The Librarian of Boone's Hollow - Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,76

and there was plenty of critters in the mountains that wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of a person, so Bettina had to tell her.

A little snicker found its way from Bettina’s mouth. She wove the needle in and out, in and out, lips twitching. Too bad Emmett hadn’t seen Addie in those overalls and boots. The men’s clothes sure took the fancy out of her. ’Course, she didn’t look so citified and proper flat on her back in the dirt with her foot stuck in a stirrup and her frilly underclothes on display, either. Bettina put her head back and laughed long and loud. My, but that’d been funny. She couldn’t wait to tell Glory and Alba about it. She’d be sure and tell them how she’d saved Addie by keeping Russet from running off with her, too.

Maybe she should’ve let it be. Addie’d be all the way to Cumberland by now. Wouldn’t it be a fine thing if Addie disappeared? Emmett hadn’t showed no interest in any gal from Boone’s Hollow until Addie came along. Bettina couldn’t rightly blame him for looking. Addie’s pretty clothes, the way she talked, even the way she walked—like the movie starlets did, all straight and proud—made her stick out. But if he had lots of chances to look, then he might start thinking Addie was a better pick than her, and she couldn’t let that happen.

She made a knot in the thread and bit it off. She folded Pap’s shirt real careful, then carried it to his room and put it on his bureau, where he’d be sure to notice she’d fixed it. Not that he’d thank her. But he wouldn’t pester her about it, and that’d be good enough. Would Emmett thank her if she stitched up a tear in one of his shirts? She reckoned he would.

She left the room and closed Pap’s door behind her. There was more mending waiting, and she should oughta get to it. She reached her hand to the basket, but she didn’t pick anything up. Pap wasn’t there to scold or call her lazy, so she’d enjoy a few minutes of sitting. Thinking. She’d always been good at painting pictures in her head. She did it in the classroom when the other kids was reading. She did it in her bed at night when she was trying to forget something hurtful Pap’d said to her. Wasn’t many things she was good at, but pretending was one of ’em, so she closed her eyes and let herself slip off. Pretty pictures took shape and flowed like a movie on a screen in her head.

Emmett asking her to carry his boxes for him, then giving her a thank-you and a sleepy half smile.

Miz Tharp smiling and pulling Bettina into a hug that felt so good.

Addie on the ground with her foot caught, then wearing those too-big overalls, then sitting all white faced and nervous in the saddle. Bettina’s whole body shook in silent laughter. She searched for another Addie picture.

Addie staring, all surprised about Emmett being Bettina’s beau.

Her eyes popped open. She’d said too much to Miz Tharp, and she’d said too much to Addie. Sure, it’d seemed smart at the time. If Addie thought Emmett was engaged to be wed, she wouldn’t be friendly with him. No decent girl went after another girl’s beau, and even if Addie was from the city, she’d know the rules. But what if Addie told Emmett “Congratulations” or asked him about wedding dates? Bettina’d be caught in a lie.

Or was it a lie? Emmett would court her. Sure, he would. He was just settling in. Hadn’t he gave her that big hug when he came back from school after his graduation? Hadn’t he walked her to the Ashcrofts’ place after the Sunday sing? Hadn’t he asked her to carry his boxes home and then thanked her real sweet at his door before going inside?

Still, he might not be happy about her talking about it to somebody before he made it all official-like. Men were funny that way. They liked to be the one in the lead, same as Mule did anytime there was a horse traveling alongside him. ’Course, the bit in Mule’s mouth gave her some control over his leading. Once she had a ring on her finger, she’d have some control over Emmett. Until then, she’d have to keep Addie and Emmett apart.

Which would be a whole lot easier if he kept working the coal