Hope Takes Flight Read Free Page B

after I get through.”
    Donald turned and went back to the car. Racing the engine, he waved and disappeared in a cloud of dust.
    â€œThat’s a good young man,” Will Stuart said. He glanced at his daughter and grinned, “You coulda had him, Lylah, if you’d wanted him.”
    Lylah grinned right back. She had been very close to her father and felt so even now. “And wouldn’t I have been a bird as a preacher’s wife, Pa!” She laughed freely, and the others joined in.
    â€œWell, let’s get some food on the table,” Will said when the laughter had died down, “and start this here celebration!”
    The babble of voices grew, and all the children began hustling around to put the meal on the table. But Lylah grabbed her father by the arm and said, “While they’re putting it on the table, let’s you and me walk down to the creek, Pa. I want to find out what you’ve been doing.”
    As they walked away, she caught a glimpse of Agnes’s narrowed gaze and thought, That woman has ground Pa to bits. I wish she’d drown in the creek!
    But she said nothing of her feelings to her father as the two of them strolled outside and down the shady lane, Lylah chattering happily and Will smiling fondly at his prodigal daughter.
    That night, Lylah slept with her sisters, Lenora and Christie, although “sleeping” is not actually what went on. They shared a small bed in a tiny room up in the loft and the two girls kept her awake for most of the night, urging her to tell more stories about her travels, about her life on the road in the theater.
    Finally, when she lapsed into unconsciousness, the girls gave up. She didn’t know a thing until she heard a voice saying, “C’mon, Lylah, you’ve got to get up. Breakfast is almost ready.”
    â€œWha—what is it?” Lylah opened her eyes to see Christie bending over her, her blond hair hanging around her shoulders.
    â€œC’mon,” she urged. “It’s late.”
    â€œWhat time is it?” Lylah mumbled.
    â€œWhy, it’s ’most six o’clock,” Christie said. “Day’s half gone. C’mon, now. Let’s get down and eat breakfast. Amos’ll be here pretty soon.”
    Lylah groaned, then crawled out of bed and began dressing. She brushed her hair as best she could and then went into the bathroom she and Amos had sent the money to add, only four years ago. Until then, there had been only washbasins and cold spring water. The hot water had been saved for her, she was glad to see, and she was able to take a quick bath, put on her makeup, and fix her hair.
    When she came out, she heard Gavin shouting from the front yard. “They’re comin’! They’re comin’! Amos is comin’!”
    Again there was a mad stampede with all the young people running out, and this time Lylah joined them. A large, copper-brown touring car pulled into the front yard, and there was Amos at the wheel, waving his hat and yelling as he slammed on the brakes. She ran out with the rest to meet him, and Amos got out of the car and fought his way through all of his siblings.
    When he reached Lylah, he gave her a big hug. “Lylah! I haven’t seen you in…how many years?”
    â€œToo many!” Lylah cried and pulled his head down and kissed him full on the lips. He had always been her favorite, and now she said in mock anger, “I hate you, Amos Stuart. You don’t look a day older than the last time I met you…and I’m an old woman now.”
    Amos grinned at her. At thirty-five, his five-foot-ten-inch frame still carried only one hundred and sixty pounds, very trim and athletic. He looked so much like their mother that it made Lylah want to weep. He had the same ash blond hair and startlingly dark blue eyes, the same oval face and determined features. In truth, he did not look one day older than when she had seen him five