Annabelle’s heart constricted, and she turned the corner. Nugget came running toward her, screeching, “Mama!”
She embraced the little girl, and continued in the direction from which Nugget had come.
Daniel was engaged in a fistfight with another boy, and the girls were egging him on as other children circled the fighting boys, cheering.
“Daniel Edward Stone!” Annabelle pushed through the crowd. “I insist you stop this minute!”
“Not until he apologizes for what he said about my sister!”
Before he could get another punch in, her father and Joseph arrived and pulled the two boys apart.
Nugget huddled at Annabelle’s side. “Mama, please don’t be mad at Daniel.”
The little girl had taken to calling her Mama shortly before her wedding to Joseph. Even though certain people, like the unfortunate boy whom her father was sternly lecturing, didn’t seem to want to forget where Nugget came from, most of the time, no one remembered Nugget wasn’t her daughter. And, as Annabelle tightened her arm around the little girl, she wasn’t sure she could remember a time when Nugget wasn’t hers.
“You know fighting is wrong,” Joseph told Daniel sternly.
“So’s what he said about my sister.”
Though Annabelle knew she needed to remain quiet and let Joseph do the parenting, part of her wanted to cheer for the fact that the boy who once refused to even look at Nugget, let alone call her sister, was now fighting for the little girl’s honor.
“The other boy started it,” chorused Evelyn, Helen and Bess.
Annabelle looked down at Nugget. “That so?”
Nugget shrugged. Apparently, she wasn’t going to risk her newfound solidarity with her siblings.
Joseph escorted Daniel to where they were waiting, and Annabelle noticed her father walking the other boy down the street. Probably to talk to his parents.
The other three girls trudged behind, their heads low, as though they thought the other boy had Daniel’s beating coming. Annabelle sighed. Raising Joseph’s siblings was not for the faint of heart. But watching them heal from the pain of their rough past and come to love one another was worth it.
Joseph came along Annabelle’s other side and slipped his hand in hers. “Never a dull moment, is it?”
“Of course not.” Until she’d found herself with a houseful again, she hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed having the warm bodies, the laughter and even the fights to add color to her life. Some days, she still missed her siblings, especially Susannah, and most days, she desperately missed her mother. For only a mother could advise her on how to handle this rambunctious crew.
A carriage was parked in front of their house.
“Caitlin!” Nugget pulled away from Annabelle’s hand and dashed in the direction of the carriage, her siblings following suit.
Annabelle looked over at Joseph. “I didn’t know Gertie was coming down today. I thought they were waiting until Saturday.”
“I thought you’d like having her sooner.” A knowing look filled his face. “You’ve been overly tired lately, and she told me to send for her if you needed help.”
No, Annabelle didn’t have a mother to advise her on such things. But she had Gertie, who loved her like one. Even though Gertie would never replace her mother, and there were times when having Gertie around increased the ache of her mother’s absence, mostly, Annabelle didn’t know what she’d do without the other woman.
“Daniel, what have you done to your eye?” Gertie’s exclamation told Annabelle that Gertie probably had plenty of experience dealing with her own sons’ fights. Later, the other woman could help her figure out how to handle this latest development.
Annabelle turned to Joseph and kissed him softly. “Thank you. You always seem to know just what I need.”
He kissed her back, then grinned. “Or maybe I want to get a little time alone with you myself. Won’t be much longer until we’ve also got a baby to manage, so I figured I’d best take advantage while I still can.”
This time, Annabelle didn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around him. Well, as best as she could fit, anyway. She was, after all, expecting a baby. And even though some ladies in town said it simply wasn’t done when one was in such a delicate condition, she kissed her husband until they were both breathless. Let everyone say what they will. Annabelle Lassiter Stone had opened her heart to love, and now that she’d found it, she wasn’t about to let anyone tell her not to show it.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER HOLIDAY FAMILY by Winnie Griggs.
Dear Reader,
I am so excited to be sharing my love of Leadville with you. When my husband’s family came to America at the turn of the century, Leadville was where they settled. While we no longer have living relatives in Leadville, we have a family home there we regularly visit, and spending time immersed in Leadville history is something we’ve always enjoyed.
When I decided to write a historical, I knew it would have to be set in this beloved town. The story itself came when I read an old newspaper from the 1880s that featured an ad for a debate between two pastors on whether or not miners were beyond redemption. It intrigued me to know that in those days, certain classes of people were viewed as too low for salvation. Hence, Pastor Lassiter and his mission was born. It is the perfect place for a man like Joseph to find help, and for a woman like Annabelle, on the verge of losing hope, to find it again.
I hope this story encourages you, and no matter where you are situated in life, you know that there is always hope.
I love connecting with my readers, so please stop by www.danicafavorite.com and say hello.
Blessings to you and yours,
Danica Favorite
Questions for Discussion
What was your favorite part of Annabelle and Joseph’s story?
Joseph
