Song of My Heart (20 page)

She clutched her skirts in her fists, her poised body emanating impatience.

He aimed his finger at her face. “I ought to haul you in for being a public menace.”

Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened.

He ignored her aghast expression and grabbed her arm. “Since it isn’t safe to leave you unattended, I’ll take you across the street.” She wriggled, but he held tight while looking up and down Main Street. “Then we’ll establish a new rule for you—no crossing without a chaperone.” The street was clear, so he took one forward stride.

She dug in her heels and fought against his restraining hand. “Thad! Let me go right now!”

“No, ma’am.” He pulled, drawing her along beside him. “As sheriff, my job’s to protect folks. An’ you obviously need protecting.”

Her tumble in the dirt had jarred loose the coil of hair she always wore on the back of her head. Tangled strands of yellow hair waved over her shoulders and in her face. She slapped at the tresses, demanding her release in the most abrasive tone he’d ever heard, but he continued to pull her across the street. They neared the mercantile boardwalk, and Miss Melva and Miss Shelva came flying out of the building, hands outstretched. They met Thad and Sadie at the edge of the road.

Thad was forced to relinquish his hold when the twins wrapped their long arms around Sadie, sandwiching her between them. Their crooning and exclamations of concern rose above the wailing wind. Thad plunked his hands on his hips and waited for their hubbub to calm so he could talk to Sadie once more. The girl had been moony and distracted for weeks, and he would get to the bottom of her preoccupation before she ended up hurting herself.

From the circle of the Baxter sisters’ arms, Sadie cried, “Please, Miss Melva and Miss Shelva! You must let me go!” She broke free and stumbled south, her gaze bouncing everywhere.

Thad thudded along behind her, flicking a glance over his shoulder at Miss Melva and Miss Shelva, who stood in the road with arms akimbo, glaring after them. He offered the pair a sympathetic grimace before double-stepping to reach Sadie’s side.

“What do you think you’re doing now?”

Sadie pounded onward, arms pumping with determination. She sent him a brief, furious look. “I’m retrieving my letters! They fell out of my hand when the wagon frightened me, and then you tackled me. I couldn’t get them before the wind carried them away.”

Letters. So that’s what she’d been thinking about instead of looking where she was going. Thad tried, but he couldn’t conjure up much sympathy for her. Not after she’d nearly killed herself. But he scanned the roadway, too, staying close at her side. “The way the wind’s blowing today, they’re probably in Ottawa County by now.”

She spun to face him, balling her hands into fists. Tears glittered in her eyes. “Then why wouldn’t you let me go after them once the wagon had passed? If you’d only allowed me to go after them, I might not have lost them for good!”

He gawked at her. Was she blaming
him
for the loss of the letters? “Now listen here—”

“No,
you
listen, Sheriff—if you really
are
a sheriff.” Her blue eyes blazed, her sweet face set in a scowl of pure venom. “I’ve been waiting for word from my parents—waiting and hoping—and finally letters arrive. But before I even have a chance to open them and find out what Mama and Papa think is best for me to do about my feelings for you, you come along and—”

Thad had heard enough. She obviously had no inkling how frightened he’d been. He might have lost her. And he hadn’t yet told her how much he cared for her. Well, he wouldn’t wait another second. But she wasn’t in a state to listen to words. He’d have to show her.

With a growl, Thad gathered Sadie in his arms. She let out a little squawk of surprise, but he cut it short with a firm, heartfelt, possessive kiss.

Sadie pulled back and stared into Thad’s face. She nearly went cross-eyed, he was so close, but she glimpsed her own startled reflection in his pupils. He’d kissed her. Her knees quivered, her spine turned to jelly, and she stood completely powerless within the circle of his arms.

“Sadie,” Thad said, his gaze boring into her. He kept his voice low, almost a growl. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. If anything had happened to you, I—” With a groan, he pulled her close again.

