Broken Trust Read Online Free PDF Page B

broken relationship, his
presence comforted her and helped her feel closer to Eric.
    Inside the cabin, Inez pressed Toni
down into a chair. “Hank, stir up that fire and haul in some water. I’ll need
the first aid kit, too.”
    Hank headed into one of the back
rooms while Mac leaned his crutch against the wall. On one leg, Mac hopped over
to the kitchen and balanced himself against the counter while he lifted two
heavy pans to heat on the black cook stove.
    “Mac, sit down right now, young
man,” Inez commanded without looking at him. “I want you to rest your leg. Your
father can heat up the stove in a few minutes.”
    Mac politely ignored his mother and
continued to pour water into the pans. As he stoked the fire and added fuel,
the scent of wood smoke teased Toni’s nostrils.
    “You hungry?” Mac asked Toni as he
hopped over to a beat-up recliner and lowered himself into the chair.
    “Ravenous.”
    He showed a slight smile. “We’ll
get you fed as soon as Mom has you cleaned up. It smells like we’re having
homemade stew and biscuits.”
    “And cherry cobbler,” Inez chimed.
    Toni’s mouth watered at the thought
of food. Now they were inside, she felt calm and secure.
    Hank crouched before the rock
fireplace, stirring up the coals. He laid another piece of wood on the fire.
Armed with a hot pad and long, wooden spoon, he lifted the lid of a black Dutch
oven. Steam and a tantalizing aroma rose from the contents and Toni’s stomach
growled again.
    Grunt padded across the room and
plopped down close at her feet, a gentle giant. He rested his head between his
paws and closed his eyes. Soon, he snored loudly.
    Toni looked about, her gaze taking
in the rustic furnishings of the spacious four-room cabin. Carved oak trim
graced two sofas, chairs and footstools. Their plump cushions were made for
curling up on cold winter evenings, or lounging on a warm summer day.
    “That’s new.” She pointed at a long
table sitting near the kitchen for taking meals. It included twelve chairs, the
high wooden backs carved with soaring eagles, growling bears and roaring
mountain lions.
    Inez inclined her head toward the
chairs. “You like them?”
    Toni nodded with admiration.
“They’re beautiful.”
    “Mac carved them. He has the
steadiest hands I’ve ever seen. I always told him he should go to medical
school and become a surgeon.”
    Toni studied Mac. His ears reddened
a bit and he looked away. No doubt he was thinking of their breakup. Their
separate goals had ultimately caused the end of their romance, but she couldn’t
help wishing they’d found a way to make it work.
    Inez went into the kitchen area for
a wash cloth. The room contained a large pantry and Inez pointed at the carved
oak cupboards, indicating Mac created them also. Thick cutting boards supplied
an area for food preparation. Two steel wash basins installed in the cupboard
provided a drain and faucet. Jugs of store-bought drinking water sat on one
shelf. In this rustic kitchen, Inez prepared some of the best meals Toni had
ever eaten.
    Through the open doorways, Toni saw
bunk beds and several small knotty pine dressers and trunks resting against the
walls. One room for women, the other for men. In the summer, the MacKenzie’s
often had guests. Backpackers, film crews, geologists, tourists, and military
personnel.
    Hank headed for the front door and
Toni popped out of her chair. “Where are you going?”
    “I’ll be right back.”
    “Don’t go out there.”
    Hank hesitated, his eyes crinkled
as he looked at her. “Don’t worry, Toni. I’ll be fine.”
    “But that man might still be out
there.”
    “Grunt would have sensed him and
warned us by now.” Hank went outside.
    Toni sank back into her chair,
trying to convince herself that he was right. The gunman was gone. She fidgeted
nervously until Hank returned carrying two buckets of water, which he placed
beside the stove. Over the next few minutes, he hauled hot water into the
women’s bunk