Prairie Storm Read Free Page B

is, I appreciate you taking care of Samuel here.”
    â€œWhat?” She wiped her cheek with the heel of her hand. “Where’s your wife?”
    â€œI don’t have a wife. I’m not married.”
    â€œYou’re not marr—oh, give me that child.”
    She took the screaming baby out of his arms, rearranged the wrinkled blanket, and tucked Samuel’s head against the side of her neck. When she began to sway gently from side to side, the baby gave a big hiccup and fell silent.
    â€œWhere is this child’s mother?” she demanded in a low voice.
    Eli took off his hat and tapped it on his thigh a couple of times. “Dead.” He spoke the word under his breath, as if the child could understand its significance. “A few days back when I was down south, inside the border of the Osage Indian reservation, I came upon a wagon on the trail. It had been shot full of arrows. I reckon you know the Osages don’t like the way squatters have been moving onto their land and petitioning the government to move the tribe into Oklahoma. Anyhow, I saw right off that the man was already dead and the woman was a goner. She pushed the little fella into my arms and begged me to keep him safe. ‘Teach Samuel to love the Lord,’ she said, and then she breathed her last.”
    The swaying stopped. “How long ago?”
    â€œFour days.”
    â€œBut this baby can’t be much more than a week old. What have you been feeding him?”
    Eli scratched the back of his neck. “I tried mashed potatoes,” he admitted. “He doesn’t like them much. He did better on scrambled eggs. I don’t have a bottle, and he’s not real good with a cup. I manage to get a little water down him now and then. I know he needs milk, but I’m a traveling man—”
    â€œThe baby is starving. He’ll die without proper nourishment.” Her blue eyes flashed. “You’d better find this child some milk, Preacher-man, or you’ll have his soul on your conscience.”
    â€œBrother Elijah?” Seth Hunter, Jack Cornwall, and the other two women were striding across the prairie toward him. Right after the preaching service that evening, Seth and Jack had approached Eli with an interesting proposition, and he wanted to hear more. But now all he could think of was this woman’s prediction of doom.
    â€œBrother Elijah,” Seth called again. “I want you to meet my wife, Rose, and this is her friend Caitrin Murphy. Jack Cornwall here is engaged to marry Miss Murphy.”
    â€œElijah Book,” he said, giving the women a nod. “Pleased to meet you, ladies.”
    â€œReverend Book,” Rose Hunter addressed him. “It’s our privilege to have you in Hope.”
    â€œI’m not much of a reverend, ma’am. I’m just a cowhand from Amarillo who heard the voice of God calling him to preach. I’ve been on the trail since March, riding from one place to another and speaking the word of the Lord.”
    â€œI’ve asked Brother Elijah if he would be willing to stay on in Hope for a couple of weeks,” Seth told the women. “He could perform the wedding for Jack and Caitrin, and maybe he’d preach us a few sermons in our new church.”
    â€œA couple of weeks?” Rose Hunter cried. “Why not permanently? You could become our very own minister, Brother Elijah! You and your wife and son could live here in Hope while you minister to the homesteaders.”
    â€œI’m not married, ma’am,” Eli said. “Samuel’s parents were ambushed on the trail, and God put the boy into my hands to bring up.”
    â€œThen he’s a foundling like I am!” Rose exclaimed, wonder lighting her pretty face.
    â€œBrother Elijah, this is the answer to your prayers and ours,” Rose’s friend Caitrin said warmly. “Sure, you can raise little Samuel in a town filled with loving people