady scent of fried potatoes hung heavy in the air. Her stomach flopped. It appeared, the kid had gotten the hint and left her alone.
That suited her fine. Frankie burrowed deeper under the quilt and tried to make peace with the hand sheâd been dealt. She squeezed her eyes shut determined to capture a few moments of sleep. Every part of her hurt, an ache that went far beyond the physical. Regardless of her outward wounds, she knew her heart would never heal from losing Seth. Heâd always been the bright spot in her life. As she thought about happier times with him, she must have drifted to sleep.
A cold blast of air rushed into the room startling her awake. The heavy tread of boots on the porch alerted her that the kidâs father must have entered. Heâd introduced himself twice now, and all she could think to call him was blue-eyes.
âLooks like weâre in for another storm,â she overheard him comment to the girl.
âI could have told you that. Penny and Henrietta were clucking about worse than usual this morning. The air has a bite to it too.â
âYou really shouldnât name those chickens. You get too attached and then I feel guilty for consuming your friends.
The girl giggled. âTheyâre my best laying hens. You wonât be eating them for a spell. If anything, Iâll feed you that tough old rooster, Mr. Drumstick. He comes after me every time I get near one of his old biddies.â
âHe sounds delicious. Iâll look forward to his demise . . . weâll plant him right here in my chicken graveyard.â
Frankie wasnât able to see what he was doing, but it made the girl laugh.
âWith mashed potatoes and gravy,â he added.
Their light-hearted teasing puzzled Frankie. It never occurred to her a parent and child might have such affection for one another. Something akin to guilt pricked her conscience for eavesdropping. Maybe she should clear her throat to make them aware she was awake. Yet she found herself drawn to their banter. A few more minutes wouldnât hurt, although she grew conscious of an urgent need to relieve herself. She loathed the weakness that made her dependent on anyone. Still . . .
âHowâs she doing?â His voice lowered to a conspirators tone.
The question was followed by a snort. âLike a sore-tailed cat.â
The rumble of a chuckle. âI warned you sheâd need space. Let that be a lesson. Donât fret. Youâll have her eating out of your hand in no time. You have a way with animals . . . and people.â
Frankie wasnât sure she liked being the topic of their discussion, especially in such unflattering terms. She stirred and cleared her throat.
The timber of his voice changed at once, waning from teasing to serious. âYouâre awake. I hope we didnât disturb you. How are you?â
His tone sounded more pleasant when it held a hint of humor, Frankie noted. Sheâd wished sheâd waited a little longer to speak.
âIâve been better.â Pushing herself on her elbows, she let a wave of dizziness pass and eased herself higher. âIâm not much on laying around.â
âI understand, but given the circumstances, it may be best for the moment.â
She could tell by the sound of his boots he headed in her direction, and she wasnât at all comfortable by his nearness. He made her nervous in a way she didnât like.
The mattress dipped when he sat on the edge. âMind if I check you?â
She lifted her shoulder with a noncommittal shrug and instantly regretted the choice as a searing pain shot down her arm.
âYeah, thatâs going to take a while to heal. Iâll fashion a sling to remind you not to use it.â He checked the bandage on her head. âYou did a good job, Misty.â There was a note of tenderness in his voice when he spoke to the girl. Frankie noticed right away the kindness did not extend to her. Although his touch was gentle on her cheek, she found it unnerving. He sat so close she detected the scent of leather and outdoors that clung to his clothes.
âIâd like to get up,â she informed him.
âI wouldnât advise it. A few more days here wonât . . .â
She sensed he started to say wouldnât kill her, but then thought better of it.
âLook, misterââ
âDaniel. Remember? My name is Daniel. Since youâll be our guest for a while, you may want to learn it. Iâm not comfortable with mister.â
She bit back a choice retort. âDaniel, then. As much as I appreciate your advice, the sooner I get on my feet, the sooner I can move on. I donât wish to be here anymore than you want me, and I really need to goââ
âI never said I didnât want you here. Itâs our Christian duty to take care of a stranger in need.â
Christian duty. She was no oneâs Christian duty. âAs welcoming as that sounds.â Her voice dripped with sarcasm. âIâll be moving on as soon as Iâm able. At the moment, I need the use of yourââ
âThat come out wrong. I didnât mean to suggest our hospitality stemmed from a sense of obligation. Our home is yours until you recover your health.â
Frankie detected a note of sincerity in the statement, but it didnât matter. This was the last place she wanted to be. Sheâd bide her time and play nice, but some situations required throwing civility to the wind. âThatâs reassuring, Daniel . . . but if you donât help me up this minute youâre going to have more than just a guest in your bed. I need to use the privy now!â
Chapter 7
Daniel cast a look of disbelief at the red haired beauty. His emotions swung like a pendulum when it came to the frustrating woman. On the one hand, he pitied herâhe knew what it was like to grieve. At the same time, his gut warned him to be cautious, and he was seldom wrong.
Despite his hasty decision concerning her association with the McNeill gang, he couldnât shake the sensation there might be more going on than mere happenstance. He didnât believe in chance. Her demeanor suggested she was anything but a victim. He hadnât been around her long, but she didnât strike him as the passive type. From what heâd seen, the good Lord would have to help the sap whoâd lock horns with her. Heâd learned to size up people pretty well. Something about her story still didnât mesh.
For one thing, her personality didnât fit. There was nothing shy or wilting about this girl. She hadnât even blushed when she told him she needed to relieve herself. He, however, had been embarrassed for them both. The tips of his ears must be singed pink. Maybe it had been his imagination, but sheâd seemed almost pleased with herself.
Daniel hadnât been able to leave the cabin fast enough. The stinging drops of frozen rain were a balm to his burning skin. Lord, help me. Iâve never come across any female quite like this.
He lowered his frame into a weathered rocker, enjoying the satisfying creak as it accepted his weight. With the ease of his dusty boot, he set the chair in motion while he mulled over his dilemma regarding the saucy stranger.
Frankie. What kind of name was that for a girl? One that brings trouble, no doubt. Sheâd been conscious less than twenty-four hours, and already he regretted bringing her to the house. Despite her abrasive personality, heâd done the right thing, he assured himself. Still . . . the quicker she regained her health and headed back to where she came from, the better off theyâd all be.
The latch lifted and the door swung open. Misty paused in the doorframe looking perplexed. âPa? She says she wants to eat at the table.â
âStubborn female,â he muttered.
âPa?â
âNever mind.â He pushed himself up and headed inside the house. To his surprise, the petite woman stood beside the bed, leaning on the bedpost for support. âI told you to rest.â
âI told you, I needed to get back on my feet. You donât do that by lying abed all day.â
âYou do when youââ He stopped mid sentence realizing he was wasting his breath and crossed the space between them. âHere! Youâre so anxious to move around . . . right this way.â
She took several steps. Her already ashen pallor drained to a sickly green. She bit her lip but didnât stop.
Alarmed by the sudden change of color, he regretted snapping at her. âHere. Youâre almost there.â
âThank you.â Her reply sounded weak. Beads
Comments (0)