Free Turner's Rainbow 2 - The Rainbow Promise by Lisa Gregory Page A

not very old, is—was he?"
    Luke shook his head. "Thirty-six or so, I guess. He dropped dead in the fields. A heart attack."
    "Oh, my goodness. How awful for her."
    "He's no loss."
    "Luke!"
    "What? His being dead doesn't make him any nicer."
    "No, but... well, I'm glad she came to us."
    "She didn't have much choice." Luke sat down and began to pull off his work boots. "Will was sharecropping forty acres for a man named Harrington, and the man wanted to put a new tenant in the house."
    "You mean, he made Julia leave her house right after her husband died!"
    "Yeah. That's why she set out on foot with the kids. She doesn't have any money. Will was in debt to Harrington, so Harrington took the tools, wagon, and team in payment of the debt."
    "Luke! How terrible! Poor Julia."
    Luke smiled. He had been certain of Sarah's sympathy, but it pleased him to hear her confirm it. "I told her she could stay with us."
    "Of course." Sarah smiled. It would be nice having another woman in the house, not just for a hand with the chores (although that would be a pleasant relief, too, especially as she got heavier with child), but mostly for conversation and companionship. It was often a lonely life on the farm, not seeing neighbors or family except on Sundays, with only a two-year-old to keep her company during the day.
    It would be fun to chat with Julia while they washed and hung out the clothes or cooked supper. They could laugh over the things Emily did. Maybe Julia would tell Sarah stories about Luke's childhood, the sort of sweet things Luke wished she knew about her husband—the way he had looked, his first word, the games he had played.
    "She was afraid she might cause problems here," Luke told her.
    "Why?"
    He shrugged. "I guess because she doesn't know you very well."
    "Well, with some women it might be a problem. I mean, every woman has her own way of running a house. But I can't see Julia and me fussing over things like that, can you?" Luke shook his head. "Anyway, even if she were cantankerous or lazy, she's your sister. I couldn't turn her away."
    Luke unbuttoned his shirt. "I told her you would be fine with it."
    Sarah finished undressing and slid a white cotton nightgown over her head. Luke watched her, his fingers growing still on his buttons. Sarah's stomach was swollen with the child she carried and the gown was plain and voluminous, but, even so, the sight of her putting it on stirred his loins.
    "I hired Micah." Luke slumped down in his chair, stretching out his legs, to watch Sarah unbraid her hair.
    "Did you? Good. You need a hand." The thick strands of her hair loosened when Sarah unfastened her braid, but didn't fall apart. She pushed her fingers through her hair like a comb, separating the strands. Her hair clung and curled around her fingers.
    Luke wet his lips. "Yeah. Well, he did a good job on the chores this afternoon, and he helped Julia. He's staying in the room in the barn. I gave him sheets and towels."
    Sarah picked up her brush and began to pull it through her hair. It fell in thick, brown, silky waves down her back, clear to her hips.
    Luke went to stand behind her. He took the brush from her hand and began to brush her hair himself. He loved the feel of it in his hands, warm and soft, catching on his calluses. "Being in that room made me think about when I first came here. When I lived there."
    "I remember."
    He smiled faintly. "I used to lie awake in my bed every night, thinking about you."
    "Oh. Luke."
    "It's true."
    "You acted like you didn't know I was alive."
    He gathered her hair in one hand and twisted it lazily around his hand and arm, watching it catch the light. He bent and kissed the top of her head. "I was scared to death of you, afraid I'd frighten or disgust you. I wanted so badly for you not to fear me."
    Sarah rose and took his face between her hands. "I never feared you."
    "I know. You're an amazing woman."
    "No. I just know you."
    Luke bent and kissed her, releasing her hair and letting it