The Widow of Saunders Creek Read Online Free PDF
Author: Tracey Bateman
family believed in ghosts and thought the strange things that had happened around this place for as far back as I could remember could be attributed to an ancestor—or more than one. I sensed something was here too, but as I told Corrie earlier, I didn’t believe people were allowed to come back as ghosts.
Prayer whispered from my lips.
Lord, keep her safe
.
Corrie
The four-hour nap had done me more good than I’d originally believed. When I woke up earlier with the sun slashing my eyes, I thought I would be sick for a week. It had taken sleeping most of the morning to make me feel that maybe I wouldn’t die after all.
Still, I regretted my impulsive decision to go buy cushions the second I entered my house to get ready. But Eli had already been so nice, I hated to back out on him. Besides, I needed a few grocery items too. I probably should have driven myself, instead of imposing on poor Eli, but I felt pretty shaky still. I wasn’t sure how long the effects of alcohol stay in a person’s system and had no intention of tempting fate.
Eli opened the car door for me. He drove a nice Ford 4 × 4 with a backseat and a heavy-duty body. “Wow, you boys don’t play around with your trucks, do you?”
“Sort of like the guys in Texas?”
I smiled. I’m sure he was right, but I wasn’t really raised with the country side of Texas life. Mother had dinner parties and invited politicians and TV preachers. They drove luxury cars and got massages. She most definitely didn’t hang out with good ol’ boys who drove half-ton trucks.
As we started down the hill, he pointed toward the double cup holder in front of the radio. A stainless-steel travel mug occupied one, abottle of water the other. “I made coffee while you were getting ready,” he said. “Figured you could use some. And after last night, you’re probably pretty dehydrated. So the water seemed like a good idea.”
I couldn’t help but be touched by Eli’s thoughtfulness, although today he’d been nothing but thoughtful and kind. I found myself wondering why he was single. As a matter of fact, thinking back, I couldn’t recall one instance during any of our visits that I’d seen him with a woman. Over the past eight years, Eli and I had met a few times during family holidays, and of course my wedding, but we never really had too many conversations before we started talking about renovating the place.
Within a few minutes of calling Eli about the work, I knew he was the best choice for the job. I had no firsthand experience to tell me what a gem Eli was, but I could see why Jarrod had always said Eli was more than a cousin. He was like a brother and the best friend Jarrod would ever have. I knew that was why Jarrod felt comfortable having me work on the renovations. He knew Eli would look after me. Of course, it hadn’t worked out the way we’d planned, but here I was, and Eli was steady as a rock beside me.
Staring at the cup holders, I thanked Eli and made a grab for the water first. I drank down all twenty ounces in seconds. I set the empty bottle back in the holder, a little breathless. “I didn’t know how thirsty I was until I started drinking,” I said a bit sheepishly, then eyed the coffee and decided the caffeine might help the dull ache in my temples.
By the time we reached the town of Saunders Creek, I had downed half the coffee, and I needed to make a pit stop before we went any farther.
“Um, hey Eli. Has Jarrod ever mentioned to you that he didn’t let me have liquids while we were driving?”
He turned to me and shook his head, a frown piercing the space between his eyes. “No. Why?”
“Small bladder.”
I couldn’t see behind the dark sunglasses he’d loaned me earlier—which I was sure looked way better on his tanned, solid face—but I was pretty sure his eyes were smiling. At any rate, his mouth curved upward. He didn’t say anything but pulled immediately into a small shopping center—Saunders Creek’s version
Prayer whispered from my lips.
Lord, keep her safe
.
Corrie
The four-hour nap had done me more good than I’d originally believed. When I woke up earlier with the sun slashing my eyes, I thought I would be sick for a week. It had taken sleeping most of the morning to make me feel that maybe I wouldn’t die after all.
Still, I regretted my impulsive decision to go buy cushions the second I entered my house to get ready. But Eli had already been so nice, I hated to back out on him. Besides, I needed a few grocery items too. I probably should have driven myself, instead of imposing on poor Eli, but I felt pretty shaky still. I wasn’t sure how long the effects of alcohol stay in a person’s system and had no intention of tempting fate.
Eli opened the car door for me. He drove a nice Ford 4 × 4 with a backseat and a heavy-duty body. “Wow, you boys don’t play around with your trucks, do you?”
“Sort of like the guys in Texas?”
I smiled. I’m sure he was right, but I wasn’t really raised with the country side of Texas life. Mother had dinner parties and invited politicians and TV preachers. They drove luxury cars and got massages. She most definitely didn’t hang out with good ol’ boys who drove half-ton trucks.
As we started down the hill, he pointed toward the double cup holder in front of the radio. A stainless-steel travel mug occupied one, abottle of water the other. “I made coffee while you were getting ready,” he said. “Figured you could use some. And after last night, you’re probably pretty dehydrated. So the water seemed like a good idea.”
I couldn’t help but be touched by Eli’s thoughtfulness, although today he’d been nothing but thoughtful and kind. I found myself wondering why he was single. As a matter of fact, thinking back, I couldn’t recall one instance during any of our visits that I’d seen him with a woman. Over the past eight years, Eli and I had met a few times during family holidays, and of course my wedding, but we never really had too many conversations before we started talking about renovating the place.
Within a few minutes of calling Eli about the work, I knew he was the best choice for the job. I had no firsthand experience to tell me what a gem Eli was, but I could see why Jarrod had always said Eli was more than a cousin. He was like a brother and the best friend Jarrod would ever have. I knew that was why Jarrod felt comfortable having me work on the renovations. He knew Eli would look after me. Of course, it hadn’t worked out the way we’d planned, but here I was, and Eli was steady as a rock beside me.
Staring at the cup holders, I thanked Eli and made a grab for the water first. I drank down all twenty ounces in seconds. I set the empty bottle back in the holder, a little breathless. “I didn’t know how thirsty I was until I started drinking,” I said a bit sheepishly, then eyed the coffee and decided the caffeine might help the dull ache in my temples.
By the time we reached the town of Saunders Creek, I had downed half the coffee, and I needed to make a pit stop before we went any farther.
“Um, hey Eli. Has Jarrod ever mentioned to you that he didn’t let me have liquids while we were driving?”
He turned to me and shook his head, a frown piercing the space between his eyes. “No. Why?”
“Small bladder.”
I couldn’t see behind the dark sunglasses he’d loaned me earlier—which I was sure looked way better on his tanned, solid face—but I was pretty sure his eyes were smiling. At any rate, his mouth curved upward. He didn’t say anything but pulled immediately into a small shopping center—Saunders Creek’s version