Sarah My Beloved (Little Hickman Creek Series #2)

by Sharlene MacLaren

  Jon Atkins stood in the center of the yard, let out a highpitched whistle by blowing through his index finger and thumb, and bellowed in his loudest voice, "Food's ready. Come and get it!"

  "You gotta have preacher's lungs to spout like that," Ben joked.

  Rocky laughed in agreement, and together they headed inside the barn for the second meal of the day. After supper, several men would bring out their instruments, the women would clear the tables, and the square dancing would commence.

  ively music such as Sarah had never heard filled the barn at dusk. Folks with very small children had left for the day, but everyone else seemed hesitant to go, the day's festivities having whetted their appetites for old-fashioned fun and fellowship.

  Sarah was happy to see Emma Browning ride in just as she was making a trip from the house to the barn.

  She gave her friend a wild wave. "Hello, Emma! I'm so glad you stopped by."

  Smiling, Emma directed her draft horses to a spot alongside several other buggies and climbed down. "I can't stay, mind you," she said. "I am expecting a new boarder late this evening, so I must prepare for his arrival. Still, I did want to stop in for a brief visit." She looked toward the lantern-lit barn where folks chattered at the tops of their voices. Every so often, someone let out a loud peal of laughter. "Sounds like everyone's havin' a good time."

  The blue-eyed woman smiled warmly, revealing a dimple in her left cheek. Dressed in yellow gingham with matching bonnet and shawl, her blond hair fixed in a loose bun with several strands fallen to the sides, she was a pretty thing. Sarah couldn't imagine why she'd never married, unless it was that she simply wasn't interested. Although Sarah didn't like to listen in on hearsay, she'd picked up enough in conversations with Emma while she lived at the boardinghouse to know that Emma was a loner and liked it that way.

  "Her father is the town drunk," Mrs. Winthrop once stated when Sarah was buying additional sewing supplies and Emma Browning had walked past the window.

  Not wanting to appear interested in what she had to say regarding her friend, she couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow. That was all the encouragement Iris Winthrop needed. "Ezra Browning is a no-good rapscallion who ought to be ousted from the town. You'll find him sleepin' on the sidewalk outside of that-that drinking establishment across the street most every night."

  "You mean Madame Guttersnipe's Saloon and Hotel?"

  "Piffle. It's a bawdy house, if you ask me. Such a disgrace it is. Someone ought to burn that awful building down." Apparently, Mrs. Winthrop preferred living with an arsonist in her midst. Sarah nearly giggled at the notion.

  "Why doesn't Mr. Browning take a room at his daughter's place?"

  Mrs. Winthrop dropped her jaw. "That would never do. Besides, he has his own place a mile out of town, although it's a shack. Emma wouldn't allow him in her place, anyway. The two don't even speak."

  Sarah thought that bit of information odd, but since she'd already learned more than was necessary, she took up her purchases and wished Mrs. Winthrop a good afternoon.

  Now Sarah greeted Emma with a gentle squeeze. "Come inside where it's warmer," she coaxed. "The barn's not heated, but with the big lanterns and everyone snuggled close, we're managing just fine."

  With that, Emma followed Sarah to a vacant spot on a prickly bale of hay. "It's not much of a seat," Sarah apologized.

  "It'll do just fine," Emma replied.

  "Well, if it isn't the lovely Miss Browning," came the buttery-smooth voice of the handsome young preacher. Emma made ready to move to a different spot, but Jon Atkins wouldn't hear of it, taking her by the arm and seating her before she had a chance to protest and then quickly squeezing in beside her. Sarah thought it comical the way Emma blanched in Jon Atkins' presence. Did his preacher status make her uncomfortable, or was it that the young Reverend Jonathan Atkins was so charmingly handsome?

  Well, no matter-it was time she saw to the rest of the guests. Smiling at the unlikely pair, she excused herself and moved along.

  Eldred Johansson's square dance call rang through the rafters, wooing folks to the center of the barn. Several couples accepted the invitation, and before long, men began handing off their laughing partners to another at the caller's orders, dust flying high as boot heels broke up the straw-covered earth, fancy fiddles blaring into the frosty night.

