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A Promise Made

By Norma Downing

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Chapter 1



Kansas 1899

Life had changed in an instant. Everything she knew and took comfort from had been either taken away and been replaced with a crushing sense of sadness or had been altered in some way. Emily Wallace sank into the rocking chair by the fireplace. She placed her hands on the armrests and then glanced down at the wood beneath her fingers. It was almost strange to feel the smooth, hard oak. It seemed so concrete after the surreal events of the past few days, and especially the last several hours. The grief and anguish felt almost like a physical pressure. She leaned back against the chair and stared at the cold, empty fireplace with unseeing eyes. The emptiness in the area of her heart seemed ready to consume her. Strangely, her eyes remained dry. Could someone use up all their tears and be unable to shed anymore?
She could hear voices in the room but she couldn’t focus on exactly what they were saying. They said someone must be nearing exhaustion and should be put to bed. Were they talking about her? A pair of strong arms was placed beneath her legs and behind her back and they gently lifted her out of the chair. Her arms wrapped about the neck of this careful guardian. As she breathed in, the thought “Drew” came to her mind as his masculine scent filled her nostrils. She felt the soft bed beneath her and, she heard, “Sleep well, Emmie,” whispered in her ear. A wisp of a kiss touched the top of her head.
Footsteps left the room and the door closed. Soft feminine hands undressed her, put her into nightgown, and helped her slide between cool, fresh sheets that smelled of outdoors and sunny, carefree days. All the while lovingly murmured words of encouragement and affection were spoken. A soft caress touched her cheek, light footsteps went away from her, and the door opened and closed. She didn’t remember anything else as she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next morning Emily drifted into consciousness. The tempting smell of bacon and coffee teased her more fully awake. Her stomach rumbled at the pleasant scents. The brightness of the room startled her. Why had Mama let her sleep so late? Like an avalanche tumbling down a mountainside the events of the past days came crashing into her sorrowing mind. Mama! Papa! They hadn’t let her sleep! They weren’t going to be around to tell her to do anything. They were gone! A sob caught in her throat. She swallowed to keep it down. If only she could keep down the overwhelming emotions as easily.
Alone—that thought was almost more than she could comprehend right now. Totally and completely alone. She had an aunt whom she had never met living back East, but she had no other blood relatives. She wasn’t really cut off from those that cared about her. Her thoughts turned to the “family” she had here in Kansas. Her mama and papa had been her real family, but she still had Gus, the old cowboy-turned-farmhand that had been working for her father for as long as Emily could remember. There were their closest neighbors, Virginia Boyd, a widow and her two adult sons, Nathan and Aaron. There were all the folks in town, and at church. Not really family, but some were very dear friends. Of course there was Drew Harris, her father’s right hand man, kind of like the son he had never had. A sigh escaped. A feeling of thankfulness settled her turbulent thoughts. She did have some people that cared, even if they weren’t real family.
Although the temptation to stay in bed and hide from the world seemed like a good option, Emily knew she would have to get up eventually. Rising and dressing kept her thoughts occupied for a few moments as she tried not to think about her mother not being there in the kitchen making breakfast and doing the things she did every morning.
After putting on her everyday dress, and styling her long, dark brown hair in a neat bun, she opened her door and stepped into the kitchen. Warmth and sunshine greeted her. Everything looked the same as it had for the last eighteen years,—or for as many of those years that she could actually remember. But everything had changed completely. She felt as if she had entered someone else’s life. Instead of the plump form of her mother in work dress and apron working at the stove, the lean, muscular form of Drew stood turning the bacon. He had his back to her and did not seem to have heard her enter the kitchen.
As the morning sun slanted through the kitchen window, Emily noticed for the first time how the golden highlights in Drew’s hair shone. He had rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt to reveal tan forearms and strong hands. He had only socks on his feet. Had he taken his boots off so as to not wake her with his footsteps and to keep the kitchen floor clean? Drew must have sensed her presence then because he turned to face her. Emily saw the slight smile that came to his lips.
Why did she feel as if she were seeing everything in a different light? It was almost as if she had become another person. Why had she never noticed Drew’s warm brown eyes before? Had he always been so strong-looking?
Drew spoke and the spell-like atmosphere evaporated. “Morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Fine, I guess. I don’t remember much of anything, so I guess I slept well enough. Why are you cooking breakfast? I could have done that.”
“I know. I just thought as long as you were sleeping I would get it started.”
The tears threatened to fall again as she reached for the plates on the shelf as she thought how usually she and her mother would have breakfast together after the men had finished. It had been a special time of fellowship for them before starting the busy day. So she hadn’t exhausted her supply of tears after all. She hoped Drew hadn’t noticed them.
“Gus ate earlier. So you have to tolerate just my company for breakfast.” He put the food onto the table.
“I think I can do that.” She set the plates and silverware onto the table. Then she filled the mugs with coffee and set them down.
They sat down and Drew said a simple prayer for the food. “Gus and I will working on the fencing in the south pasture this morning. It’s been needing mending for a good while now.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Was she supposed to know that? Papa had seen to everything concerning the running of the farm.
“I’ll be doing some things around the barn later, probably after dinner.”
“That’s fine. I have things to keep me busy this morning as well.” They completed the meal in silence. Small talk just seemed to be a chore.
Drew rose and put his dishes in the sink. “I hate to leave you alone, but I really have a lot to catch up on. Especially with…well, with not getting much work done the last few days. Will you be all right?”
“I’ll be fine. Thank you. I’ll see you at dinner time.” Could Drew tell that she wasn’t being totally truthful?
Drew hesitated by the door. “Em, we have some important things to discuss concerning your future.”
“We do?”
Drew nodded a serious expression crossed his face. “Yes, but we’ll talk later. I’ve got to get to work.” 

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