Free Take Me Home (9781455552078) by Dorothy Garlock Page B

that he had no intention of coming back for Otto, at least not in the way the other man expected. He was going to march to town, find the nearest lawman, and turn himself in. Peter knew that running from the train had been a mistake. He was done fighting. The last thing he wanted was for anyone else to get killed. If necessary, he would lead them to the cabin himself, anything to keep this murderous psychotic from causing any more harm.
    Their war would soon be over. This time, for good.

Chapter Six
    I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE getting married!”
    Olivia only had time to smile weakly before Sally Albright embraced her tightly, jumping up and down in her arms. Standing on the street corner in front of her house beneath the bright morning sun, a dented wagon on the sidewalk behind her, Olivia could only imagine what the two of them must look like to anyone watching.
    â€œAnd to Billy!” Sally continued, pulling back to look at Olivia but not letting her go. “I never would’ve imagined he would propose!”
    That makes two of us…
    Besides Billy and Grace, there was no one whom Olivia had ever been closer to than Sally. Since they were the same age, they’d been together for as long as she could remember, sharing a desk at school, singing in the church choir, and taking long walks beside the creek, whispering about boys. They’d always confided in each other and that trust had never been broken.
    Sally took Olivia by the hand and held her ring up to the light. Unlike her mother, her friend didn’t see anything wrong with the simplicity of the golden band; instead, she saw it as romantic.
    â€œI’m so happy that I’m going to start crying!” Sally gushed.
    Watching her friend wipe a tear from the corner of her eye, Olivia understood why Sally had always been considered one of the prettiest girls in all of Miller’s Creek. She was full figured and tall, and her curly red hair fell down across her shoulders. Her green eyes were wide with long lashes. When she smiled or pursed her lips, most men behaved as if they’d just met a movie starlet, either clamming up or talking so fast you couldn’t understand a word they said. She was even more beautiful on the inside. But for all the attention she received, Sally had always had eyes for only one man; Chuck Albright. Four years ago, they’d been married; Olivia had never seen Sally happier than that day. But it was that love for Chuck, that desire to be forever by his side, that had aged her friend, causing many a sleepless night.
    â€œTell me everything!” Sally demanded, her own problems forgotten because of Olivia’s engagement.
    â€œWe can talk while we walk,” Olivia answered, grabbing the handle of the wagon and starting down the sidewalk.
    â€œCome on, Olivia! Stop holding out on me!”
    â€œMore working means more talking.”
    For more than a year now, Olivia and Sally had spent one day a week walking up and down the streets of Miller’s Creek collecting anything that could be recycled for the war effort. They picked up newspapers, toothpaste tubes, tubs of cooking fat, and glass bottles. They scrounged up tinfoil and whatever pieces of scrap metal happened to be lying around. When they were doing their rubber drive, they’d taken everything from children’s tire swings to women’s girdles. With the men off fighting, they’d wanted to do their part, so they trudged all over town, dragging their wagon in the sun, rain, and even snow.
    While they walked, Olivia told Sally about Billy’s proposal. With every telling, it seemed to get a little easier, if no less believable. For her part, Sally peppered her with questions, trying to squeeze out every last detail.
    â€œHow do you feel about Billy going off to the Navy?” Sally asked.
    â€œI’m worried,” Olivia admitted.
    Sally took a deep breath. “You have good reason to be,” she