on her hill, then nothing bad could happen, but now she realized that the world wouldnât fall apart if mud was tracked inside the cabin. Life wouldnât end just because a bonfire had been lit in the parlor. She walked into her bedroom and smoothed the coverlet. Nothing had hurt her like losing her best friend, and it was her fault that he hadnât come back until now.
Taking a geode in each hand, she set them gently next to each other. This was her flaw. Sheâd decided to end the relationship with Josiah when it was clear she couldnât control the outcome. Rather than give him any say, she ran, afraid of what his answer would be.
And it wasnât just the big decisions that sheâd chosen poorly on. How many dozens of smaller incidents had she mishandled? So he wanted the rocks together. Did it hurt her to comply? So he left a mess in the kitchen. Wasnât his company worth a few nicks in the pottery?
Leaving the geodes, she walked into the parlor. Here sat an outcome a mite more severe than a nick in the pottery, but itwasnât Josiahâs fault. Heâd help her clear it when he came back. She didnât have the will to do it alone any longer.
She took down her coat. No more rain fell, but every breeze brought a shower down off the leaves. Throughout this deluge sheâd managed to stay dry. No sense in getting mussed up now. Keeping an eye toward the bluff, she hurried through her chores. Eggs collected, cow milked, stock fed.
Should she go back to the house? Truth be told, Silas wasnât as much scary as outright annoying. Hiding under the bed was the most simplistic suggestion sheâd ever heard, and while Josiah could make a compelling argument of anything using those persuasive techniques, she had regained her sanity.
Paâs hammer rested atop the milk can. Katie Ellen shook her head. No question who had forgotten to return it to its proper place, but she didnât mind. Warmth spread inside her coat as she recollected the way Josiah had stood behind her holding the boards. She dearly regretted the broken window, but looking back, itâd been fun repairing it. Running her fingers over the hammer, she decided to leave it out just to prove she could.
A shout rang out through the still airâa manâs voice. Katie Ellen jumped, and before the echo had time to ricochet off the side of Deweyâs Bald, she was running to the door. It had definitely come from the bluff. Was it Silas? She skidded in her tracks. Josiah had warned her. Heâd told her what to do, and sheâd promised. She wouldnât go crashing through the trees looking for him; she had to hide in case Silas was coming for her.
Grabbing the hammer, she bounded into the feed sling, catching the opposing rope on the way. While sheâd never used the double pulleyto raise her own weightâwho had time for such shenanigans?âshe knew itâd work. Dropping the hammer next to her feet, she yanked that old rope down hand overhand, wobbling a bit when the sling left the ground. Her arms ached, reminding her of wrestling with Buttercup and the calf the day before. Had it only been a day? One day with Josiah. Was that all sheâd get?
Halfway to the rafters. Buttercup looked up with doubtful eyes and lowed.
âDonât look at me,â Katie Ellen said. âYouâll lead him right to me.â But no, Silas wouldnât be coming back alone. Josiah was fine. He had to be.
As the sling reached the pinnacle, Katie Ellen ducked, trying to get as close to the top as she could. Holding the tension on the rope so she didnât plummet to the barn floor, she threw the end of it over the beam, caught it, and looped it inside itself. The rope creaked as the weight pulled the knot tighter, but it held.
She ripped through the buttons on her coat and tossed it into the bottom of the sling. Nimble, thatâs what she needed to be. And armed. She picked up the hammer and