Читать книгу The Rancher's Courtship - Laurie Kingery - Страница 3
Оглавление“Where’s my brother?” Jack Collier demanded again. “Why are you wearing black?”
Lord, help me to tell him with compassion, Caroline prayed.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, Mr. Collier, but your brother Peter passed away this last winter—” she paused when she heard his sharp intake of breath “—during an influenza epidemic.”
“Pete’s…dead?” he murmured. “Why didn’t you let me know?”
The last question was flung at her like a fist, but she heard the piercing loss contained in it.
“I did try. But I wasn’t able to get your address from Pete before…before he d-died.”
She grabbed her black-edged handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.
“What am I going to do now?” Jack Collier wondered aloud.
“I’m sorry you’ve come all this way, only to hear such awful news…. I’m sure Mama and Papa would be glad to put you up until you feel able to return home.”
“You don’t understand,” Jack Collier told her. “I can’t go back.”