Page 55 of Mail-Order Bride Mommy
“Because I like her.”
Matt snorted. “You’ve seen her what? Two times?”
“More’n that. We all rode to church together. Besides, I know what I see.”
Matt wasn’t going to ask what his younger brother thought. Yet the words came from his mouth. “And what exactly is it you think you see?”
“She smiles a lot. Lindy likes her. I can smell good food cooking over there. Now don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”
“Of course, I noticed. I’m not an idiot.”
Andy gave a sly grin. “Well, if you want to believe that…” He narrowed his eyes. “So why don’t you marry her?”
Why indeed? She was proving to be a suitable person, but he couldn’t escape the warning in the depths of his heart. Could he trust her to keep Lindy safe? Even louder came an unexpected question. Could he keep Gwen safe? His feet pounded down the path toward home, driving foolish questions from his head.
Matt sucked in cleansing air before he stepped into the peace of his own house. Pa was right to think they all needed their own place. Though Pa had in mind something other than the four of them living alone. At least he, of all the Shannon brothers, was doing as Pa wished. He ignored the protest in his brain that Pa meant more than bringing a woman into his home. There was Lindy too, he pointed out.
At his entrance, Gwen looked up with a welcoming smile. And immediately his troubles disappeared. He was at peace. It was a good thing no one could hear his thoughts and demand an explanation because he had none.
He sat down and ate although he couldn’t say what it was that he put in his mouth. His attention was on vainly attempting to sort out the thoughts tangled in his head.
The meal over, he brought the Bible to the table. “This is Mother’s Bible. Do you want to read it?”
“Would you?” she asked.
“I’d be honored. Where do you suggest I begin?”
“I’ve heard the beginning is a great place to start.”
With a chuckle, he opened the book to Genesis and read the first chapter.
Slowly, reverently he closed the Bible and looked up to see both Lindy and Gwen with their eyes riveted to him. “I feel like I should close in prayer.”
Gwen’s gentle smile made him think of butterfly wings. “I’d like that.”
“God, we thank You that You made the world and everything in it. Thank You for making it so beautiful.” He wanted to add thanks for the people in his home and his brothers, too, of course. But sudden uncertainty made the words stick in his throat. “Amen.”
“Didn’t God make the birds?” Lindy asked.
Gwen seemed to understand what the child meant. “The Bible calls them fowl of the air.”
“He made everything. Right?”
She studied the child a moment before she answered. “Everything and everyone.”
Lindy excused herself and went to her room.
Gwen’s gaze followed the child. “That’s not like her.”
“Maybe she’s tired. It’s been a long day.” But Gwen was right. It wasn’t like her.
They both pushed from the table and hurried after the child.
12
Gwen paused at the doorway to Lindy’s bedroom, Matt at her side. She couldn’t let his presence distract her from concern over Lindy. The child had placed her collection of feathers in a spray on top of her dresser and one by one she picked them up and arranged them between her fingers. Done, she faced them.
“I have wings.” She held out her arms with the feathers poking out from her fingers. “I’m a fowl of the air.” She flapped her arms. “There’s not ‘nough room in here for a bird to fly.” A scowl marked her sweet features.
