She looked away from the darkening sky and sighed. She tried not to focus on the old and frequent feeling, but the company of her loving family was a sure exacerbation. When intrigue wasn’t possible, the only way to get through that first bleak hour after dusk was to go for a walk alone. The settling darkness and the freedom of being alone on the road always soothed her spirit. She longed to walk the road into the village, but tonight Everett needed her, so solitude wasn’t an option. She propped the workshop door open to allow the evening air to circulate throughout the loft, and as she walked away, she glanced back into the darkening room. The hollow feeling inside her chest grew, causing her to wonder what purpose such emptiness could serve.
As she walked through the loft, she looked over the railing to the expansive barn floor below. With the flock out to pasture for the summer, the barn was quiet save for the occasional sound of the horses in their stalls on the other end of the massive building. The barn’s wide doors had been rolled closed for the day, so she descended the steps and walked out the side door toward the house.
The air was warm, but it felt good to be outdoors after a long day in her workshop. The oval moon was beginning to spill its bluish light on the yard and the vegetable garden and the back porch of her family’s home. Everett was standing on the porch with his hands planted on the railing and his head down. Mandy climbed the steps and stood beside him. She waited for a moment, then she leaned her hands on the railing also. “I’m sorry about your lambs.”
Everett turned his head a degree and glanced at her before looking off into the distance. He gave no vocal response, nor did she expect him to. She stared at the black blur of nighttime horizon. “Are the dogs with the flock?”
“Of course.”
She glanced back at the oldest of their four herding dogs lying on the mat by the back door. “Except Shep. He’s lucky if he can make it from the front porch to the back anymore.” She looked at Everett, but he didn’t acknowledge her remark. She dropped her gaze to the railing and traced the wood grain in the gray leaf board with her fingertip. “Do you think some kind of animal took the lambs?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know… a bear or a lion?” She grinned. “Like the ones David fought in the Bible.”
“We don’t have predatory animals in the Land.”
Roseanna Foster tapped on the glass of the back door. Mandy glanced over her shoulder at her mother and raised a finger. Roseanna nodded and stepped away from the window.
Mandy looked back at Everett. “Levi tried to raise the wall frames by himself this morning.”
“Tried? Wasn’t he successful?”
She shook her head. “Only with the first two frames. A rope nearly ripped his hand off when he tried to raise the third wall. I had to take him to Lydia for stitches.”
“I forgot all about helping him.” Everett looked at her, and his brow creased in the center. “Was he angry with me?”
“When I went to tell him you weren’t coming, I found him writhing in pain and angry with himself on top of his usual petulance, so who can tell?”
Everett returned his gaze to the western pastures. “That’s not a very respectful attitude.”
“You’re right. I should show him some pity, shouldn’t I?”
“No. He doesn’t want your pity.”
“Oh, I know what he wants from me,” she laughed.
“No.” Everett pushed away from the railing and stepped to the door. “He wants your respect.”
She had never considered respecting Levi. He was her best friend’s brother and one of the many men who had once been intrigued with her—a combination that hardly warranted respect in her estimation. She didn’t agree with Everett, but after a moment’s rumination, she said, “I know he does.”
Mandy gave Shep a pat on the head as she walked across the porch. Everett held the door open for her and she stepped into the kitchen to spend the evening having dinner with her family, wishing she had stayed in her workshop.
…
Download Uncharted Redemption in the Kindle store now to continue reading.
Connect with Keely Brooke Keith
Thank you for reading my book! I’m so glad you took this journey with me. I hope you will read all of the Uncharted books.
Want to know when my next book comes out? Sign up for my New Release Announcements list here. Have a question, comment, or just want to say hi? Feel free to email me ([email protected]). I love to hear from readers.
Also, If you enjoyed the story, please consider leaving a review at your favorite online retailer.
Warmly,
Keely
Acknowledgements
Thank you, Marty Keith, for challenging me to write this book and for encouraging me every step of the way.
I give special thanks to my first fans, Rod and Pam Heckman.
I thank Annalise Hulsey, Karen Lawler, Jennifer Cortez, and Amber Barron for enthusiastically investing their time in my dream.
The Land Uncharted (The Uncharted Series Book 1) Page 25