Cedar Woman (111 page)

Read Cedar Woman Online

Authors: Debra Shiveley Welch

 

Lena
s
t
o
o
d
in
t
h
e
kitch
e
n
o
f
a
ninet
y
-
y
e
a
r
-
old
co
n
d
o, whi
c
h
s
h
e
h
a
d
m
oved
i
n
to
on
l
y
t
h
e
week
b
ef
o
r
e
.
S
h
e
lean
e
d
aga
i
nst
the
s
t
ove sipping
a glass
o
f
iced
water.
Be
f
o
r
e
her
l
o
o
m
ed
her
latest
p
r
oject

an
o
l
d, H
o
o
sier
style
hu
t
c
h
, c
o
m
p
lete with
a w
h
ite
p
o
rcelain
counte
r
t
o
p.
Fo
u
n
d in
a
flea
m
ar
k
et,
Le
n
a
b
ou
gh
t
t
h
e
a
n
t
i
q
u
ity
in
s
p
ite
o
f
t
h
e
fact
t
h
at so
m
eone
had
re
m
oved
t
h
e
f
lo
u
r
bin
a
n
d
p
o
un
d
ed
in
a
m
etal
m
edicine chest
in
its
place.
I
wish
t
h
ey
h
a
d
left
t
h
e
b
in
,
s
h
e
m
u
sed,
Oh,
well.
A
t le
a
st
I
c
a
n
p
u
t
s
p
ice
b
o
ttles
in
t
h
ere
f
o
r
n
o
w,
a
n
d
u
se
t
h
e
t
o
p
a
s
extra co
u
n
ter
s
pac
e
.
Besides,
I cou
l
d
n
’t
h
a
ve aff
o
rd
e
d
it
if
it
had
be
e
n c
o
m
p
lete
,
s
h
e
reasoned.
M
ichael,
as p
r
o
m
ised,
arr
i
v
e
d
in
C
o
l
u
m
bus two we
e
k
s
a
fter
L
e
na, V
i
cki
a
n
d
Reva
ret
u
rn
e
d
f
rom t
h
e
po
w
w
o
w.
By
t
h
en,
L
e
na
was t
e
m
porarily
i
n
stalled
in
h
e
r
par
e
nts
a
nd
g
r
and
m
othe
r
’s
h
o
m
e.
For
n
ow
, t
h
eir
c
o
u
c
h
w
ou
l
d
d
o
well
f
o
r
sleep
i
ng,
immersed
as
s
h
e
w
a
s
in her drea
m
s
of
an
o
t
h
e
r
b
ed
,
so
on
t
o be oc
c
up
ie
d by
b
o
t
h her
an
d h
e
r ha
n
d
s
o
m
e hu
s
ba
n
d
.
Michael
arr
i
v
e
d
in
the
early
even
i
n
g. Lena
r
u
s
h
ed
t
o
t
h
e
d
o
or
o
f her p
a
ren
t
’s
a
n
d
g
r
a
n
d
m
oth
e
r’s
h
o
m
e,
and t
h
r
e
w
h
erself
i
n
to
M
i
c
h
ael’s ar
m
s.
M
ichael chu
c
kled a
n
d held h
e
r
to h
im
,
as
he
q
u
ickly l
o
w
e
r
e
d
a wic
k
er laun
d
ry
b
asket to t
h
e
p
o
rc
h
.

Y
o
u
al
m
o
st
m
ade
m
e
drop
m
y
br
i
d
e
pr
i
c
e
!”
he
c
ho
r
tl
ed
w
it
h
g
l
ee, so
h
a
ppy
was
h
e to ho
l
d
her
sm
all,
shapely
f
o
rm
in
his
a
r
m
s aga
i
n.
Lena
t
oo
k
his
ha
n
d
a
nd
l
e
d
him
i
n
to
t
h
e
h
o
m
e.
She
b
r
o
u
g
h
t
him first
to
h
er
fat
h
er,
and
i
n
tro
du
ced
Mic
h
ael
to
Peter.
Le
n
a
t
h
en
g
u
ided
Michael
toward
Mary
and
finally
to
Reva,
to
allow
them
to
greet
each
o
t
h
e
r
after
the
two-week
se
p
arati
o
n.
M
ichael ex
c
u
s
e
d
hi
m
self
and

Other books

Monkey Business by Sarah Mlynowski
The Black Path by Paul Burston
(Un)wise by Melissa Haag
Grail by Elizabeth Bear
Maker of Universes by Philip José Farmer
The Agent Gambit by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Girl of Myth and Legend by Giselle Simlett
Dead Weight by Susan Rogers Cooper
The Bachelor's Brighton Valley Bride (Return to Brighton Valley) by Judy Duarte - The Bachelor's Brighton Valley Bride (Return to Brighton Valley)