KeepingFaithCole Read Online Free PDF Page B

on Mrs. Triplett, that’s all. We’ve been
so busy, I haven’t had any chance to speak to her for weeks.”
    Widowhood had settled upon Lucille’s mother like a heavy
mantle. Despite her attempts to appear cheerful and her efforts to involve
herself in church and community activities, she’d become a lonely woman, one
who had little to live for. Lately she’d even taken to visiting Emma Triplett,
a tiny black-skinned woman reputed to have the
gift and who would, for a price, bring messages from the dead to the
living.
    “Mama, you know that woman’s a fraud. I miss Daddy, too, but
it’s wrong to be conjuring up spirits.”
    “She’s not conjuring. All she’s doing is listening to what
they tell her and sharing it with those of us who are longing to hear from our
loved ones. She brings comfort, honey. I wish you could understand.”
    Comfort and peace of mind, assurances of heaven, and above
all, hope. All of these came about through Emma Triplett’s gift . Lucille still considered it wrong, but everyone needed
something to believe in.
    “Are you still thinking about going to Denver?” she asked,
adroitly changing the subject. Lucille’s older sister, Matilda, lived in the
big city with her husband and children. Mama had talked about visiting with
them during the statehood festivities, looking after her grandsons while
Matilda and Richard attended various celebrations.
    “I plan to leave on Thursday next week. We’ll have all our
work finished by then.”
    “It will be good for you to get away, Mama.”
    “Matilda thinks I should move in with her.”
    Lucille’s head snapped up. “You’d leave Sunset?”
    “I haven’t given her an answer, but I’m thinking about it.”
    Everything in Lucille’s heart wanted to cry out and beg Mama
to reconsider. She belonged in Sunset. This is where their home had always
been. The McIntyres had been pillars of the little
community.
    She had church, she had the Ladies’ Charitable Society
meetings to attend. She had Emma Triplett, too, her only link to her deceased
husband. How could she pack up and move away?
    What Lucille’s heart really asked was how could Mama leave her ? The thought of living alone,
running her shop without Mama at her side, and having to manage entirely on her
own left her shaken.
    “You have to do what you think best, of course.”
     
    * * * *
     
    For the next week, Lucille tried not to think about the
possibility of her mother actually moving away from Sunset. She tried not to
think about a lot of other things too.
    Like how to deal with Charlotte Henderson and her quiet but
surly attitude. The woman showed up each day and she did what was asked of her,
but all the while it was clear that she hated the job. Or maybe she just hated
Lucille.
    She tried not to think much about Charlotte’s son either,
but for some reason getting her thoughts off Tom proved impossible. She didn’t
like him. He was too full of himself. The good-looking cowboy knew every girl
in town drooled over him, and he expected them to chase after him. Well,
Lucille was not running after any fellow, least of all, not a
rough-around-the-edges ranch-hand with no prospects for the future.
    On Thursday morning, she walked with her mother to the stage
depot.
    “Are you sure you don’t want to come along, Lucille?”
    “You know I can’t do that. I’ve still got to finish Kat’s
dress. She’ll be picking it up tomorrow.”
    “You could drive to Denver on Saturday morning.”
    “I’ll be fine, Mama.”
    “I’m worried that you’ll be lonely. Everybody will be
celebrating, honey.” She giggled and bent forward to whisper in her daughter’s
ear. “Did you know Charlotte is going to the statehood dance? With Abner Kellerman, of all people.”
    “Are you sure that’s not just rumor? You know how women in
town love to gossip.”
    Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of the
stage. Within moments, her mother had boarded, waved good-bye, and was on her
way