Hope Springs Read Online Free PDF

being so headstrong and just get up.”
    Biddy took Ian’s limp hand in hers. “I love you, dearest.” She kissed his hand and pressed it to her cheek. “But I’m not mucking out your stalls.”
    Tavish smiled in relief. Hearing even a tiny bit of humor from Biddy put his heart at ease.
    “How long until you need to feed him again?” he asked her. Biddy couldn’t hold Ian up and dribble broth down his throat without help.
    “About an hour.”
    He could see to a few more chores before then. “I’ll come back.”
    He looked once more at Ian, hoping to see something encouraging. The swelling had, perhaps, gone down a bit. He lay peacefully; no look of pain marred his features. Tavish supposed that was something. But Ian hadn’t spoken or even shown the slightest sign of awareness in nearly forty-eight hours. That made optimism a bit hard to come by.
    “If you need anything, I’ll be out in the barn mucking out the stalls.”
    Biddy nodded as she smoothed Ian’s blanket.
    Tavish slipped from the room, crossing to the front door. Something had to change for the better with Ian, or they’d all lose hope.
    The front door squeaked as he opened it. The hinges didn’t look rusted, but a bit of grease would do them good. Tavish added that to the list in his mind. He’d have his brother’s house in as fine shape as he could get it. If he awoke—Tavish hated that he thought of Ian’s recovery in terms of “if”—he’d need his strength for recovering from his injuries, not tending to his home.
    He stepped out beneath the front overhang and saw his Sweet Katie sitting on the step. Her back was to him, knees pulled up close, her arms wrapped around her legs.
    “This is a fine surprise,” he said, pushing all thoughts of hinges and repairs out of his mind. “Did Joseph give you the day off again to come help Biddy?”
    She shook her head without speaking a word.
    “You’ve slipped off, then? It’s not like you to skip out on your work.”
    In a tiny voice, she answered, “I’ve been fired.”
    For a moment the words made no sense. “Joseph fired you?” He stepped closer to her.
    “He let me go, which amounts to the same thing, really. I’ve been sent off from a job, something that’s never happened to me once in all my life.” Katie leaned her chin on her knees. She looked so terribly small and vulnerable sitting there.
    Tavish sat on the step beside her. “Did Joseph say why he let you go?”
    “So the Red Road won’t be angry about me living there. And because if I stayed I might not be safe.” She turned her head enough to look over at him. No tears hung in her eyes, but plenty of hurt hovered there. “I understand the whys of it, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.”
    Poor Katie. Troubles did seem to stack on top of one another. He’d have to do what he could to lift her spirits. It would be a pleasure, really.
    “Granny Claire let you in the door, I’m assuming.”
    Katie smiled at him. His entire world lit up whenever she smiled, however small and quivery the attempt.
    “Aye. She let me in. So I’ve a place to live and bread to sell and, all things considered, am in a fine situation.” She sat up a bit, but her shoulders slumped. “I’m only discouraged is all, and so very tired.”
    Tavish wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. She leaned her head on his shoulder, though her arms remained crossed over her knees. They’d grown close over the past weeks. She’d shared a great deal of her thoughts and worries with him, yet she still felt distant at times, as though she still held something back.
    He wished he could promise her that all would be well, that Ian would recover, that the feud would resolve itself peacefully, that she’d have the money she needed. He couldn’t, but neither would he speak of heavy things when she was already weighed down. He pressed a kiss to her hair. “You smell like flowers, love. And you feel like heaven.”
    The tiniest of