Until the Harvest Read Online Free PDF Page B

eyes twinkled. “Jesus spent plenty of time with questionable people—tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, beggars. Henry could do worse.”
    Margaret puffed her breath out in frustration. “I know you love him, but maybe you’re too willing to see past his flaws.”
    “Oh, Margaret, I forget how unsentimental you can be.” Emily patted her on the arm, and Margaret wanted to shake the kindness off. The only time her parents were nice to her was when they wanted something. She had to remind herself not everyone was like that.
    “But if you ignore his flaws, how is that going to help him improve?” Margaret thumped pie dough on the counter and began to roll it out like she was smoothing out all of Henry’s shortcomings.
    “Not ignore the flaws, but love the person in spite of them. There’s a difference,” Emily said.
    Margaret turned back to the refrigerator to hide her confusion. She didn’t quite understand what Emily was talking about, but she decided not to write it off completely. Maybe she should be more gracious about having Henry around. It would give her a chance to watch Emily and her grandson and see how people who loved each other were supposed to act.

4
    H ENRY WALKED THE FENCE LINE , mentally noting areas that needed repair. He carried a small bucket with fencing nails, a hammer, and a wire stretcher. Mayfair trailed along behind him, saying little and lending easy companionship. He was surprised by how much he liked having her with him. Maybe it was because she didn’t chatter on and on but just kept him quiet company.
    Stopping to stretch a bit of wire that had come loose, Henry set the bucket at his feet. Mayfair swooped in and handed him a nail and the hammer as he needed them. He grinned at his silent helper. Maybe this was what it was like to have a kid. He imagined himself with a son one day, and then he thought about how he used to follow his own father around. He’d probably been more hindrance than help, but Dad always put up with him. He felt a lump forming in his throat and blinked rapidly, telling himself it was just the cold stinging his eyes.
    Mayfair brushed his arm as though she knew he was struggling and wanted to brush the pain away. And oddly, it did ease a little. He found he could think about his father without wanting to cry or hit anything. Maybe the pain would get easier in time.
    A figure appeared over the rise and moved toward them. Henry stopped what he was doing and leaned on a fence post, watching. It was a man, but he didn’t recognize him right off. The man raised a hand in salute and recognition dawned. It was the sheriff.
    “Howdy, Henry,” Sheriff Pendleton called out. “Fine day for mending fence.”
    “A mite chilly,” Henry said, trying to appear relaxed but going stiff inside. “What brings you all the way out here?”
    “Stopped off at Perla’s place. She said you were over here working for your grandma. Saw you as I drove in and thought I’d walk on out. No need to bother Emily.”
    Henry’s stomach knotted. “Bother her with what?”
    “Well, seems Charlie Simmons ended up in the emergency room with a bullet in his leg sometime late last night. I heard you were out with those boys yesterday evening and wondered if you knew anything about it.” The sheriff pushed his hat back on his head a notch and looked at Henry like he was a steer at auction. “Charlie says he and his brother were messing around target shooting. You part of that?”
    Henry swallowed hard. He’d heard gunfire as they took off through the woods the night before, but they’d scattered and gone their separate ways. He hadn’t known anyone got hit.
    “Was he hurt bad?”
    “Oh, he’ll live, but he might limp a while. Hope it’ll be a reminder to be more careful in the future.”
    Henry stood there, hammer forgotten in his hand. He sorted through possible stories, but he wasn’t much of a liar.
    “Were you with those boys last night?”
    “Yeah, for a while. But I