Into the Light Read Online Free
one.
The music stopped. Not just a pause between dances this time, but for good. How had so much time passed so quickly?
If she didn’t put in an appearance at the reception now, someone would come looking for her. Worse, Miriam — the whole family — would never forgive her.
She rose reluctantly. “I have to go, but thank you for the conversation. I don’t like crowds, so I escape whenever I can, but it never worked out this well before. Tonight is the best time I ever had at any dance or party.” She laughed as she admitted that, the sound mingling with his low chuckle. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit,” she added. “Good night.”
She slipped back into the hall, thinking she should have said goodbye, not goodnight. Whoever that young man was, she’d never cross his path again, and maybe that was why she didn’t want to know his name or the name of the friend he was visiting. She wanted the memory to be of a mysterious stranger who had engaged her in fascinating conversation in a way that made her feel intelligent and interesting — and female.
T REY MADE NO attempt to catch a glimpse of the woman as she opened the door to the hall and light spilled out across the gravel walk. She’d all but told him she was a middle-aged spinster living with parents or maybe a married sister or brother.
Why let the sight of reality spoil the lovely image he wanted to match to her voice? Even if she was on the plain side, why hadn’t some man fallen in love with that lively mind?
If he could find a woman close to his own age like that.... Who was he trying to fool? If he could, first she’d run from the wreck he’d become, and second, what would he do with her? Food wasn’t the only appetite his body still hadn’t gotten back.
Six months now since sensation had started returning. Walking every day helped his strength and balance, but the fear that today was as good as it would ever get never went away.
He started to position the cane to use to lever himself upright, then swished it through the air like a sword instead. Until tonight the thing had been nothing but one more symbol of what he could no longer do.
Driving the cane right into the drunk’s belly had knocked all the air out of him more effectively than a punch, and finding a way to shut up a lout like that felt good. More than good. Trey gave the cane another swish through the air. Just as well no moon shone tonight or he’d be howling at the sky.
He walked slowly back toward the street. He should be ashamed about lying to the woman about the music, but what kind of man admitted to a woman he couldn’t walk a half mile without resting at the halfway mark? At least his pride still worked as well as ever.
Maybe he should have introduced himself, but then she hadn’t given her name either, and not knowing had advantages. Let her stay a mystery, and he could imagine her any way he wanted, petite and blonde, tall and brunette, young, pretty, and of course, fascinated by a sack of bones who couldn’t walk as well as most one-year-olds.
Chapter 3
----
W ATCHING C OUSIN C ALEB win Hubbell’s annual Fourth of July shooting contest was a Sutton family tradition. As always, Deborah’s family filled most of the front row of chairs set up for spectators, and as always, Deborah sat at one end, Miriam on her right and open space on her left.
Deborah fingered the fluffy bits of cotton in the pocket of her dress then withdrew her hand. When the shooting began, she’d stuff the cotton in her ears. Until then she wanted to know what was going on in the crowd behind her.
After the first two or three years, Deborah had expected to hear resentment over the way Caleb dominated the contest. To her surprise and amusement, and that of Caleb’s wife, Norah, the town chose instead to take a fierce pride in its very own former gunman.
No one in Hubbell spoke of winning the annual shooting contest any longer but of “beating Sutton”. Last year
The music stopped. Not just a pause between dances this time, but for good. How had so much time passed so quickly?
If she didn’t put in an appearance at the reception now, someone would come looking for her. Worse, Miriam — the whole family — would never forgive her.
She rose reluctantly. “I have to go, but thank you for the conversation. I don’t like crowds, so I escape whenever I can, but it never worked out this well before. Tonight is the best time I ever had at any dance or party.” She laughed as she admitted that, the sound mingling with his low chuckle. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit,” she added. “Good night.”
She slipped back into the hall, thinking she should have said goodbye, not goodnight. Whoever that young man was, she’d never cross his path again, and maybe that was why she didn’t want to know his name or the name of the friend he was visiting. She wanted the memory to be of a mysterious stranger who had engaged her in fascinating conversation in a way that made her feel intelligent and interesting — and female.
T REY MADE NO attempt to catch a glimpse of the woman as she opened the door to the hall and light spilled out across the gravel walk. She’d all but told him she was a middle-aged spinster living with parents or maybe a married sister or brother.
Why let the sight of reality spoil the lovely image he wanted to match to her voice? Even if she was on the plain side, why hadn’t some man fallen in love with that lively mind?
If he could find a woman close to his own age like that.... Who was he trying to fool? If he could, first she’d run from the wreck he’d become, and second, what would he do with her? Food wasn’t the only appetite his body still hadn’t gotten back.
Six months now since sensation had started returning. Walking every day helped his strength and balance, but the fear that today was as good as it would ever get never went away.
He started to position the cane to use to lever himself upright, then swished it through the air like a sword instead. Until tonight the thing had been nothing but one more symbol of what he could no longer do.
Driving the cane right into the drunk’s belly had knocked all the air out of him more effectively than a punch, and finding a way to shut up a lout like that felt good. More than good. Trey gave the cane another swish through the air. Just as well no moon shone tonight or he’d be howling at the sky.
He walked slowly back toward the street. He should be ashamed about lying to the woman about the music, but what kind of man admitted to a woman he couldn’t walk a half mile without resting at the halfway mark? At least his pride still worked as well as ever.
Maybe he should have introduced himself, but then she hadn’t given her name either, and not knowing had advantages. Let her stay a mystery, and he could imagine her any way he wanted, petite and blonde, tall and brunette, young, pretty, and of course, fascinated by a sack of bones who couldn’t walk as well as most one-year-olds.
Chapter 3
----
W ATCHING C OUSIN C ALEB win Hubbell’s annual Fourth of July shooting contest was a Sutton family tradition. As always, Deborah’s family filled most of the front row of chairs set up for spectators, and as always, Deborah sat at one end, Miriam on her right and open space on her left.
Deborah fingered the fluffy bits of cotton in the pocket of her dress then withdrew her hand. When the shooting began, she’d stuff the cotton in her ears. Until then she wanted to know what was going on in the crowd behind her.
After the first two or three years, Deborah had expected to hear resentment over the way Caleb dominated the contest. To her surprise and amusement, and that of Caleb’s wife, Norah, the town chose instead to take a fierce pride in its very own former gunman.
No one in Hubbell spoke of winning the annual shooting contest any longer but of “beating Sutton”. Last year
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