He lets out a breath. “I’m not sure. Sunday was my first time attending church. My siblings have always gone, but I always deemed it unnecessary. Until I nearly died. I was lost in the woods, been there maybe two days. I was so thirsty and I’d searched for a water source but there was none for miles. I was extremely weak but I knew how to hunt so I wasn’t hungry. I collapsed after a few more hours of walking. I remember lying there and I started to pray that I’d live. I prayed for my siblings to be all right if I died, and I mostly prayed for a way out. Then I saw it…a cat.” He pauses, looking at me before continuing.
“I’d seen the cat hanging around our house before, and with the last of my strength I got up and ran after the cat. I thought I wouldn’t make it, but I soon saw our house in the distance. I don’t know why I decided to follow the cat—maybe it was my only hope. So I decided to start going to church.”
I laugh at the thought of Joel chasing after a cat. “Good idea.”
It’s quiet for a few seconds before he clears his throat. “So, have you started using your fabric yet?”
“Yes, I’ve started sewing it into a dress. Thank you by the way.”
He smiles, looking down at me and his brown eyes meet mine. “What’s that thing around your neck? You’ve been playing with it since I sat down.”
I move my hand down so he can see it. “This is a pendant that has my ma’s picture in it. I guess I just have a nervous habit.”
“That’s a nice way for you to have your ma with you all the time.” He pauses. “Hey, you want to go walk along the river? I saw an interesting thing in the water. Maybe you’d like to see?”
I push myself to stand up. “Sure. I’ve got about forty minutes before my step-mom will want me to meet her.”
He hesitates, looking down. “Is your pa here?”
“No.”
Joel walks down the steps. “Okay, I just didn’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Well I would tell him I don’t care.”
He chuckles. “Really?”
“Yeah, I’d say, Pa. Joel Adams is my friend. And he’s not as bad as you think.”
“Not as bad?”
I laugh, falling into place beside him. “Yeah, you did steal wheat after all, so I suppose that makes you a little bad. But you’ve definitely repaid that price.”
“No. I’m still $1.50 in debt.”
I sigh and look up at him. “Joel. I really don’t want your money.”
“Okay I won’t give you money then.”
I shake my head, smiling as we walk along the river. Eventually, he points to an otter on the bank on the opposite side. It runs along the bank and dives into the water while another pokes his head up. Then the other one chases it down the river.
“Oh, aren’t they adorable? I’ve never seen an otter before.” I sit down on the soft grass and Joel does the same.
He picks a piece of grass from the ground. “I was honestly just hoping they’d still be around here.”
I look up at the otters again and on the opposite side of the river, something catches my eye. A single, perfect white daisy is on the bank. I wonder why, since most wild daisies are in patches, not just one. And why here?
A tear runs down my face before I notice. My ma? Is she here?
I quickly wipe it away, but not fast enough.
“Were you just crying?” Joel asks, his eyes seeming to search mine.
“No… I just…there’s a daisy over there. A single daisy. I’ve only ever seen them in patches. And my ma, she loved daisies and lately they’ve been everywhere I look.”
He lets out a breath, looking across the river at the daisy. “Oh. Do you want it?”
“What do you mean?” I laugh as he jumps up.
“I’ll go get it for you.” Before I can stop him, he wades into the river.
Laughing, I stand up and walk to the bank of the river. “What are you doing? You’re going to get all wet.”
“A little water never killed anyone. Besides, it’s so hot out here, I could use a swim.” He calls back as he keeps wading to the other side of the bank. When he reaches the shore he carefully reaches down to pick the daisy. Holding it in the air he yells triumphantly, “I’ve got it. I’ve got the magical daisy!”
Laughing, I watch as he wades back across the river and climbs up onto the bank. “Your daisy, ma’am.”
I grin as I take the flower in my hand. “Thank you. Was it cold?”
“A little,” he admits, laughing.
I let out a long breath before I lie down on the grass. Joel lies down beside me, folding his arms up under his head. “That cloud.” He points. “Looks like a man on a horse.”
