Love’s Journey Home Read Online Free PDF Page B

too long.
    “I could still go.” Catherine’s voice quivered. “I could wave at them on my way out.”
    “No. Greet them. Don’t run away like you did before.”
    Catherine walked toward the door, as if drawn there by her dread and her fascination
     with the painful moments that would surely follow.
    Luke held the door open. Leah dashed in, a sleeping baby in her arms, the twins and
     their older boys, William and Joseph, trotting along behind her. They were all sopping
     wet. “Run upstairs, boys, get out of those wet clothes and into bed. Annie, whose
     car is that…?”
    She stopped, her gaze fixed on Catherine.
    “Look who’s come for a visit.” Annie tried to keep her voice light.
    “I was just leaving.” Catherine’s gaze flitted over the children. “Where’s Mark? I
     wondered…how tall he must be now.”
    “William, Joseph, take the twins upstairs.” Luke’s deep voice reverberated around
     them. “Now.”
    Their eyes wide with curiosity at this stranger in their house, the boys herded little
     Esther and Ruth up the stairs, their wet feet making squelching sounds on the wood.
    Luke tromped past Leah and halted in front of Annie. He didn’t offer any words of
     welcome to their sister.
    “You know better.” Finally, he spoke. He didn’t look at Catherine, directing the words
     squarely at Annie. “Why would you let her in the house?”
    “I wanted to talk—”
    “You shouldn’t be talking to her. You should’ve turned her away.”
    “She’s my sister. Your sister.”
    Luke’s stony façade cracked a little, and Annie saw the misery in his eyes. His Adam’s
     apple bobbed. “Not anymore.”
    “Luke!”
    “It’s all right. I’ll go.” Catherine’s voice held steady. “I don’t want to cause any
     trouble.”
    “If that were the case, she would never have left Bliss Creek.” His gaze swung to
     Catherine, then dropped to the floor. “But what’s done is done.”
    “I’ll go now.”
    “She can’t.” Luke spoke to Annie as if she’d been the one to utter the words. “Not
     now.”
    “What?”
    “It’s raining so hard, the creek is up over its banks. We barely made it over the
     bridge.” He wiped rain from his face with the back of his sleeve. Water dripped from
     his hat brim, making the motion useless. “No one can get into town tonight—not unless
     it stops raining for a spell. The ground’s packed so hard from the drought that the
     water is running off as fast as the rain falls.”
    Annie couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t stand by and let Catherine think her return
     had no import to Luke. She knew it did. She knew from the tight line around his mouth
     and the way his pulse pounded in his temple.
    “Luke, Catherine is—”
    “Catherine best stay in the dawdi haus for the night.” Leah handed Jebediah to Luke. “She can get back to town in the morning.
     I’ll make sure there are fresh sheets on the bed. Annie, you best check on Noah; I
     hear him squalling. I’ll fill the lamps out there.”
    Surprised at her sister-in-law’s deft handling of the situation, Annie blew out a
     sigh of relief. The dawdi haus would be permissible. The bishop would not object to
     having a wayward member of the flock stay there. “Leah will get you settled.” She
     took Catherine’s cold hand in hers and squeezed. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
    “See you in the morning.” Catherine squeezed back. Her gaze went to Luke’s stony face.
     “Unless the rain stops.”
    As if in response hail began to ping against the roof, the porch railings, and the
     ground around the house. Hard, white balls bounced and ricocheted against the windows.
    “I’d better go help Mark. He’s putting up the horse and wagon and checking on the
     livestock.” Luke held out Jebediah. Annie took him. Her brother started toward the
     door without a backward glance. “Annie, get your sister an umbrella and then see to
     the babies. It’s time everyone was in bed.”
    “I brought