Lone Wolf's Lady. Judy Duarte

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      What was the matter with her? She didn’t care what others thought of her.

      You’re a lady, she reminded herself. Not a ragamuffin, a stray or a soiled dove. She was every bit as good and kindhearted as Hannah, no matter what she looked like on the outside.

      Besides, Katie had no need of a life like Hannah’s. She was going to Granville, where she would have a small but cozy home behind the school. She would be a fine teacher, an upstanding and respected woman in the community. A happy spinster. Life would be just as she’d always wanted.

      So why did her tummy feel so fluttery?

      Maybe she’d eaten something that hadn’t sat very well.

      After using the outhouse, she found the well and drew a bucket of water. Then she dampened her handkerchief and washed Sarah Jane’s face and hands. When she finished cleaning the girl, she washed herself the best she could, then she led Sarah Jane back to the front porch and took a seat.

      Katie chose the wooden bench, knowing Sarah Jane would prefer the rocker.

      Moments later, Tom sauntered out of the house, where he must have taken Erin, and stepped onto the porch. Before Katie could question him, he headed for the buckboard, which he’d left near the barn. As he began to unhitch the team, a dog howled in the distance, catching his attention.

      Katie turned to the sound and spotted a black buggy approaching the yard with a beast of a dog trotting beside it.

      The driver, a stout, gray-haired woman, called out, “Lord be praised. You’re home, Tom!”

      Katie watched as the dog, which looked more like a wolf, barked and then raced toward the man.

      Oh, dear. Should she grab Sarah Jane and run inside for safety? Perhaps she didn’t need to do anything yet. The house was still a good distance from the barn. And the creature didn’t seem to notice anything other than Tom. So she and Sarah Jane were probably safe enough for now.

      Tom laughed, the smooth, easy timbre calming her nerves. Then he started toward the road, bracing himself as the black wolf-dog leaped into his arms and gave him a slobbery lick across the face.

      “Hey,” he said to the creature. “How are you doing, boy? Is Hannah feeding you enough?”

      The gray-haired woman pulled the buggy into the yard and halted the horse. “That dog eats better than you do, young man. It’s good to have you home. I hope you’ll be here longer than the last time you came.”

      “I can only stay for dinner. I need a good night’s sleep, then I’m leaving in the morning.” Tom set the wolf-dog down and ruffled its black woolly head before he strode to help Hannah down from the buggy. “Where’s Trapper? He told me he was going to meet me here.”

      “He stopped by a couple days ago. I asked him to go with me when I called on the widow Johnson this afternoon. I took her some chicken stew and peach cobbler for her supper tonight, and he stayed at her place to do a few chores. But he should be back soon. He knew you’d be coming home any day.”

      “Good. I need to talk to him.”

      Hannah glanced at the buckboard, which the quilts still lined and the canvas tarp still shaded. “What’s that? And where’s your horse?”

      “Caballo is in the barn. And that? Well, I suppose you could say that I brought you a surprise.”

      “Not another wolf puppy, I hope.” She shook her gray head, chuckling.

      “I think you’ll like this one a lot better.” He continued to talk to her, but he lowered his voice to the point it was impossible to hear from where Katie and Sarah Jane sat.

      Hannah nodded, then spoke, too, her voice also a whisper.

      When Tom pointed toward the porch, Katie got to her feet. While she was no longer concerned about meeting the woman she’d once thought Tom might be courting, she still wondered what kind of reception she would receive.

      However, if Hannah held any ill feelings about Tom bringing three houseguests, she masked them with a warm smile on a rosy face.

      Katie turned to the rocker, where Sarah Jane watched the homecoming. “Come on, honey. Tom has someone he wants us to meet.”

      The child’s big blue eyes implored Katie to participate in the introductions without her.

      “You can play on the rocker later.” Katie held out a hand. “I promise.”

      Sarah Jane sighed, then stopped the swaying motion with little moccasin-clad feet and reached her small hand into Katie’s.

      As they approached Hannah and Tom, the big dog studied them intently. Too intently, Katie realized. She paused in midstep, determined to avoid a quick movement that might provoke the creature to pounce upon them with teeth bared. Katie waited, ready to jump in front of Sarah Jane as a shield, if need be.

      “He won’t hurt you.” Tom stooped to one knee and held out his hand to Sarah Jane. “Come here, sweetheart. I have a friend I want you to meet.”

      The child made her way to the man and dog, apparently not the least bit apprehensive.

      “Sarah Jane, this is Lobo. He’s part wolf, but don’t let that scare you. I’ve had him since he was a puppy, and he’s both loving and loyal.” Tom placed a hand upon the animal’s head. “Lobo, this is my friend. And now she’s your friend, too.”

      The child warmed to the dog immediately. Judging by the way Hannah smiled warmly as she watched the little girl and the wolf-dog, Katie seemed to be the only one with any apprehension whatsoever.

      “Sarah Jane,” Tom said, “I also want to introduce you to a very special lady. Her name is Hannah McCain, and she used to be a schoolteacher.”

      Hannah McCain?

      Was she his grandmother—or perhaps an aunt?

      With a rather large nose, a wide mouth and a gap-toothed smile, Hannah wasn’t much for looks. In fact, Katie doubted she’d been any more attractive in her youth, but her obvious pleasure at greeting Sarah Jane softened the harsh wrinkles etched on her face.

      Hannah slowly lowered herself to her knees, grimacing as she went down, but she seemed to shake off any discomfort as she cupped Sarah Jane’s face and smiled. “I have a cookie tin that never goes empty. And if you like storybooks, I have a shelf full of them. Reading is one of my favorite things to do.”

      Tom chuckled. “But watch out for the pianoforte in the parlor. Hannah thinks every child should learn to play as well as she does.”

      Books and a musical instrument? Hannah was certainly educated. But if Tom was calling her by her first name, then she wasn’t his mother. Of course, there didn’t appear to be a family resemblance, either.

      Curiosity flared, and Katie was determined to learn more about Hannah McCain and how she and Tom had become so close.

      The wolf-dog gave Sarah Jane’s face a lick, which triggered one of the smiles Katie had been longing to see.

      “Hannah,” СКАЧАТЬ