Page 48 of Hold a Candle

They looked up when Darro came striding out of the barn glowering and looking around. Angus was right behind him. When they spotted Jamie and Pauley, they came rushing over.

“Have ye seen Delilah?” Darro asked with a frown.

“Nay,” Jamie replied. “We just walked down the road and back.”

“I sent her to the barn twenty minutes ago to let Angus and Luca know dinner was almost ready and she hasn’t returned.”

When Sunshine’s whinny sounded through the evening air, Pauley frowned. It sounded really close and was coming through the pines at the end of the circle drive where it entered the treelined lane. On a hunch, she suddenly broke into a run towards the sound.

When she reached the end of the drive, she cut through the pines and broke into the moonlit area between the pines and the pasture fence. She came to a dead stop when she saw little Delilah standing on the bottom rung of the pasture fence, her arms around Sunshine’s neck and feeding him something from her right hand.

“My Lord,” Pauley gasped, as she froze and held her breath. Then she began to move.

Chapter 12

Jamie broke throughthe trees first and then stopped dead and held his arms out to hold Darro and Angus back. “Wait,” he commanded softly as they watched Pauley slowly walking towards the child. “Sunshine came up to Pauley earlier and nudged her, then let her love on him. If anyone can get Delilah off that fence without the horse rearing up on them, it’s her. Let’s not spook him.”

“I canna believe it,” Angus muttered. “That horse is acting like a pet kitten towards Delilah.”

“And is showing no fear whatsoever towards Pauley,” Darro growled, his face like a thundercloud. “It appears my niece has been hiding something from me.”

Pauley had reached the fence and now had one arm behind Delilah and was patting Sunshine’s neck. Then they watched as Pauley pushed back on Sunshine’s nose and then carefully lifted Delilah off the fence and backed away.

“Bye, Sunshine,” Delilah called to the horse. Sunshine whinnied and turned around to lope off across the pasture.

When they turned around, Delilah spotted her uncle standing there and her face turned slightly pale as Pauley carried her to Darro. “Uncle Darro, I can explain,” she said formally, her blue eyes serious as Pauley handed her off to the big man who took her gently in spite of the frown on his face.

“Aye, and I’ll be looking forward to that explanation later tonight in my study. Right now, it’s time for dinner and we have guests.”

Delilah’s little face fell. “But, Uncle Darro...”

“Not another word, wee lass,” Darro spoke firmly. “What ye have to say will keep.”

Her face deepened into a stubborn frown but Delilah didn’t say another word.

“It appears that Sunshine only has an affinity for women,” Jamie said, as they all headed towards the homestead.

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