Saturday Snippet- Do You Think That Could Be Him?

Today's Saturday Snippet is taken from

Sue

Prairie Roses Collection, Book 55

by Zina Abbott 

 

          “Still don’t understand why youthought it so important, lass. Life would have been a lot safer and far morecomfortable if you had stayed with Lucy and Malachi. Then again, you begging togo to cook and be everyone’s nursemaid helped stop most of Caroline’s fretting.That woman was itching to come but knew she couldn’t. The worry tore her in twodirections.” Robbie shook his head. “Hope you don’t end up being frightened outof your wits before this is all over.”

          “I won’t be, not with you along. Andyou don’t scare me, either.” Grinning, Susan gave Robbie a sideways glance.“Papa Jack sometimes joked about you being grumpy, but you were always nice tous children.”

          “When I start tossing out insults,that’s how I show folks I like them, lass. Have a tendency to cuss a bluestreak when working with an ornery mule. Had to start watching my language onceI married Caroline, though. Life for this old bachelor sure changed, especiallyonce I realized I’d suddenly inherited more family than I thought.” Robbieshook his head.

          “I don’t recall you using bad languagearound us those times you came to the farm to transport Mama’s and Papa Jack’sapples.” Wearing a hint of a smile, Susan bent her upper body forward andcraned her neck to study Robbie’s face.

          “Knew better, lass. It was a trial,but I wasn’t about to say anything in front of your ma and the wee ones she’dtake offense to. And here you all end up as family—in a roundabout,step-relation sort of way.” Robbie looked down and met Susan’s gaze.

          “You aren’t sorry about it, are you?”

          “No, lass. After the time of it I hadin the war with Mexico that left me with this bad knee, I wasn’t fit to bearound neither man nor beast, let alone sweet, young women like you. Well, likeI’ve been known to say, I get along with mules okay because we both share thesame temperament. I’ll always be grateful that, in spite of it all, the Lordsent Caroline my way. Now, I can’t get away from family. Looks like anotherlivery there, lass.” Robbie pointed. “Let’s hope he’s here so we don’t have tosearch through every stable in Omaha.”

          “If Thomas is waiting there, then youwill soon be meeting one more family member.” Pressing her lips together, Susanturned her gaze forward. “Aunt Caroline told me about some of the difficultiesThomas endured because of the last war. Do you think he has gotten over theworst by now?”

          “Don’t know, lass. It’s different foreveryone. My experiences kept me angry with the world and everyone in it foryears. Others get past the worst of it sooner, even if they still havenightmares now and again. Hopefully, Thomas has mostly recovered.”

          “For his sake, I hope so.” Catchingsight of a man walking out of the livery barn, who turned and stared at her andRobbie, Susan jutted her chin forward and squinted. “Do you think that could behim?”

          “Have no idea, lass. Just before Ileft Genoa, Caroline showed me the daguerreotype of him and Frederick they hadtaken once they received their uniforms. She described him to me more thanonce. Keep in mind, lass, she’s relying on memory, and the last time she sawhim was almost six years ago. With him being her own son, she might recognize him, no matter how much he’s changed. I’venever seen the lad. With that hat on, I can’t even tell the color of his hair.”Robbie inhaled deeply and puffed out his chest. “One way to find out. We’ll goask him.”

          Glancing at Robbie, Susan suspectedthat for all his bluff and bravado, he felt uneasy about this first meetingwith Caroline’s son—a man who was his stepson, as well as a stranger. 

 

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