enough anger in his voice as he uttered them-to tell Karen that something unpleasant had happened between the two men. But before she could say anything, Russell spoke again: "I'm afraid he's being a little old-fashioned about all this." His face reddened with obvious embarrassment, "Aside from not wanting me to marry what he keeps calling a 'city girl,' he's also decided that you shouldn't stay in my house before the wedding."
"You're kidding," Karen said, barely able to believe what she was hearing. Then, as she saw the abashed expression on Russell's face, her mouth dropped open. "And you're going along with him?" she asked.
Russell's feet shuffled nervously. "It's only for a few days," he said. As Karen started to interrupt him, he plunged on. "Come on, honey-he's lived out here all his life, and he's too old to get with the modern world. Can't we just humor him on this one? At spring break, you stayed at the motel-2'
"And at spring break we hadn't decided to get married, either," she reminded him. "Russell, it's ridiculous!"
Russell nodded, but his hands spread in a gesture of helplessness. "I know," he sighed. "But I figure if I gave in on this one, at least he might behave himself at the wedding." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Or do you really want him to stand up in the middle of the ceremony and call you a harlot in front of the whole town?"
"He wouldn't," Karen said. Then: "Would he?" Russell shrugged. "He might. Anyway, it's only for three nights, and it occurred to me that you and the girls might like to have a few nights by yourselves before you get swallowed up by all of this." His right arm moved in a graceful arc that encompassed the surrounding acreage.
"So I agreed that you'd stay in his house until the wedding, and he'll use the guest room in the big house.
Okay?"
What was she supposed to say? Karen wondered. That she didn't want to stay in a house owned by a man who obviously disapproved of her? That she wanted to be with Russell, and that she didn't really care what his father thought? But then she realized that Russell was right-it was only a few nights, and it was quite possible that the Whole idea of having three new people on the farm might be as upsetting to Otto as the idea of moving to Pleasant Valley was to Julie. She would simply think of the next few days as a buffer zone-a time of transition for all of them. "Okay," she agreed.
"Then, let's get your suitcases inside," Russell told her.
He began pulling her baggage out of the trunk of the old Chevy. Karen was about to pitch in, too, when suddenly she felt an eerie chill run down her spine.
The kind of chill you feel when you know someone is watching you. Certain she knew the source of the chill, Karen turned to gaze up the hill at the house that, in just a few more days, would become her home.
In the front window she could see a silhouette.
Otto Owen, watching her.
Watching her, but not coming outside to greet her.
What if, after all, Julie had been right?
What if coming back to Pleasant Valley wasn't the best thing she'd ever done?
What if it turned out to be the worst?
Shuddering at the thought, she instantly rejected it. The day was perfect, and she was in love, and Pleasant Valley was beautiful, and she wouldn't let anyone ruin it for her, Least of all Otto Owen.
When she glanced up at the window again, he was gone.
CHAPTER 2
Molly Spellman awoke with the first crowing of the cock, threw the cotton quilt back and scrambled out of the bed she was sharing with Julie for the last time. While Julie grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her, rolling over to bury her face in the pillow Against the brightening morning, Molly scurried over to the window and gazed rapturously out Over the broad expanse of countryside surrounding the house. To her, every day on the farm brought a new adventure, and today's was going to be the biggest yet.
Her mom and Kevin's dad were getting married.
It seemed to Molly as if she'd been
"You're kidding," Karen said, barely able to believe what she was hearing. Then, as she saw the abashed expression on Russell's face, her mouth dropped open. "And you're going along with him?" she asked.
Russell's feet shuffled nervously. "It's only for a few days," he said. As Karen started to interrupt him, he plunged on. "Come on, honey-he's lived out here all his life, and he's too old to get with the modern world. Can't we just humor him on this one? At spring break, you stayed at the motel-2'
"And at spring break we hadn't decided to get married, either," she reminded him. "Russell, it's ridiculous!"
Russell nodded, but his hands spread in a gesture of helplessness. "I know," he sighed. "But I figure if I gave in on this one, at least he might behave himself at the wedding." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Or do you really want him to stand up in the middle of the ceremony and call you a harlot in front of the whole town?"
"He wouldn't," Karen said. Then: "Would he?" Russell shrugged. "He might. Anyway, it's only for three nights, and it occurred to me that you and the girls might like to have a few nights by yourselves before you get swallowed up by all of this." His right arm moved in a graceful arc that encompassed the surrounding acreage.
"So I agreed that you'd stay in his house until the wedding, and he'll use the guest room in the big house.
Okay?"
What was she supposed to say? Karen wondered. That she didn't want to stay in a house owned by a man who obviously disapproved of her? That she wanted to be with Russell, and that she didn't really care what his father thought? But then she realized that Russell was right-it was only a few nights, and it was quite possible that the Whole idea of having three new people on the farm might be as upsetting to Otto as the idea of moving to Pleasant Valley was to Julie. She would simply think of the next few days as a buffer zone-a time of transition for all of them. "Okay," she agreed.
"Then, let's get your suitcases inside," Russell told her.
He began pulling her baggage out of the trunk of the old Chevy. Karen was about to pitch in, too, when suddenly she felt an eerie chill run down her spine.
The kind of chill you feel when you know someone is watching you. Certain she knew the source of the chill, Karen turned to gaze up the hill at the house that, in just a few more days, would become her home.
In the front window she could see a silhouette.
Otto Owen, watching her.
Watching her, but not coming outside to greet her.
What if, after all, Julie had been right?
What if coming back to Pleasant Valley wasn't the best thing she'd ever done?
What if it turned out to be the worst?
Shuddering at the thought, she instantly rejected it. The day was perfect, and she was in love, and Pleasant Valley was beautiful, and she wouldn't let anyone ruin it for her, Least of all Otto Owen.
When she glanced up at the window again, he was gone.
CHAPTER 2
Molly Spellman awoke with the first crowing of the cock, threw the cotton quilt back and scrambled out of the bed she was sharing with Julie for the last time. While Julie grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her, rolling over to bury her face in the pillow Against the brightening morning, Molly scurried over to the window and gazed rapturously out Over the broad expanse of countryside surrounding the house. To her, every day on the farm brought a new adventure, and today's was going to be the biggest yet.
Her mom and Kevin's dad were getting married.
It seemed to Molly as if she'd been
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