"Traditions are important. They feel good in here." Eddie tapped his chest. "I've already decided to have a tree in my house for Christmas this year. Knowing you've been doing that made me think how sometimes the old ways are best. Of course, just about the time I think that, I ride the train and decide the new things are better."

After he left, Laney remained on the porch and stared at the cover of her novel. Lord, I don't know anymore. I don't know what to think or where you are leading me. The old dreams, of being Galen's wife-I don't think they'll ever go away. I know you are blessing his marriage with Ivy, and it makes me happy and sad all at the same time. Is Eddie right? Do I need to just decide the new things are better and deny what my heart still says?Can my mind truly change my heart?

"Cain you b'lieve all these here clothes?" Ivy asked her brother as she plucked off a wooden pin and folded the shirt it had held to the line. "Mondays, I wanna pinch myself to be shore I'm not dreamin' thangs up. Woulda niver 'magined us havin' more'n the rags on our backs." She put the shirt in the basket Ishy was holding.

"You looked right purdy in that Easter dress yestermorn."

Ivy fought the uncomfortable suspicion that Galen and Ishmael were cooking up a plot to talk her into doing what the parson called "seein' the light." Ishmael went and got hisself religion, and then today at breakfast Galen suddenly announced that Ishy and she could talk to each other whenever they wanted to. Ivy didn't want her twin to start in on her, so she tried to steer the conversation away from church. "Yup. Bakin' flour-built bread and gettin' to wash and iron a big ol' heap of clothes-them don't seem like chores to me. The washboard pert near sings while I rub the dirtiest spots 'cross the ribs. Makes me think back to old Mendel Grisson back home, how he'd play a washboard and a jug at the same time."

"You got yoreself a sharp memory, sis."

"I shorely do. The blankets ain't dry yet. Last time I was tryin' to dry blankets, they took 'most all day."

"Back when we was in the tent?"

"Uh-huh." She laughed as the wind pushed a slightly damp blanket against her. "Grass was still wet from the rain we had the night afore. Soon as I spied them blankets Galen left layin' on the grass, I spread 'em o'er the shrubs."

Ishy turned to push the blanket away from her so she could reach the last shirt. "The blankets from Galen."

"Yup."

"And it rained."

Ivy put the last shirt on top of the others in the basket and gave it a satisfied pat. "Uh-huh."

Ishy dropped the basket, and the shirt bounced out into the dirt.

"Now, why'd you go and do that?" Ivy hunkered down to pick it up.

Ishy stared down at her. "You tole me Galen gave you them blankets."

She nodded as she rose and shook out the shirt.

"But you jist said soon as you spied them-"

Ivy realized she'd let down her guard and not kept her story straight. "'Course I spied 'em." She scrambled to make everything right. "Galen set 'em down so he could give me a hug."

"And they got wet."

Relieved, she nodded. "It rained the night afore. 'Member?"

Quick as could be, Ishy's hands shot out and curled around her arms. "They wouldn't have soaked through. Not thick blankets like that-not from bein' on wet grass for a few minutes."

At the same time fear was chilling her spine, heat was rushing to her face. Ivy forced a laugh that sounded strained even to her. "We sorta got busy and forgot 'bout them."

Her twin's grip tightened and his eyes narrowed. "You lied to me. You told me Galen brung them blankets to the tent."

"He did." She pulled free. "Later on, he did. B-but they was wet. Sore wet. So I put 'em on the shrubs. To dry out."

"A minute ago, you tole me you hung 'em on the shrubs soon as you spied 'em."

"I did. When me and Galen come back outta the tent."

"But that still means he didn't carry them to the tent. You keep a-changin' yore story." Ishmael raked his fingers through his hair. "You lied to me. I cain't believe it. Sis, you ain't niver lied to me afore."

"I ain't lying. You cain't blame me if 'n I don't 'zactly recollect them piddlin' details. A gal in love pays attention to her buck, not to them other thangs."

Ishy let out a long, shaky breath. "Makes sense. Wonder if 'n the babe'll wind up with that mark he gots on his shoulder."

