Twice Promised (The Blue Willow Brides Book #2): A Novel Read Online Free Page A

look at Greta and he wouldn’t be paying Cora any mind.
    Cora turned and started making up her bed, suddenly very weary. She would need to visit the outhouse before bed, so she hurriedly undressed with her back to Greta and threw her robe over her nightgown. Not that anyone would be seeing me outside for miles around! But she clamped her mouth shut instead of grumbling out loud. She lifted the lamp off the table and pushed against the creaking back door, then traipsed quickly to where the not-so-inviting outhouse stood in the silvery moonlight.

    Greta had been counting sheep, praying for sleep to take over, when she heard a loud thumping outside. Had Cora locked herself out? She had visited the outhouse more than once, and the disturbance kept Greta from sleeping. Was her stomach upset?
    A scream came from behind the cabin, and the sound brought Greta bounding out of bed with a chill coursing down her spine. Frantically, she yanked open the heavy pine door and squinted into the night, her eyes trying to adjust with the aid of the moon hanging high over the timberline. She shivered with fear.

3
    Greta stumbled wildly down the steps. Had Cora fallen into the hole in the outhouse? Greta had gone only a couple of steps when she felt like she’d swallowed her heart. There was something big and dark moving near the outhouse. Oh, heavens above! It was a bear! She froze momentarily, then whirled back up the steps despite the cries emanating from the privy. Back inside the cabin, aided by the light of the full moon streaming through the window, she quickly scanned each corner for a weapon. Wasn’t there a gun somewhere? Sure enough, there was a rifle leaning against the wall. She grabbed it, not sure if it was loaded or not, and flew back outside.
    “Help! Please, somebody!” came Cora’s pitiful plea.
    “Stay put, Cora!” Greta answered. The huge bear was in clear view now, prowling by the side of the privy, making deep-throated noises as it stood on hind legs and scratched at the wood door. It dropped to its feet when it saw Greta. She could smell the stench of its breath and body from where she stood nervously holding the rifle at shoulder level. With pounding heart and adrenaline coursing through her, she took aim and squeezed the trigger. The loud boom and the force of the gun sent her sprawling in the dirt.
    She missed her mark and fired again into the darkness, but there were no more bullets loaded. Apparently the noise scared the bear, and its huge form lumbered off, disappearing into the dense trees. Thank God for the one shot!
    She struggled to untangle her feet from her flannel nightgown and stood up. “It’s all right now, Cora! You can come out,” Greta said, her hands still shaking. Peter had showed them how to use a gun, but she’d never had any reason to until now. She shook the dirt from the back of her nightgown.
    The door flung open wide, and Cora’s white face appeared. She fell into Greta’s arms. “Oh, God has mercy! Thank you for saving my life!” Cora said, then pulled away.
    In truth Greta was just as shaken, but she didn’t want Cora to know. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic! I just scared him off. You’d do the same for me,” she said, one arm around Cora and the other holding the rifle at her side. “Let’s go back inside. That bear may still be lingering around.”
    Once inside, Cora dropped into bed and crawled under the quilt, still shivering. Whether from cold or fright, Greta wasn’t sure.
    “Do you feel okay? You’ve been up several times tonight.”
    Her voice low and quivering, Cora answered, “I had a little stomach upset. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. Bears were the last thing on my mind tonight.” She had pulled the quilt up to her chin, and her eyes were as big as dinner plates.
    Greta leaned the gun in the corner by her bed, hoping she wouldn’t have need of it again. She brushed the dirt off her bare feet and hopped back into bed.
    “Thanks again, Greta,” Cora