  "Swing your partner, do-si-do,

  Round and round, now here we go.

  Now trade her off for another girl,

  Hand in hand, now give her a whirl."

  Sarah looked around for a glimpse of Rocky and found him standing with several men, most of whom she hadn't met personally but recognized as the husbands of the women she knew. As if he sensed she was watching, he turned and met her eyes. When he tipped his hat at her and winked, she gasped, wondering if anyone else had spotted the gesture.

  Granting him a tiny smile in response, she hastily swiveled her body, picked up her skirts, and set out toward a group of women all gathered around the one remaining food table.

  "Are you havin' fun?" inquired a high-pitched, breathless voice, stopping her midstride. Spinning around, she looked down into a red-faced Rachel.

  "Why, yes I am, sweetie," she answered, patting one of her red cheeks. "Where's Seth? I haven't seen either of you for the past hour or more. And why are you so out of breath? Are you feeling all right?" A number of the children had been sneezing and coughing during the day. She hoped Rachel and Seth wouldn't catch their cold.

  "I'm fine! Kids been chasin' me and Seth." Her voice rang of pure delight. "It's fun, Aunt Sarah-I mean-Sarah." The girl looked mortified to have made the blunder, so Sarah quickly set out to ease her embarrassment.

  "It's perfectly fine if you want to think of me as your aunt, sweetie. In fact, I'd be tickled pink."

  "Truly? Me and Seth been practicin' sayin' it in private," she admitted. "That's why it slipped out."

  She bent so that the girl's face came within eye level. "Well, I think it's lovely."

  "Rachel, come on!" Lill Broughton stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip, her face a picture of impatience. "We're gettin' ready to play hide-and-seek. Hurry!"

  Rachel looked at Sarah with an impish grin. "I gotta go play"

  Straightening, she gave the girl's hand a gentle squeeze. "Run along then."

  "See you later, Aunt Sarah!" she hollered loud enough that several people turned and smiled. She scampered off into the starry night, taking no notice when she sailed right past her uncle on her way out the door. He watched her run off, then, making eye contact with Sarah, strolled over to where she stood.

  "Aunt Sarah?" A wide grin stole across his face on his approach. "That's something new."

  Foolishly, her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his cavernous voice.

  Lord above, am I falling in love?

  Wanting to hide her emotions, she gazed at the children, who had formed a huddle. In the distance, she heard the voice of Lill Broughton doling out instructions and gesturing with her hands. A born leader, Sarah pondered with a touch of amusement.

  "Rachel tells me she and Seth have been practicing in private."

  "Ah," Rocky mused. "Trying it out, huh? Well, I guess it would make things simpler for everyone, what with me being their uncle."

  She nodded, shooting a gaze at the circle of children again, trying to locate Rachel and Seth in the midst, relieved when she did. "They seem happier lately," she remarked.

  The last several mornings, Rachel had been rising earlier than usual to help feed the animals with Seth. Although Rocky had tolerated their tagging along, Sarah had heard grumblings from him that he wasn't accomplishing his chores in a timely fashion anymore. "They're more important than the chores, Rocky Callahan, and they need your influence in their lives," she'd reminded, giggling softly when he'd harrumphed.

  Although she'd heard little mentioned in reference to the children's real father, Rocky had once told her how worthless the fellow had been, having deserted his family whe
n Seth was a baby, then dying shortly afterward in some sort of farming accident.

  Yes, the children required-even deserved-their uncle's love and attention.

  "It appears they've found themselves some friends," Rocky remarked, his own gaze traveling to the group of children clustered in the yard.

  Since the musicians had announced their need for a short break, the boisterous lot of dancers began to mill about the barn, some seeking refreshment at the punch table, others joining in pleasant conversation with neighbors, the light from several lanterns reflecting off their friendly, smiling faces.

  Earlier sunshine had given way to full-blown dusk and, with it, cooler temperatures. Peering through the wide-open, double barn doors, Rocky must have caught his first glimpse of the full moon just as Sarah had. Without warning, he snagged her by the coat sleeve and summoned her into the chilly night air. "Come on," he urged, moving his hand down her arm and latching onto her fingers.

