Heart of Stone Read Online Free Page A

of goods. He bagged up a half pound of sweets and set them atop the order. Laura reached for the sack and held it out to the child. The little girl looked up at her father for permission to accept, and he gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgment. She reached out and Laura placed the sack in her hand.
    “Thank you, lady,” the little girl whispered.
    “You’re welcome.”
    There was so much more Laura wanted to say, so much more she wished she could do for the child, but she already feared she’d done too much. She could only hope the man wouldn’t take his shame and embarrassment out on the girl after they had left the store.
    Laura refused to walk away until the man and child left. When they were finally out of sight, she released a sigh of relief and turned to Brand McCormick.
    “Thank you, Reverend.” She was well aware that he was staring speculatively. “I really had no idea what I was going to do next.”
    Short of shooting the man.
    His smile lit up his face. “After what I just saw, there’s not a doubt in my mind that you could have handled things.”
    She bit her bottom lip and glanced toward the door before she looked at the preacher again.
    “I just hope I didn’t make things worse for that child.”
    “I doubt things could get much worse for her.”
    Laura sighed and said softly, “Oh, yes, they could.”
    When the preacher looked at her questioningly, she shook her head, dismissing her comment.
    “Do you know that man?” she asked. “Have you ever seen him before?”
    “They don’t attend church. I’ve never seen him around.”
    Harrison spoke up from behind the counter. “Probably new to the area. So many folks settling around here, taking advantage of the land sale. It’s not like the old days when we knew all our neighbors.”
    “Things change, Harrison,” Brand told him. “I imagine new folks moving in is good for business.”
    “That’s true, but we’d be better off if there was a way to let only upstanding folks in. Scum like that have no place in our town.”
    Laura weathered the comment by putting a placid “widow Foster” smile on her face.
    She turned to Brand. “What brings you here this morning, Reverend?”
    He smiled back. “I could say that I was here to fill an order for my sister, but since I’m not a liar, I have to admit I saw you and stepped inside to say hello—and suddenly you were flying to that child’s defense. Impressive, I must say.”
    “Impulsive and probably very stupid, but I couldn’t stand by and watch that man mistreat that child.” Embarrassed by his perusal, she tried to change the subject. “How have you been, Reverend?”
    “I’ve been busy sanding and refinishing church pews.”
    His answer surprised her. Although she knew from observing him every Sunday that he was physically fit, she hadn’t taken him for a man who labored much. On closer inspection she noticed the way his shoulders filled out his suit coat and the fact that his hands were not the hands of a man who shied away from hard work.
    “And you?” He seemed determined to keep chatting.
    “Busy as well, but I sorely needed an outing. I came in to see if Harrison has anything that might tempt me to spend some extra money this morning.”
    Harrison was still behind the counter. With a smile, he reached up and smoothed down the part in his well-oiled hair. “I was expecting Rodrigo, as usual,” he said.
    She offered him her list and basket.
    “I’ve a new display of lace and buttons I’d like to show you,” Harrison told her.
    She didn’t sew, but Laura excused herself anyway, thinking Brand might be too polite to take his leave. But as Harrison drew her over to view his new items, she noticed Brand appeared perfectly content to lean against the counter and linger.
    B rand was drawn to the graceful sway of Laura’s skirt as she moved across the store.
    He’d crossed the threshold just as the rancher had slapped his daughter and was on his way to challenge