Healing Gabriel Read Online Free PDF Page B

live Ms. Wilson?”
    “She died honey.”
    “Oh.  Do you miss her?”
    Morgan nodded.  “I do.  But she was very sick before she
died and I feel better knowing that she isn’t sick anymore.”
    “I bet she’s in heaven with grandma and grandpa.”  The
little girl used a piece of straw to tickle the kitten sitting in her lap.
    “I bet she is too.”  Morgan smiled.
    “Did the girl sheep have their babies yet?”  Natalia asked
Gabe.
    “Not yet.  But I’ll be moving them into the jugs soon.”
    “Jugs?”  Morgan asked.
    “Separate pens in the sheep shed.  I move the ewes into them
when they’re about to give birth so they can have some time alone with their
lambs.”
    “Lambs?  Do they have more than one?”
    “Usually, yeah.  Twins are pretty common, and occasionally
triplets are born.”
    “How many are having babies this year Uncle Gabe?”  Natalia
was trailing a piece of straw for the kittens to chase.
    “Just two Nat.”
    “Why only two?”  Morgan asked.
    Gabe shrugged.  “The sheep farming is just a hobby.  I don’t
want to have too many.  I don’t sell them for meat purposes so if I don’t sell
them to other hobby farms or to 4H groups, then the sheep are with me for their
life.  I only have so much room.”
    “Do you make any money from them?”
    He nodded.  “Yes.  I shear them every year and sell their
wool.”
    Morgan looked around the empty barn.  The sheep were kept in
a separate larger barn when they weren’t grazing in the fenced-in pasture, and
she wondered what this smaller barn was for. 
    As if he read her mind Gabe said, “I used to have a couple
of cows and a few horses.”
    “Nat honey, are you ready to go?”  Lacey popped into the
stall and smiled at Morgan.  “Hello Morgan.”
    “Hey Lacey, how are you?”
    “Good.”
    “Look at the kittens mama – they’re getting big.”
    “They sure are.”  Lacey stroked her daughter’s hair.  “Time
to go sweetie.”
    “Uncle Gabe, will you come to the park with us?  Mama said
we could play in the park and then we’re going to a movie this afternoon.”  The
little girl pleaded.
    “I can’t Nat.  I’m going to the auction today.”
    “Oh.  Ms. Wilson, do you want to come with us?”  Natalia
smiled at her.
    “Actually, if it’s okay with your Uncle Gabe, I think I’ll
tag along to the auction.”
    Gabe stared at her in surprise and she flushed a little.  “I’ve
never been to an auction before.”
    “It’s not that interesting.”  He said gruffly.
    Her blush deepened but she persisted.  “I still wouldn’t
mind going.  Unless you don’t want me to come?”
    He hesitated.  He didn’t want her to go.  He had been to the
auction enough times that most people didn’t stare anymore, but there were
always a few new people.  He didn’t want her seeing them staring at his ruined
face.  But she was smiling hopefully at him and he realized with a small
trickle of dismay that he couldn’t say no to her.
    “That’s fine.  I’m leaving in about half an hour.”  He
replied.
    * * *
     
    “Are you buying anything today?”  They were standing
together at the auction and she had to crane her neck to stare at him.  She
wasn’t short but Gabe was well over six feet. 
    He shook his head.  “Nah, probably not.  I just like to go –
keep an eye on what’s out there.”
    She nodded.  She was standing on his right side, a move he
had carefully orchestrated.  She had pretended not to notice.  She had seen a
few people staring curiously at Gabe’s face but she had pretended not to notice
that either.  She had a feeling that he was uncomfortable being out with her in
public, and she didn’t want to do anything that would make it worse.
    “Do you sell your sheep here?”
    He shook his head again.  “No.  If I sold them here they
would just go for meat.  I don’t want that.”
    “Why not?”
    “I’ve raised most of my flock since they were babies.  I
don’t want