  "What are you doing?" Sarah cried, suddenly finding herself being pulled along, pulse-pounding excitement racing through her veins. "Where are we going?"

  With purposeful strides, he pulled her across the yard and past the children. "Follow me," he called.

  "Do I have a choice?" she asked, breathless, taking care to hoist her skirts up as she ran, the brisk breezes licking at her cheeks.

  "None that I can think o£"

  Surprisingly, no one followed, not even the children, when he led her to the other side of the house and still several feet beyond the outhouse. Wading through a clump of tall, dead weeds, he stopped in a small clearing and turned her to face him, their hurried, hot breaths mingling.

  "There now. We can watch it in peace."

  Gaping open-mouthed at him, she snagged a much-needed breath and asked, "Watch what in peace?"

  Chuckling low, he cocked a thumb upward. "That," he said, his upturned gaze indicating the moon, round and luminous. Stars flickered, still faint in the slowly darkening sky.

  She caught her breath. He wanted to share the moon with her? "It is a spectacular sight, isn't it?" she whispered, tilting her head for a better view.

  "Quite," he answered. "The loveliest sight I've ever seen, in fact." But when she looked back, it didn't appear he was talking about the moon at all, for his eyes had come to rest on her face.

  A wild exhilaration ran through her veins at the notion that he found her attractive, followed by an unnerving sense of insecurity. Was he teasing again? She would not let him goad her as he'd succeeded in doing that morning. Glancing in the direction of the barn, she cleared her throat and said, "Folks will wonder where we've gone."

  "Will they now?" The moon's soft glow reflected faint touches of humor in his vibrant blue eyes. "I should think most would think it downright ordinary for a man to haul his bride away for a minute or two of seclusion."

  Several words of warning whispered in her head. You mustn't let him plant a seed of false hope in your heart. There'll be no more kissing, no touching. This is a marriage in name only.

  "We should go back," she announced.

  "You've been avoiding me all day, Mrs. Callahan. As a matter of fact, ever since that kiss a few days back, you've been trying to make yourself scarce."

  He touched a cool finger to her chin and drew her face around until she was forced to meet his gaze, creating in her a jumble of shivers. "Can you blame me?" she asked.

  A faint line of confusion creased his brow. "What do you mean?"

  Shaking his finger off her chin, she set her spine straight and spouted, "You understand perfectly what I mean. You provoked me this morning just to get a rise out me, and now you're at it again. You're a-a bully, Rocky Callahan!"

  The smile in his eyes spread to his mouth, his warm breath creating a cloud of steam as it met with cold air. "A bully, you say? Because I questioned why I make you nervous? Can you blame me for my curiosity?"

  Her chin went out in opposition to his playfulness.

  "It was that kiss, wasn't it?" he challenged, coming close to whisper in her ear.

  Tiny shivers zoomed straight up her spine, creating a kind of panic. She took a step back. He was doing it again, trying to break her down, catch her in a giggle or a smile.

  As if finding the chink in her armor, two rough, workworn hands went to both her cheeks and held tenderly. "Well, all right then, I confess," he whispered. "I'm a bully, and right now this bully would very much like to kiss you."

  Ripples of excitement curled through her, creating more quivers. "But -I thought we agreed..."

  He chuckled in husky tones as he lowered his face within inches of hers, his warm, moist breath spreading itself across her cool cheeks like feathery rose petals. "Ali, the arrangement, yes, that is a problem." He kissed the tip of her nose before moving to her temple and kissing its tiny indentation. "What say we discuss that silly agreement later?"

  Silly agreement? But...

  Reluctant to encourage him, yet powerless to stop herself, Sarah moved into his strong embrace, her arms spreading the wide expanse of his muscular back, his encircling her much smaller frame.

  "Sarah," he muttered, dropping tiny kisses on her earlobe, then moving to her cheek to do the same.

  After a time, he pulled back slightly to link gazes with her and, giving her a hangdog grin, asked, "Whose idea was it anyway-that ridiculous marriage-in-name- only pact?" Not giving her a chance to respond, he lowered his face again and met her lips with his.

  The kiss might very well have gone on forever had it not been for an unusual amount of shouting coming from the other side of the house. At first, both were oblivious to the shrieks and squeals of children and adults alike, wrapped up as they were in the pure sweetness of it all.

