Saturday Snippet- Do You Think That Could Be Him?

Today's Saturday Snippet is taken from

Sue

Prairie Roses Collection, Book 55

by Zina Abbott 

 

          “Still don’t understand why you thought it so important, lass. Life would have been a lot safer and far more comfortable if you had stayed with Lucy and Malachi. Then again, you begging to go to cook and be everyone’s nursemaid helped stop most of Caroline’s fretting. That woman was itching to come but knew she couldn’t. The worry tore her in two directions.” Robbie shook his head. “Hope you don’t end up being frightened out of your wits before this is all over.”

          “I won’t be, not with you along. And you don’t scare me, either.” Grinning, Susan gave Robbie a sideways glance. “Papa Jack sometimes joked about you being grumpy, but you were always nice to us children.”

          “When I start tossing out insults, that’s how I show folks I like them, lass. Have a tendency to cuss a blue streak when working with an ornery mule. Had to start watching my language once I married Caroline, though. Life for this old bachelor sure changed, especially once I realized I’d suddenly inherited more family than I thought.” Robbie shook his head.

          “I don’t recall you using bad language around us those times you came to the farm to transport Mama’s and Papa Jack’s apples.” Wearing a hint of a smile, Susan bent her upper body forward and craned her neck to study Robbie’s face.

          “Knew better, lass. It was a trial, but I wasn’t about to say anything in front of your ma and the wee ones she’d take offense to. And here you all end up as family—in a roundabout, step-relation sort of way.” Robbie looked down and met Susan’s gaze.

          “You aren’t sorry about it, are you?”

          “No, lass. After the time of it I had in the war with Mexico that left me with this bad knee, I wasn’t fit to be around neither man nor beast, let alone sweet, young women like you. Well, like I’ve been known to say, I get along with mules okay because we both share the same temperament. I’ll always be grateful that, in spite of it all, the Lord sent Caroline my way. Now, I can’t get away from family. Looks like another livery there, lass.” Robbie pointed. “Let’s hope he’s here so we don’t have to search through every stable in Omaha.”

          “If Thomas is waiting there, then you will soon be meeting one more family member.” Pressing her lips together, Susan turned her gaze forward. “Aunt Caroline told me about some of the difficulties Thomas endured because of the last war. Do you think he has gotten over the worst by now?”

          “Don’t know, lass. It’s different for everyone. My experiences kept me angry with the world and everyone in it for years. Others get past the worst of it sooner, even if they still have nightmares now and again. Hopefully, Thomas has mostly recovered.”

          “For his sake, I hope so.” Catching sight of a man walking out of the livery barn, who turned and stared at her and Robbie, Susan jutted her chin forward and squinted. “Do you think that could be him?”

          “Have no idea, lass. Just before I left Genoa, Caroline showed me the daguerreotype of him and Frederick they had taken once they received their uniforms. She described him to me more than once. Keep in mind, lass, she’s relying on memory, and the last time she saw him was almost six years ago. With him being her own son, she might recognize him, no matter how much he’s changed. I’ve never seen the lad. With that hat on, I can’t even tell the color of his hair.” Robbie inhaled deeply and puffed out his chest. “One way to find out. We’ll go ask him.”

          Glancing at Robbie, Susan suspected that for all his bluff and bravado, he felt uneasy about this first meeting with Caroline’s son—a man who was his stepson, as well as a stranger. 

 

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