Free Robin Lee Hatcher by When Love Blooms Page A

ruffled the net of her bonnet and teased him with whiffs of her honeysuckle cologne.
    “Thank you, Mr. Blake.”
    It wasn’t until she pulled away that he realized he’d held onto her waist after her feet touched the ground. He rubbed his palms on his trouser legs and turned toward the children, hoping they could distract him from the unwelcome sense of loss that had filled him after Emily moved from his grasp.

Nine
    Sabrina didn’t always like being the oldest. Sometimes it was hard. She knew things her little sister didn’t know. Sometimes she heard the adults talking when they thought she was asleep. Other times they thought she wasn’t smart enough to understand what they were saying. But she was smart enough. She did understand. She longed to be able to talk to somebody about the things she heard and the things she knew. But who? She couldn’t talk to her little sister about any of it because it might scare her. She couldn’t talk to Ma because Ma didn’t want her to know.
    Sabrina remembered when their pa was gored by the bull. Not Gavin, their new pa, but their real pa. She’d heard her ma weeping after Mr. Martin and Mr. Chamberlain brought him home in the wagon, and she’d known he was gonna die. Nobody had to tell her. She’d just known. And now she knew their ma was gonna die too. Ma tried to hide it, tried real hard, but Sabrina still knew.
    Some days it was nice to pretend she didn’t know. Days like today, up there on the ridge with her pa and Miss Harris and Petula. Days when she could play games, like she and her sister were doing now. The two girls stood with their backs pressed against a tree, waiting to see if Miss Harris would find them in their game of hide and seek.
    “Brina?” Petula tugged on her skirt. “What’re those?” She pointed at large prints carved into the hardened earth.
    Sabrina studied the prints, then answered, “Bear tracks, I think.”
    “Is there a bear around here now?” Her little sister scooted closer to Sabrina’s side.
    ”Shh.” She put an index finger to her lips. “We don’t want Miss Harris to hear us.”
    “But is the bear around?”
    “No, those tracks are old. They were made when the ground was muddy. See? It’s hard now.”
    “I’m scared of bears, Brina. I think we oughta go back. Miss Harris would be scared too if she knew there was a bear around here.”
    As if summoned, Miss Harris called for them. “Brina! Pet! Game’s over. You win. Your father says it’s time to go.”
    Sabrina squeezed Petula’s hand. “Let’s see if it scares her.” She grinned. “Let’s pretend there’s a bear chasing us.”
    “Come on, girls.” Miss Harris’s voice was closer now. “We don’t want to be gone so long that it worries your mother.”
    Sabrina let go of her sister’s hand and ran from their hiding place. “A bear! There’s a bear after us!”
    Petula shrieked as she followed right behind.
    Sabrina had expected their governess to turn and run away with them.
    Instead, Miss Harris grabbed each of them by their hands before they could rush past her, drawing them to a sudden halt. “I’ve never seen a bear before. Let’s wait and have a look at him. Is he very big? What color is he?”
    Sabrina felt a flash of panic. What if there was a bear? What if the prints weren’t old?
    “You know, girls.” Miss Harris leaned down, her tone ominous. “When you want to play a trick on someone, make sure they’re not listening on the other side of the tree. It spoils the surprise.” She dropped their hands and tapped Sabrina and Petula on the tops of their heads. “Tag! You’re both it.”
    Lifting the hem of her riding habit, her laughter trailing behind her, Miss Harris raced away from them. Sabrina turned a startled expression on her sister, then took out after their governess.

    Gavin turned from the horses in time to see Emily run out of the trees. She had removed her hat earlier and now her hair had tumbled free of its pinnings. It