Love Finds You in Groom, Texas Read Free

she was the only logical choice. No point in keeping her head in the clouds like Emily tended to do. Not when there was so much work to be done right here on earth.
    Anne fussed with the tiny gold cross she wore on a chain around her neck. It was the only piece of her mother that she could still touch with her own hands. And though Anne struggled to hang onto the faith she’d once held dear, at least the little cross brought some degree of comfort.
    Another glance out the window revealed a couple of tumbleweeds rolling across the plains. Anne watched them, feeling like a kindred spirit. She knew what it felt like to be tossed around by an invisible wind. And she also knew the sense of desperation in not knowing where one might end up.
    Lord, I trust You, but…
    She didn’t finish the sentence. Papa used to say the only “buts” were the ones left behind when a man finished a good cigar. She could almost picture him now, seated in the drawing room, smoking one of his favorite El Rey del Mundo cigars and sipping a glass of brandy. Or two. Or three.
    There’s no brandy in heaven.
    The words flitted through her mind, followed by, You don’t even know Papa’s in heaven anyway, so what does it matter?
    Just as quickly, she chided herself for dwelling on the negative. No doubt Papa was standing at the pearly gates this very moment, sharing one of his tall tales in an attempt to get Saint Peter to open them up. One day she would know for sure if he’d made it inside. Papa usually managed to get what he wanted. For now, the possibility brought some comfort.
    Thankfully, Kate’s voice rang out, interrupting her thoughts. “Do we really have to stay with Uncle Bertrand?” The youngster’s nose wrinkled, signifying her disgust with the idea.
    Emily looked up from her paper, and her eyes narrowed into slits. She tossed back her dark curls with exaggerated flair. “I would rather be shackled in chains in a dank and dreary prison cell with no food or water than to live in a mansion with that hideous man.” She released an exaggerated sigh. “Toss me in a dungeon and throw away the key, but please do not make me go to Dallas, Annie!”
    “I do believe you missed your calling on the stage, Emily.” Anne stifled a laugh. “But as for Uncle Bertrand, we truly have no other choice.” She bit back the rest of the words. Anne had never cared for her father’s brother, but who else would take them in? Life in her uncle’s home might not be comfortable, but it would be a sure sight better than living in the poorhouse in Denver.
    “He’s so mean.” Kate shivered. “Remember that last time he came to see Papa? He got angry at me for playing hide-and-go-seek in the library while they were talking in the next room.”
    Anne remembered the incident clearly. How Uncle Bertrand had stormed into the room, insisting that the girls receive lashes for their childish noise. Papa had not gone along with him, naturally. Of course, Papa was full to the brim with whiskey that night. He could barely walk, let alone fuss at a child. But Uncle Bertrand’s harsh words had served as a cruel enough punishment and left a lasting impression.
    “Maybe our uncle has softened with age,” Anne said. One can hope, anyway.
    “Uncle Bertrand said Papa was a gambler .” Emily emphasized the words, her eyes widening. “Do you think it was true, Annie? Did Papa really gamble away all our money like Wild Eyed Joe?”
    “Who in heaven’s name is Wild Eyed Joe?”
    “He’s a gambler from a story I read in a magazine. Best card cheat in the Wild West. He made a marvelous villain.” Her expression softened. “Not that I’m calling Papa a villain. Just wonderin’ if that’s what Uncle Bertrand meant.”
    The woman seated across from them looked up with curiosity etched on her brow. Just as quickly, her gaze shifted back to the needlepoint in her lap.
    Anne bit back the words that threatened to escape. “We don’t speak ill of the dead, Emily,”