“Which one?” I shield my eyes, squinting to see the cloud he’s pointing at. “Oh. That one. Yeah it does.” Smiling, I point to another one. “That one looks like a fluffy, white box.”
He chuckles. “Yes. Yes it does.”
We lie there talking for a while. Mostly about silly things like why the grass is green, how we both agree that carrots are nasty and the odd time talking about our families. I learn of his sister Julie, and his two brothers, Stephen and Albert.
“I should be heading back. It’s probably almost time to meet my stepmother.” I stand and pick up the daisy I’d set on the ground.
“All right. I’ll see you around.” Joel waves as I walk away in the direction of where I told Freida we’d meet. She’s already there, but Lydia and Hazel aren’t.
“Hello, Genevieve. How’d you spend your afternoon?”
I smile, thinking back to my afternoon. “With a friend.”
Chapter 10
It’s been two days since Freida took us to Riverbend for our picnic, but my thoughts keep wandering back to the memories of the day.
The strange thing is that I’m not only thinking about the cloud gazing, the daisy, and the conversations with Joel. I keep thinking about how fun it was going for a picnic with my sisters, and Freida too.
It reminded me of the times my ma would take all of us girls out for a picnic. Even if it was just in our yard.
I’m sitting with my feet in the water in my spot again. I left the house after a rather large fight with Bradley. I’d gone to clear his plate because he’d stood up and gone to the outhouse. I assumed he’d finished and I dumped the rest of his potatoes into the scraps bin.
To my mistake, though, he was most certainly not done. He yelled at me about how I really ought to learn how to serve as a woman. How my only job was to feed the men and that I was failing to even do that. He shoved me a little, but I slipped on the skirt of my dress and fell straight onto the table. I got potatoes in my hair and gravy on the sleeve of my dress.
Of course, Bradley and Douglas got a real kick out of this. Freida helped me to get cleaned up and she then proceeded to send the boys to their bed for the night.
I was mostly just getting annoyed at the constant comments from Bradley about women and how they don’t do anything. I was going to push him back, but I fell.
I told Freida I was going out to think for a bit and she just smiled, letting me go. It’s dark now. The only light is coming from the full moon in the sky. I move to lie on my back in the circle of grass. Above me are thousands and thousands of bright, twinkling stars. I see so many above me, just in this small area. There has to be millions in the sky.
It’s quiet and I can hear the crickets in the bushes, as well as the frogs croaking in the distance. Normally, I would’ve felt scared to be outside at night. Just imagining all of the things out here gives me the shivers, but I don’t have an urge to get up and hide inside. Just once I want to try this. And if a bear comes out of the bush, so be it.
Looking at these stars, and hearing these sounds, would be worth it to have a bear ambush me. I’m sure my over-imaginative brain is exaggerating things anyway. However, bear attacks aren’t entirely impossible, as Darlene had proven when the bear attacked her a few years ago.
I close my eyes, letting the sounds of the cr
ickets be all I’m aware of. That and the cool night’s air that is wrapping around me.
Soon, before I can stop myself, I feel myself drifting into darkness.
* * *
I wake up to the sound of birds chirping and the sun beating down on me. I squint, blinking rapidly trying to get my eyes to open. Had I seriously just slept outside? Not only that, but it was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time. And I’d say it’s my normal rising time. I slowly stand up, deciding my family is likely worried.
I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but sometimes you can’t stop sleep.
I climb over the fallen logs and duck under the low branches until I’m out in the yard and the house is in clear view.
Opening the door, I’m instantly embraced by Lydia and Hazel.
“Where were you?” Pa stands from the spot at the table. His eyes have a red rim around them.
Laughing, I smile down at the girls. “I accidentally fell asleep outside. However, I had the best sleep ever.”
Freida turns and laughs, her nose red. Had she been crying? She sniffs, confirming my question. “Oh, we were quite worried. I went to sleep and thought you’d come back in. When I woke up, you still weren’t back, and I immediately panicked.”