"Same as the one on Sean's? Could be. Hadn't thunk on that yet." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Ivy wanted to grab them back. Ishmael's face went whiter than a Sunday-best shirt, and she knew she'd said something wrong.

"Boss ain't got no mark on his shoulder." Every last word came out in a hushed roar. "He ain't the one what done this to you."

"He is, too!" she insisted emphatically.

Once-just once-Ishy's head wagged from one side to the other. His face went stone cold, and then he walked away.

"Ishy!" Ivy wasn't sure whether she whispered his name or called it aloud, so she called again in desperation. "Ishy!" He didn't turn around. No matter how bad things had ever gotten, she'd always had her twin. I've lost him. What's he gonna do now? What am I gonna do?

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR.

Boss?" Galen slapped the trunk of a tree. "Blossoms everywhere. It'll be a bumper crop of cherries this year."

Ishmael shifted his weight uneasily. "We gotta have us a talk. I did sommat real bad."

Galen didn't say anything. He waited for Ishmael to continue.

"You ain't the one," Ishmael said in a hushed tone. "That babe ... ain't yourn."

"No, it's not." Galen stared at him.

"Sis was talkin' jist now. Her story kept a-changin'. Li'l thangs-but them thangs don't add up." Anguish painted his face. "She tole me yore the daddy, and she ain't niver lied to me afore. I believed her. I done made you marry up with her."

"Did Ivy tell you who the real father is?"

"Nope. And she ain't gonna. My sis, she could teach Muley a thang or two 'bout bein' stubborn. She still says yore the pa." Ishmael swallowed hard. "I wronged you. I grabbed that shotgun of yourn and hitched you to her. Folks, they all thank bad of you. I done ruint yore good name. On account of me, yore saddled with Ivy and another man's get."

So now what do I do, Lord?

"I'm sorry." Ishmael hung his head. "What I done-ain't no fixin' it."

Galen reached over and rested his hand on Ishmael's shoulder. "You've come to me, man-to-man. You've swallowed your pride and confessed your part. I can't hold you responsible for what you didn't know."

Ishmael blurted out, "That's dreadful big of you, Boss."

"Ishmael, I do forgive you for what you did."

His head shot up and his jaw dropped. "I ... you ... Boss, I don't 'spect you to. You was good to me and mine-you give us chance after chance when we didn't deserve none. Ain't right what I done back."

"God forgives us, Ishmael. You're my brother in Christ. It wouldn't be right for me to accept the Lord's forgiveness, then turn around and hold a grudge against someone else when they sought my forgiveness."

"Yore tryin' to be like God. That's why you give us all them chances, ain't it?"

Nodding his head, Galen said, "Christians try to be as much like the Lord as we can. We aren't perfect, Ishmael. We make plenty of mistakes-and we have to live with the consequences."

"But yore the one what has to live with the consequences, and you didn't do nuthin' a-wrong. What're you gonna do 'bout Sis?"

"I don't have an answer for you." Galen leaned against the tree trunk. "I'm torn. At first, I admit I was livid. My plan was to force Ivy to tell me who the father was. Once I did, I was going to break free from the marriage."

Ishmael grimaced. "Cain't say as I blame you."

"I've had to set aside the plans I made before all of this happened. I'm not the only one who was hurt by this."

"'Twas a time when I thunk you was jist bein' mannerly to all the gals. Now that I been round you more and seen the way other bucks act round women, 'tis plain to me that you'd set yore cap for La-"

"Stop right there." Galen stared straight through him.

"I could go talk to her."

"No."

Ishmael looked down and scuffed his toe in the dirt. "'Spite all this, that gal's been terrible nice to Sis."

That's my sweet Laney. "The Bible tells us to return kindness for evil and do good for them who hate us. I've been slow to do that. I've not been ... gentle with Ivy."

Looking up, Ishmael sighed. "You been better than good to her. Thar at the beginnin', I didn't wanna leave on account of bein' ascairt you'd hurt her."