Her cheek pressed to his chest, the points of the tin badge pricking her flesh. His heartbeat pounded fast and sure beneath her ear. She remained snug in his embrace for long seconds, absorbing the wonder of the moment. Her lips still tingled pleasantly from the pressure of his. She tasted the essence of coffee and salty ham. And she’d eaten oatmeal for breakfast.

Won’t Mama be shocked when I write and tell her Thad—

Her letters! Sadie pushed hard against Thad’s chest, freeing herself. “Please, please, Thad. Help me find my letters. They were from Mama and Papa, and I have to know what they said.” Her vision blurred with the spurt of tears.

Thad caught both her hands, but the grip was tender rather than punishing. He rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles, and even though she wanted to go seek her letters, she didn’t try to remove herself from the simple caress. “Sadie, I’m sorry, but those letters’re surely gone. The wind . . .”

He lifted his face to the gusting wind, and Sadie did the same. The hot blast dried the tears as soon as they snaked down her cheeks. Her hair waved across her face in tangled ribbons, and her dust-streaked apron billowed. Thad was right. She’d never find those letters. She hung her head, biting on her lower lip to hold back sobs of disappointment.

He curled his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you back to the mercantile. Maybe Miss Melva an’ Miss Shelva’ll let you go lie down for a while. Give you time to recover from your scare.”

Sadie didn’t need to recover from her scare. Thad’s kiss had completely chased away the panic of that moment. But she needed to explore all of the emotions his kiss had stirred. And she needed Mama and Papa’s advice more than ever.

Thad delivered her to Miss Melva and Miss Shelva, who clucked over her and patted her and made her feel positively cosseted. If she’d questioned their affection for her previously, all uncertainties were laid to rest as Miss Shelva escorted Sadie up to her room, knelt on the floor to remove her shoes, and then tucked her into bed as tenderly as a mother caring for her newborn. The woman tiptoed to the door and whispered, “You sleep now, Sadie. Me an’ Sister’ll be just fine the rest o’ the day.” She closed the door behind her with a soft click.

Sadie rolled onto her side and stared at the framed portrait of her family. Stretching out one hand, she grazed first Mama’s and then Papa’s face with one fingertip. She sighed. “What did you advise me? How I wish you were here right now to help me sort through my feelings. . . .” She closed her eyes against the image of their dear faces, and within minutes she slipped into sleep.

A discordant, prolonged creak awakened her. She fluttered her eyes open, squinting into her room. A pale path of waning sunlight angled from the window to the foot of the bed, exposing a flurry of shimmering dust motes. What time was it? Sadie rubbed her eyes and squinted at the little clock beside her bed. Then she gasped and leaped out of bed.

The moment her feet hit the floor, both of the Baxter twins burst into Sadie’s room. Miss Melva clasped her hands beneath her pointy chin. “Did we scare ya?”

Miss Shelva hovered behind Miss Melva, her pale eyes wide with concern. “We tried to be quiet, but them hinges made a racket.”

Miss Melva swung on her sister. “Wasn’t Asa s’posed to oil them things?”

Miss Shelva scowled. “Sure was. Gonna hafta get on him.”

While they fussed about the creaky hinges, Sadie flew to her wardrobe and pulled her cinnamon-colored singing dress from its hook. She scrambled out of her work clothes, unmindful of the watching eyes in the room. She’d be late for the stage if she waited for the sisters to clear out.

“Miss Sadie, what’re you doin’?” Miss Melva scuttled to Sadie’s side.

“I’ve got to get dressed.” Sadie sent a panicked look toward the little clock. “Folks’ll be here soon.”

Miss Melva’s jaw dropped. Miss Shelva stepped up beside her sister, her face a perfect replica of dismay. “You’re singin’?” they chorused.

Sadie swallowed an hysterical giggle. “Of course I’m singing. Those horses”—and Thad’s unexpected kiss—“didn’t knock my voice loose.” She finished buttoning her dress and then dashed to the bureau for her hairbrush. She winced as the bristles snagged on tangles. “Will you go down and let Mr. Baxter know I’m on my way?”

The pair exchanged an uncertain look. “But you ain’t even et supper yet,” Miss Melva protested.

