Mud Creek Read Online Free PDF

was. He was a short man, himself, and only a few inches taller than her. When he gazed down at her, she seemed very petite, so he felt larger, protective, more in control.
    “Will we come here to shop and socialize?” she asked.
    “No, Prairie City isn’t anything but a whistle stop.”
    “Thank the Lord,” Violet muttered behind him. “This has to be the most dreary, godforsaken place in the world.”
    Violet was correct, but Albert was incensed that she would say so. The tiny village was desolate and ramshackle, a string of buildings thrown up along the tracks by hardscrabble merchants. Did she have to be so condescending? Helen had just stepped off the train, and he wouldn’t have her upset by any bickering.
    He clenched his fists and inhaled a deep breath, reining in his temper so he wouldn’t whip around and snap at Violet. He’d forgotten how flippant she could be, how irreverent and mocking, and he couldn’t allow her to goad him.
    With how strenuously he’d been working, and in view of the pressures back at the ranch, he was often enraged. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t maintain his good humor. He wasn’t the person Helen used to know. Experience had warped him, and the equanimity he’d previously possessed had been pushed out by stronger emotions that were fueled by worry and exhaustion.
    But then, he didn’t imagine she was the same, either. She’d been a pompous girl, and hopefully, her string of calamities had drummed out some of the arrogance. The tables had been turned, with Helen desperately needing Albert’s help. She was beholden to him now and would be forever.
    He gestured to the endless prairie stretching to the north. Two rutted, overgrown wheel tracks were the only indication of the route they would follow, and he tamped down a shudder. He hated wandering through the sea of grass, where there was nothing but sky and rolling hills. It made him feel dizzy and disoriented.
    “We’ll head in that direction,” he said, “as soon as everything is loaded in the wagon.”
    “How far is it to the homestead?” Helen inquired.
    “Eighty miles or so,” he informed her, struggling to keep his voice casual.
    He hadn’t exactly been honest in explaining the circumstances of where they’d be located. He’d hedged on the distances and conditions, but he wasn’t sorry for his obfuscation. He’d just been so anxious to have her by his side.
    “Eighty…miles?” She looked aghast.
    “Yes.”
    Violet was horrified, too. “We’ll be eighty miles from town?”
    “No, no.” Albert forced a chuckle. “Prairie City is where we come for major supplies that are delivered on the train. There’s another town out our way.”
    “What’s it called?” Helen asked.
    “Mud Creek.”
    “And how far is that from the homestead?”
    “Six or seven miles.”
    “Did you hear him, Helen?” Violet nagged. “It’s six miles from the ranch.”
    Violet glared at Helen, which had Albert fuming. From the moment they’d exited the train, tension had festered between them. They must have been quarreling on the trip, but he wouldn’t tolerate any discord. They’d get their fill of it with his parents’ squabbles, and he had no use for Violet Pendleton.
    She had always taken advantage of Helen, and now, with Albert in the picture, their relationship was about to change. Violet would not be permitted to badger or harass Helen as she had in the past. Albert would see to it.
    “It’s not as isolated as it sounds, Violet,” Albert lied. “We go into Mud Creek all the time for socials and dances and market day.”
    “Do the neighbors come in from the surrounding farms?”
    “Of course. The next big celebration is the Fourth of July. Mud Creek holds a parade and picnic and fireworks—the whole shebang. You’ll meet everybody, and you’ll make all kinds of new friends.”
    “I’m sure it’s lovely,” Helen said, glaring back at Violet.
    Violet rolled her eyes and let the subject drop, and