The Staying Kind Read Online Free PDF Page B

lied.
    “Never mind. You’ll probably swim in it, but I have a nightgown you can wear and we’ll throw those things in the washing machine.”
    Sadie’s suggestion sounded worlds better than another night on the old dusty sofa and washing up as best as possible in the horses’ wash stall with horse shampoo. On the sly. At least for one night she could sleep in a real bed in a real house with electricity and running water. Hot, glorious water. How long had it been? Man, she couldn’t remember, and thinking about it depressed her.
    “Sounds fine,” she said with a tired smile. “I’ll clean up and be right in.”
    Rio closed up the barn for the night, saying goodnight to the horses before shutting the big sliding door. The hulking, white farmhouse stood three stories tall, including the attic. The kind of place that had once housed multiple generations of one family within its walls.
    She’d been inside often since coming to work at Cobble Creek. The place always felt so empty, even with Sadie’s lively banter. Rio wondered why Sadie hadn’t gotten married, had never filled this house up with a big family. She certainly enjoyed people; she would’ve made a loving mother, a wonderful grandmother.
    Maybe that’s why Rio had stayed so long, because she’d become so comfortable here with this woman, who hadn’t shown her any distrust. Had always been so warm and welcoming. Not many people treated her with such kindness since being on the road. Perhaps that made Sadie foolish. In Rio’s book, it was a rare trait and one she wasn’t eager to leave behind.
    Pushing the kitchen door open, the comforting and delicious scent of fried chicken and fresh baked bread enveloped her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
    “You seem content.”
    Rio jumped. She hadn’t seen Sadie in the doorway. She smiled. “It smells like heaven in here.”
    “Thank you. It’ll be ready soon. First things first. I’ll show you the guest room and give you a nightgown. You don’t mind having dinner in a nightgown, do you? Shower first. Give me your clothes and I’ll toss them into the wash. Then dinner.”
    “All right.”
    Sadie led the way. “Bathroom is across the hall. Take your time, dinner won’t spoil if you want a long, hot shower. You’ve earned it today.” Sadie closed the door behind her, leaving Rio alone in the homey, old-fashioned bedroom.
    A white, blue, and pink homemade quilt covered the queen-sized bed. It looked so inviting. She longed to collapse on the mattress, but her clothes were too offensive to be on Sadie’s beautiful spread. If she laid down she might be asleep before she would be able to sit up again. A shower would surely revive her.
    Twenty minutes later, she walked out of the bedroom feeling one hundred percent better, wearing a nightgown about three sizes too big. With one hand she held the heavy flannel material up off the ground while clutching her dirty clothes in the other hand. Her short, wet hair clung to her cheeks and her feet were bare. Still, she didn’t remember the last time she’d felt so clean. There was definitely something to be said about living in a real house.
    As soon as she got to the bottom of the stairs, Sadie whipped the clothes away. While she headed to the laundry room off the kitchen, she pointed Rio toward the table.
    “Can I help you with anything?”
    “No, you can sit. You’ve done enough today,” Sadie replied from the other room.
    Rio complied, feeling a bit guilty about being waited on. Sadie had already set the kitchen table. A tall glass of milk stood by each plate. In the center of the table a platter held a loaf of bread, sliced into thick pieces, next to a dish of real honest-to-God butter. Rio longed to grab a piece but she had some manners, so she kept her hands in her lap and studied the big room.
    Again she wondered if Sadie was ever lonely, living all alone. Rio didn’t know much about Sadie’s family, except she had a nephew with a troubled