Sadie jerked the hairbrush through a particularly snarled area of hair. Her scalp stung, and she feared she’d strip herself bald if she didn’t take more heed, but there wasn’t time for caution. By now, people were surely settling into seats in the opera room. “I’m not hungry. Truly. Now please, go let your brother know I’m coming.”

The sisters snorted their disapproval, but they departed, stomping in unison on the hardwood floor. Left in peace, Sadie finished brushing her hair, then sat on the edge of the bed to don her shoes. Her clumsy fingers resisted pulling the laces tight. Tying a neat bow—something she’d been doing since she was six years old—proved challenging. But finally both shoes were tied and she was ready to go.

She careened out of the room and ran smack into a large, solid form. The wind left her lungs, and she grabbed the wall to keep from falling. For a moment, her vision went fuzzy, and she blinked several times to clear it. She focused on Mr. Baxter, who stood glaring at her.

“You’re late,” he barked.

“I . . . I know.” Sadie forced herself to stand upright. Her right cheekbone throbbed. She’d apparently banged it against his forehead, because a round red spot showed above his left eyebrow. “I fell asleep, and—”

“So my sisters told me. But just like I told them, it’s no excuse.” He grabbed her arm and gave her a little push, sending her skittering toward the stairway. Dizziness struck—would she tumble down the stairs? He grabbed her arm again, holding her upright. “Since I had to put Melva an’ Shelva in charge of takin’ the last tickets, I lost count of how many people came through the door. But it promises to be a full house tonight. If I have to refund tickets, it’ll come out of your pay. So get on down there an’ sing like your life depends on it, girlie.” He released her, giving her arm a rough shake. “If you don’t measure up, there’ll be others willin’ to fill your spot.”

“Yes, sir!” Sadie scurried for the stairway. She passed Miss Melva and Miss Shelva as she rounded the corner for the cellar staircase, but she ignored their hangdog looks. She didn’t dare pause to reassure them—not with Mr. Baxter clomping behind her, red-faced and angry. Although her heart pounded faster than the hooves of the horses pulling that runaway wagon, she managed to square her shoulders and enter the opera house with her head held high. At her entrance, a smattering of applause spread across the room. The warm welcome calmed the fringes of Sadie’s tattered nerves, and she stepped onto the stage between the polished pillars and cast a smile across the sea of expectant faces.

Although she usually began with a hymn, she whispered to the pianist to play a simple ballad as her opening piece. The slow pace and storytelling quality of the song gave her an opportunity to overcome her breathless state. Her boss stood at the back of the seating area, arms folded over his brocade vest and a stern frown on his face. Sadie aimed her focus to the wall beyond him and allowed the music, once again, to carry her away.

As she sang, she gained strength, moving from piece to piece with an ease as natural as breathing. She took her gaze away from the wall and allowed it to drift across the faces of her listeners. Rapt expressions fueled her desire to do her very best, and her voice rose in response to the audiences’ obvious pleasure. She shifted her body slightly, turning her face toward the south wall, where Mr. Baxter had built a narrow platform and secured a single row of seats—what he’d termed “box seats.” Her gaze encountered Thad’s. Her heart skipped a beat, and her voice tripped in response. She looked quickly past him and encountered Sid on Thad’s right. His ardent expression made her mouth go dry.

Jerking forward once more, she pinned her gaze to the back wall and managed to complete the recital without mishap by staring at a small crack zigzagging like a bolt of lightning from the ceiling to the top of the doorframe. At the close of her final number, the audience rose as one and offered a standing ovation. Sadie dropped into a prolonged curtsy, her head low, her heart thrilling at their exuberant praise.

As had become her custom, she exited down the center aisle while the attendees remained in their rows, nodding and smiling in thanks. When she reached the end of the aisle, she headed for the doorway. Before she could pass through the opening, though, a hand snaked out and grabbed her elbow. Sadie froze.

Mr. Baxter leaned close, his breath warm on her cheek. “Go on up to your room ’til everybody clears out, but then come back down. I wanna talk to you.”