Page 7 of Her Gentle Protector
“Other than us being hungry? Olive needs to be changed and Pet is complaining about the rain.” He waved a hand in front of his nose. “It makes her raccoon stink.”
“Tell her to take that horrible hat off and put it outside. I don’t want it in the house.”
“You tell her. She won’t listen to me.”
Midge let out a deep sigh before entering the great room and finding Olive sitting cross-legged on the floor, her hands pushing colorful blocks around in circles. The rest of the children gathered around the fireplace, huddled together for warmth. Midge felt her heart clench at the sight. They deserved better than this. They deserved warm beds and full bellies, not this life of poverty and struggle.
“That hat smells too bad for the house, Pet,” Midge said firmly, trying to keep the frustration from her voice.
Pet looked up at her, her eyes narrowed in defiance. “I like my hat. I ain’t taking it off.”
Midge resisted the urge to scream in frustration. She was doing everything she could to keep them alive, and yet it never seemed to be enough.
“I’ll put it outside,” Ira offered, yanking the hat from Pet’s head, and running towards the door.
“You give that back!” Petunia screamed, racing after her brother.
“Thank you,” Midge called, her voice softening as she kneeled beside Olive. “What are you playing with, sweetie?”
Olive looked up at her with a grin, lifting a block to show Midge before stacking the blocks together to form a little tower. Midge smiled despite herself. Watching her siblings play was the only thing that brought her genuine joy these days.
As the rain continued to beat against the roof, Midge felt a sense of despair wash over her. How were they going to survive the winter if they couldn’t even make it through summer?
She tried to limit her thieving to the neighboring farms but never visited the same farm two times in a row. She hadn’t been able to go out because of the rain, but it appeared she wasn’t going to have a choice now.
Petunia came back inside, a scowl on her face. “Silly boy, threw my hat in the water trough.”
“Where is it now?” Midge asked.
“About time,” Peter said.
“I put it on the nail in the lean-to so it can dry out.”
“I hope some animal takes off with it.”
“Stop it!” Midge shouted. “Stop it, all of you.” Ira stumbled back in, his locks and clothing thoroughly soaked from the downpour. “Ira, go get changed. Petunia, you change Olive. Peter, you read from the Bible and watch your sisters. Make sure no one gets too close to the fire, and I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going, Midge?” Peter asked.
“I’m just running out.”
“In the rain?” he asked skeptically.
“I’ll be back. I promise.”
“Want me to heat the water?” Petunia asked.
Midge tilted her head. “What for?”
“For the chicken.” Petunia threw her head back and laughed. “Come on, Olive, let’s get you changed.”
Midge didn’t bother with a response. She went straight into her bedroom and changed into her father’s old clothes. Grabbing his hat, she tucked her hair underneath it before leaving under the cover of darkness.
The walk to the Hartman ranch took longer, but she didn’t want to go to the Pickett’s again. Peter said that Beau Pickett was getting suspicious, and Midge had heard that he was even grumpier than Baxter Hartman. The Hartman Ranch would be a good choice, as they hadn’t picked the corn yet and it would provide her cover if she needed to escape quickly.
The corn towered high above her as she crept through the field. Midge couldn’t help but think about how this was the most foolish thing she had ever done. The Hartmans had a reputation for being cruel and they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her if they caught her. Pa said he had a skirmish with Mr. Hartman once or twice when Mr. Hartman would come to play cards.
Her fingers hesitantly reached out into the tall cornstalks, brushing against wet ears of corn. Taking a deep breath, she carefully peeled back the thick husk to reveal the plump kernels underneath. She tugged the ear from its stalk and traced her fingertips along the drying husk. Biting into the sweet nuggets, she felt her stomach cramp with hunger and gratitude at the first meal it had in days.
