Pony Express Mail-Order Bride. Rhonda Gibson

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      The two looked at each other. Both seemed hesitant.

      They were so small and unsure of what to do. Their little eyes were filled with a deep sorrow that could only be placed there by the loss of one’s parents. How many children had he met in the orphanage, where he’d grown up, with that same lost, hurt stare?

      Philip kneeled down in front of them. “Look, fellas. You don’t have to go with me. I’m going to put the horse away and maybe find the old yellow cat that lives in the barn.”

      “There is a kitty in the barn?” Mark asked with new interest.

      Philip stood. “Last time I was here there was. He’s old, so I like to check on him, and sometimes I sneak a little milk from the cow to give the old cat a treat.”

      Mischief replaced the look of loss in Mark’s eyes. “Can I help you sneak the milk?”

      Philip started to the door. “You sure can, and if we hurry, we can be back in the house before it gets dark.”

      Mark’s little boots sounded on the wooden floor behind him. “What color is the cat?”

      Philip stopped by the door and pulled down both little boys’ coats. He held them out to the boys. Mark took his and thrust his arms into the sleeves while Philip answered, “He’s yellow with white stripes all over.”

      Caleb looked to Bella one more time.

      She smiled at him and motioned for him to go on. Her soft voice ordered, “Be good for Mr. Young and do as he says.”

      That was all the encouragement the little boy needed. “Does the cat have a name?” Caleb asked, taking his own coat and then following Philip and Mark outside.

      Philip untied the horse and walked him into the barn. He rubbed the horse’s velvety nose. “Cara calls him Sunny.”

      Mark ran deeper into the barn. Horses of all colors looked out over their stall doors at the little boy as he passed. “Here, kitty, kitty,” he called in a soft voice.

      “Caleb, take Mark up to the loft. That’s where Sunny likes to hang out.” Philip fluffed the older boy’s soft blond hair. “Just be careful up there.”

      “Mark! Come on!” Caleb yelled. He hurried to the ladder that led up into the hayloft. “Mr. Young says the cat might be in the loft.”

      Philip chuckled. Both boys scrambled up the ladder. He listened as they searched the barn for the cat. Tiredness weighed on him like a wet blanket as he rubbed down the horse and poured feed into the bucket in its stall. He picked up each of the horse’s hooves and checked them for rocks.

      As he worked, Philip listened to the boys rooting around in the hay above him. They seemed like nice little boys who needed a father figure. Just like he had at the age of twelve, six years ago, when John Young and his wife, Rebecca, had adopted him. John had been a good parent to him. Still, the thought of his own birth father troubled Philip.

      “What are they doing up there?” Bella asked.

      He’d been so deep in his work that he hadn’t heard her come into the barn. Philip stood and stretched out his back. “Looking for the cat.”

      Her face was tilted upward as she tried to see the boys. Dark circles surrounded her heavily lashed blue eyes. She’d been through a lot over the last few weeks and Philip’s heart went out to her.

      Caleb called from above. “Mr. Young?”

      He looked up, too. “Yes?”

      The little boy’s blond head popped through the railings. “We found a cat, but I’m not sure it’s Sunny.”

      “What makes you think it isn’t Sunny?” Bella eyed the loft warily.

      Philip frowned. He realized that the old tomcat normally would have come out as soon as he heard voices. Why hadn’t he been paying better attention to the boys? Philip just prayed that whatever kind of cat they found up there, it was a friendly one.

      “Come see.” Mischief filled the boy’s smile.

      Philip chuckled. Caleb reminded him of his younger self. He seemed like the adventurous, fun-loving type. He looked back to where Bella still stood looking up into the hayloft. Her tan coat hugged her body and she crossed her arms about her middle. “Are you coming?” he asked.

      She shook her head. “No, if it’s all the same to you. I’ll stay down here.”

      Philip nodded. Curiosity drove him up the ladder. Bent over at the waist, he gazed about. The loft was beginning to look like a storage shed. Tools, old furniture and wooden crates filled the space. “Where are you two?”

      Caleb stepped out from behind a pile of furniture. “Over here.” He disappeared again.

      He walked toward the boy and stepped around the rubble of broken furniture. He found the boys crouched down staring into a pile of hay. He cleared his throat and caught their attention. “What are you two looking at?”

      Mark ignored his question and asked one of his own. “I thought you said Sunny was a boy cat.”

      Philip grinned. “He is.”

      Caleb tried to muffle his laughter. “I don’t think so, Mr. Young,” he said.

      Mark scooted back so that Philip could see what they’d discovered. A mama cat lay on her side nursing three kittens. She was yellow with big green eyes that didn’t look happy to have her secret space invaded.

      “Well, I guess you are right, boys. Daddy cats usually don’t take care of their kittens. She can keep the name, though, don’t you think?” He kneeled down beside Caleb.

      Both little boys nodded. Mark reached out a hand to touch one of the kittens and the mama cat hissed up at him.

      “Don’t touch them, Mark. She don’t want us to,” Caleb said as he grabbed Mark’s hand and pulled it back.

      Philip agreed. He stood slowly. “Come on, boys, let’s give the little family some privacy while Sunny feeds her young.”

      Mark’s bottom lip shot out. “I want to stay and pet them.”

      Caleb shook his head. “Remember what Aunt Bella said, Mark. We better do as Mr. Young says.” He tugged on his little brother’s shirt.

      Still not pleased at having to leave, Mark stood.

      Philip looked down at them. “Boys, we best leave Sunny alone until the kittens get bigger. I’d hate for her to move them. Promise you’ll stay out of the loft until I tell you that you can come back.”

      Caleb nodded and nudged his brother to do the same. Mark did so, but not with as much enthusiasm as his brother. The two boys descended the ladder first. Philip followed a little more slowly.

      When he turned around, Bella was kneeling down in front of Mark. “What did you find up there?” she asked softly.

      “A mama cat and kittens,” Mark said, his bottom СКАЧАТЬ