  But then one word drew their kiss to an abrupt end-a word feared by every farmer for miles around.

  "Fire!" came the fierce warning. "Barn's on fire!"

  At first confused, Rocky dropped his hands to Sarah's waist and turned his eyes toward the barn. A ring of smoke floated over the house, filling the starlit sky, the stench of burning wood already clogging the air.

  "Oh, dear God!" Rocky cried, the impact of the moment finally recording itself in his brain. Without a word, he sped off toward the blaze, leaving Sarah in a cloud of dust and her mind drenched in terror.

  When she rounded the corner of the house, several yards behind her husband, she lost sight of him. Flames shooting upward from the back and one side of the barn had folks scurrying in numerous directions, some herding small children away from the flames, others still exiting through the wide double doors.

  Sarah hoisted her skirts and darted about the yard in frantic search for Seth and Rachel, snatching looks in every direction, her heart in an uproar. "Lord Jesus," she panted, "please show me where they are."

  A bucket brigade formed in the yard, starting at the well where Rocky kept a number of pails stacked for such an emergency. Once folks got their bearings, they fell into line, women and older children alongside the men, taking their turns at passing pails full of water.

  "Is everyone accounted for?" someone asked above the ruckus.

  "As far as we know," one man shouted. "I purposely came out last after I had a good look around."

  "Faster!" a big fellow toward the front of the line ordered. "Flames are shootin' higher!"

  Rocky stood at the front, heaving pail after pail of water into the gigantic inferno. Soon Ben Broughton came alongside him, and the bucket brigade moved even faster, as several more people formed a second line.

  Sarah discovered Seth not far from the house, his small body hugging tight to the trunk of a young tree, his pallid face awash with fear as he watched the growing blaze devour the old barn.

  "Seth!" she screamed, racing toward him, relief flooding her veins.

  When Seth heard her, he dropped his hands and met her running. "I'm scared!" he cried, leaping into her open arms.

  "Oh, Seth, don't be afraid. The important thing is that you're safe. Now, tell me wher
e your sister is."

  He pulled away from her. "Huh?"

  Sarah quickly knelt down to hold the boy at arm's length. "Where is Rachel?"

  He shook his head slowly. "I dunno. Us kids was playin' hide-and-seek. I was hidin' over there," he said, pointing to a shrub beside the porch steps. "But I don't know where Rachel went."

  Sarah jumped to her feet. "Whatever you do, Seth, do not move from this spot. I don't want to have to go looking for you. Do you understand?"

  He gave a slow nod. "Are you gonna go find Rachel?"

  She forced a reassuring smile. "I'll bet she's with Lill Broughton. As soon as I find her we'll come back for you."

  "Hurry," he said, making a sniffling sound. The last thing Sarah saw before she took off on a run was tears sliding down the lad's pale face.

  The flames climbed higher, hissing, coiling, snapping, their fiery fangs swallowing up the walls of the barn like one hundred venomous snakes. Even with heaving the water as far above the ground as Ben and Rocky's strength would allow, it seemed a losing battle. The flames fairly consumed the ancient, dry wood. Rocky's heart fell at the sight. This barn had been standing long before he and Hester had bought the place.

  Everything he owned was in that barn-saddles, tools, building supplies, and so much more. He felt his shoulders plummet with the knowledge that they couldn't possibly work fast enough to squelch the fire.

  "Come on, Rock, you can't give up now," cried Ben above the sounds of the roaring blaze, his husky voice indicating a parched throat. He hurled another bucket of water into the raging fire, then looked at Rocky. "Pitch it!" he ordered, looking down at the full bucket of water Rocky held in his hands.

  "It's no use," Rocky said, dumping the water onto the ground. "It's out of control. Look at it." Flames chewed through the huge two-story structure, licking up the walls, roaring like a hungry lion, the intense heat becoming nearly unbearable.

  Ben grew silent as he watched his friend. He raised a hand at the folks in line to indicate they should stop.

  "Rocky! Rocky, I can't find Rachel," Sarah screamed, running up to the front of the line and grabbing him by the collar. Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes. "Lili says she saw her run into the barn just before the fire broke out."