She stands and pulls me into a hug. I hug her back, smiling. “Sorry if I worried you all. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It was just so peaceful out there.”
“Oh. I thought the bears had gotten you,” Bradley says flatly.
Douglas looks up from his carvings. “I thought she fell in the river.”
“Okay, boys,” Freida starts. “We were all thinking of the things we didn’t want to have happened to you.” I notice she emphasizes the word “didn’t.” She continues, “But now’s not the time for it. Here, let’s get you some breakfast.”
Smiling, I sit at the table next to Pa. He reaches to squeeze my hand. “So, your first time overnight under the stars, hey?”
I laugh as I look into his sparkling, blue eyes. “Yes, it was mesmerizing. And the crickets were so calming. I might sleep out there again tonight.”
Pa chuckles and shakes his head before going back to drinking his tea.
Freida soon butters me some bread and gets me some cheese and crackers. “I know it’s not bacon or anything like that, but you were late for breakfast so it’ll have to do.”
I take a bite of the cheese. “Thank you, Freida.”
Chapter 11
“Gevee!” Alice’s high-pitched shrieks come from the table when I open the door. “Down. Down.”
My oldest sister, Darlene, moves to help Alice down from the table. As soon as she hits the floor, she starts running slowly toward me. I kneel down and take her in my arms. “Hello, Alice. Oh you’ve grown so much.” I stroke her brown hair, and she giggles before running away.
“Genevieve, I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks.” Darlene pulls me into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Darlene. I’ve just been in and out of Riverbend and…”
Darlene stops me as she guides me to take a seat at the table. “Speaking of Riverbend. How’s Adeline?”
“She’s good. The twins are good too. They’re so adorable.”
She smiles faintly and looks down at her hands. “I do wish I could go to see her, but I just wanted to wait for Levi to be old enough. Maybe I’ll go in this Sunday for church with you all. And Robert, Alice, and Levi of course.”
“Where is Robert?”
She laughs, moving to stand by the cradle next to the table. “Oh, out doing something to his tools. He says they need to be fixed or something. Do you want to hold Levi?”
Smiling, I nod while she picks up the sleeping baby and passes him over to me carefully. I smile down at Levi. He has blue eyes, just like Alice’s. Not as much hair as she did when she was born, though. It’s a faint brown color.
His eyes close again. Babies fall asleep without even trying. I’ve only been holding him for a few minutes when Alice waddles over to stand next to me. “My twern.”
“Okay. Your turn.” I laugh, passing Levi to Darlene, then lifting Alice onto my lap. “You’re getting jealous.”
“No.” She giggles.
Darlene sets Levi back in his cradle. “Oh, she’s definitely jealous. Yesterday, when Robert came in, he went to see Levi and she went over and stuck out her bottom lip, sitting on the floor. You should have seen Robert. He laughed and had to cuddle her for a bit.”
“She probably gets it from you.”
Darlene scowls teasingly. “What do you mean?”
“Oh. I’ve heard of all the stories of when we were born. You got so jealous of me when I was born. I can’t blame you, though.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you want to go with.”
I pause and Alice climbs off my knee, making her way to her room. “Darlene? I was wondering if I could have your opinion on something.”
She smiles as she reaches for a blanket out of the basket. “Sure.”
I hesitate, watching as she folds it in her lap and then reaches for what looks like one of Alice’s dresses.
“Okay, well. What if someone made a mistake when they were younger and they were a bit bad, but now they aren’t as awful? What if they’ve moved on from their past, and have started acting properly? Do you think they’re still a bad person?” I finish while my hand reaches up to rub the picture of Ma around my neck.
Darlene chuckles, tucking her long, brown hair behind her ear. “No, I think if someone has worked to get over their previous mistakes, they are very brave.” She pauses, looking up and raises an eyebrow in my direction. “Why?”
“I was just wondering, is all.”
“Just tell me.” She smiles, leaning back in her chair.
I’ve always trusted Darlene in the past with my secrets and she’s never told anyone, but what if she thinks I’m crazy? She could tell Pa, but I realize she won’t. Not Darlene.