"I'd never do that."

The corners of Ishmael's mouth tightened. "I know that now. Yore ma and brothers-they've all taken a shine to Ivy, too. Yore ma-least I could do is tell her-"

"She knows I'm not the father."

"And she still tole Ivy to call her Ma?" Ishmael rubbed his palm over the scar that had formed on his forehead. "You O'Sullivans is pure hickory. I fear it's gonna be mighty hard for me to get o'er this with Sis. Her and me-we always holped each other and stood up for each other."

"You still love her, Ishmael. You hate what she did, but you don't hate her."

The strain in Ishmael's features lightened a little. "True." Cramming his hands into his pockets, he leaned forward a little. "I wanna hear all 'bout the angel-feller what come."

"What angel?"

"You know-Parson said angels come and give folks messages. Coupla times in church, whilst he was a-sermonizin', he tole all 'bout it. I recollect when you tole me 'bout the Christmas baby, that God sent His angel to talk to Joseph on account of Mary carryin' a babe that weren't his. Betcha God Almighty sent that 'zact same one, tellin' you-"

"I haven't seen an angel, Ishmael."

"No?" He looked downright disappointed. In the next instant, his features twisted. "I gotta ask you sommat. If 'n no angel tole you to keep the babe, what are you fixin' to do?"

"Put your fears to rest. That babe will grow up under my roof, and he'll be loved." The breeze sent a shower of cherry blossom petals into a snow-like flurry.

"Didja see that, Boss?" Ishmael's eyes widened in wonder. "Looks like a million tiny angel wings fluttering round about us. Weren't truly angels, I know, but shorely did settle my heart."

Galen nodded. It was a fanciful notion, but he had to agree that after this conversation, he felt more at peace. "One last thing, Ishmael."

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me boss. I'm your brother."

Something was wrong. Laney couldn't put her finger on it, but the way Ivy had been blurting out things and sounding a little too jovial over the last few days left Laney sure something was amiss.

"Tell 'em, Ishy. You heared all 'bout it whilst you was in town."

"You know more?" Amanda turned to him. "Please do tell us what happened."

"The Bensons' place was the one what got robbed. The missus was outside at the washtub and Mr. Benson was out in the fields. Mrs. Benson heared her babe a-cryin' and went inside. Found a mess all o'er. She done swiped her young'un outta the cradle and run to get her man."

"Cain you 'magine that?" Ivy shoved her hands into the pockets of her apron.

"How terrifying!" Amanda shuddered.

"Miss 'Manda-" Ishmael glanced at her, then addressed the toes of his boots-"I know you been a-spendin' lots of time out thar in the li'l cabin, gettin' all the books organized and ready for the library, but maybe you oughtta not be on yore lonesome till the sheriff catches that varmint."

He's sweet on her! Laney fought to keep her surprise hidden. I'll bet that's what's happening. Ivy knows her twin likes Amanda, and she's trying to play matchmaker!

"Ishmael, that's an excellent point," Laney said.

Amanda said in a whispery drawl, "It's so kind of you to be concerned about my welfare." Her gaze dropped as a slight blush filled her cheeks.

Laney and Ruth's gazes met. Ruth blurted out, "Amanda and Ishmael-" She caught herself before she said anything more.

"That's a wonderful idea, Ruth!" Laney linked arms with Ivy. "Ishmael, since I'm going to work with your sister on her reading this morning, I'll be staying here in the parlor. Amanda was planning to go over to the cabin. Since you've pointed out that might not be wise, would you mind going to the cottage and bringing back a few boxes of books?"

"Shore. I cain do that."

"I'd appreciate that no end." Amanda gave Ishmael a charming smile. "It would be a shame for the library's opening to be delayed."

Ruth made a shooing motion. "Amanda, why don't you go show Ishmael which boxes you'd like him to bring?"

"I'm not sure I should."

Laney understood Amanda was worried about the propriety, but she intentionally pretended to mistake Amanda's meaning. "Ishmael will see to your safety. I have every confidence in him."