Before I can start, Alice runs in with a carved piece of wood. She hands it to me, a proud grin plastered on her face. “Duck.”
“Yes.” I chuckle looking at the carved duck. “It is. Did your pa make you this?”
Alice nods, taking the wooden duck from me, moving to sit down on the floor. “Quack. Quack.”
Darlene smiles at her, and soon Alice starts laughing as the wooden duck topples onto its side.
“Oh dear. Anyway, Genevieve? Are you going to tell me?”
I look up from Alice and smile nervously. “Right. Yes, I will.”
“Shh… Alice, be a little quieter dear.”
I fold my hands in my lap. “You know the thief who tried to steal our wheat five years ago? Well, I guess you’d call him a new friend. And, five years ago, I gave him money.”
“You gave him money? Where? How?” Darlene straightens in her chair, looking at me expectantly.
“Well, Pa told me to empty the wheat out of his wagon and you all went back to the field, so I ran after him and…”
“You ran after him?” Darlene’s eyes are wide, and she starts laughing, as if she’s trying to stop herself from getting upset.
I nod, unsure what to tell her.
She’s quiet for a minute, and I jump at the opportunity to defend him. “He’s paid it back, though. I was in the mercantile in Riverbend last Sunday and he saw me looking at some fabric, so he bought it for me. I didn’t recognize him at first,” I lie.
“Oh, so why are you two friends now?”
I briefly explain to her how Freida took Hazel, Lydia, and me on a picnic and we got to do our own thing for a bit. I tell her about how his ma died, his father left them, and how he’s raising his three younger siblings on a farm near Riverbend.
She smiles, seeming to relax as she leans back in her chair again. “He’s not a thief anymore?”
“No. Not that I know of.”
“Oh well, he sounds like a better person now. As long as you’re careful that he doesn’t try to drag you into some sort of theft mission, I suppose it’s fine.”
I laugh at my sister’s crazy thoughts. “As if I’d participate in a theft mission!”
“Well, that’s where it starts. One bad person will eventually rub off on their friends and people around them.”
I shrug, looking down at Alice. “He’s not a thief anymore, though.”
“That you know of.”
I chuckle. “He wouldn’t lie to me.”
“Okay.” She pauses before standing up. “Want some lemonade while we wait for supper to be ready?”
“Sure.” Darlene had invited me to come for supper, and I’m relieved for the chance to have at least one sophisticated meal without two pigs.
Chapter 12
It’s early again. Of course, I’m up. I’m not even sure what’s bothering me anymore. I just seem to get in these moods every now and then.
Things with Freida and I are actually going really well, and yes, the boys are driving me to madness, but I don’t have any reason to be upset. Do I?
Sure, I miss my ma a lot, which could be it. I don’t know, though, I just don’t know what’s wrong with me.
My moods have been all over the place lately. That’s why when I woke up this morning feeling upset, I decided to head out and visit Old Red to distract my thoughts.
So now I’m stroking Old Red as I prepare to climb on. Once I do, we make our way slowly out of the barn and into the darkness of early morning. We don’t rush, but make our way down the worn path leading to Darlene’s house. I don’t stop here, though, deciding to keep going.
I remember since I’m up early, I can probably find a nice spot to view the sunrise. So I urge Old Red up over a fence into my pa’s cow pasture. The cows don’t seem to notice Old Red and I, though. And if they do, they don’t seem to care. I see a hill in the middle of the cleared out land and we run there.
We reach the spot looking out onto the horizon and Old Red stops. I stroke his neck, smiling a little. “This will be nice to watch the sunrise, Old Red. Just you and me.”
Shifting, my arms are now wrapped around Old Red’s neck and I’m lying on his back on my stomach. I would never do this with any other horse but Old Red. He doesn’t get spooked and we trust each other. I lie there for a while, feeling content as I stroke and talk to my horse. This is exactly what I needed this morning, and I’m glad I decided to head out here.
The Daisy (Carter Sisters Series Book 3) Page 5