Okay so just to get something out of the way, the black wolf in this story is not the same black wolf in RDR2. This wolf is not a low honor animal but is something else and is featured in my RDR1 fanfic of the same name. OCs from that story will be featured here in the future.

This chapter is weak but hopefully, the next one will be better.

Another thing, I'm currently working on a Charles Smith fic so keep a lookout for that. :D

I forgot to add: Thank you, everyone, for all the favs, follows, and reviews!

Song: Just Over That Next Hill ~ Bruce Broughton – Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

The Yawning Grave

Chapter Two:

Welcome to Empire

He felt the warmth of a campfire and heard a woman's lovely singing as he slowly came back into the world of the living. When he opened his eyes, he wasn't met with the bright sun, but shimmering stars and a full moon. That draining, dizzy sensation took over his body again. He wanted to close his eyes and listen to the music, but the singing abruptly ended.

"Oh good, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Shifting in the bedroll, he saw Mabel watching him with genuine concern in her eyes. The orange light of the fire gave her deep red hair a golden glow around the edges.

"I don't think I have a polite word for it," he grumbled.

"That was quite a blow you took to the head. With all that bleeding we thought you wouldn't make it. I'm glad to see that you pulled through."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you for what you've done for us. I honestly thought I'd never see Molly again. We've had her for two years but in that time, she's become our sister."

Sitting up, Arthur ran a hand over his face and looked around them. They were far from the reservation now. Judging by their surroundings in what little light he had, he figured they were near that witch's shack. He still couldn't believe he once drank from the cauldron.

He looked over the makeshift camp and noticed something was off. Mabel sat close to him and Molly lied her head in Mabel's lap, fast asleep. As he began to fully wake up, he realized Annie was gone.

As if reading his mind, Mabel said: "She's out scouting for better shelter. That girl rattles my nerves. She's only seventeen, but she acts like a grown man sometimes and sadly fights like one, too."

He thought back to earlier when Annie fought off two men at once and could agree with Mabel on that. The fact that she was only a teenager was impressive.

"After she met that lady bounty hunter three years ago, she's wanted to become one ever since. The West is dying though and I couldn't be happier. Soon the modern age will do away with that bounty hunting nonsense and I won't have to worry about Annie chasing men twice her size."

She grabbed for a canteen and passed it to him. He took a long drink before passing it back.

"Thank you, Miss Pike."

"You're welcome." She reached into a bag and retrieved a box of biscuits. "Here, it's not much but it'll hold you over until we find something in the morning."

He thanked her once more as he took the box. He was halfway through one biscuit when he asked her a question.

"You said you haven't had Molly long?"

She sipped on a tin cup and lowered it to her lap. "Oh, yes. I guess truly, Annie and I are Molly's aunts, but she didn't like calling us that. My sister, Susanne, was friends with Molly's real mother. Before she died, she asked Susanne to raise Molly and now she's been with us ever since. Susanne is a schoolteacher, but she still helps run our boarding house." She nibbled on a biscuit and looked up at the sky. "We were all adopted, you see. Annie is the only sibling in our house that's my biological sister. Our real mother died bringing Annie into this world when I was nine. Father, not wanting to raise two girls, gave us away to the Pikes but kept my brother."

Doesn't sound like a very good father. Arthur wanted to say this aloud but kept quiet for now. She most likely wouldn't like it if he insulted her father.

"The Pikes," she continued. "Were very kind people. They couldn't have their own children so they took to adoption. Sadly, they passed away four years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard being orphaned twice."

She looked down at her oversized boots and dug one into the dirt. "Yes, well, I guess I was only orphaned once. I was…" She paused for a few heartbeats, hesitant to add to her sentence. "We'll say I was old enough to live on my own. It relieved me when they allowed Susanne and I to raise our siblings together."

"It's good they allowed that. I hate to hear of siblings being broken up."

She nodded. "So do I, Mister Morgan."

Branches snapped and bushes rustled as a heavy horse trotted up to the camp. The fire cast enough for them to see it was Annie. She dismounted and gave her horse a loving pat.

"What did you find?" Mabel asked.

"An old ranger's tower. Looks abandoned, but it's still in good shape and there's a bed we can place Molly on." Her eyes flicked to Arthur. "Oh, you're alive after all. I bet Mabel three dollars you wouldn't make it." She laughed at this, but Mabel looked mortified.

"Good lord!" Mabel gasped.

Arthur found it amusing and chuckled. "Well, miss, I'm truly sorry you're out of three dollars."

Mabel gave an exasperated sigh. "I suppose we should pack up camp and head to this ranger's tower."

He slept in a chair close to the door that night as all three girls slept in the tiny bed. Outside, the horse was hitched nearby. They snorted, shook their manes, and occasionally stomped their hooves. Hearing them brought him some peace. As long as they were calm, the less likely there was danger.

Every time he nodded off, the deer came to him in his dreams. The buck seemed to be larger than he remembered. Its antlers were tall, reaching the branches on a tree in the forest he found himself in. A thick mist surrounded it, only parting when the buck took a step forward. Arthur tried to call out to it but found he couldn't speak. Behind it, the shape of another creature, a wolf maybe, manifested. He felt no fear when he saw it, unlike the wolf he encountered when he was younger. That one frightened him and its glowing red eyes. This wolf, however, had sad, yellow eyes. He wanted to ask what was his purpose and why he was alive as if it had the answers. Arthur moved closer towards the beasts, only for them to turn and run off deeper into the forest. He tried following them but lost them in the mist.

I'm not supposed to be here, alive and healthy. Ain't nothin' about this is natural. I need answers but where do I start?

Riding through the Grizzlies was not an easy task with a horse who wanted to jump at its own shadow. He couldn't see Mabel riding this horse without being thrown. To Arthur's surprise, he somehow managed to calm the horse long enough to make it down a narrow path. Ahead of him, Mabel quietly told Molly not to look down.

Few words were spoken as they traveled down the mountains.

When it came time to cross a rickety wooden bridge, he thought Regal would really lose his shit. His real concern wasn't Regal though. It was the draft whose weight caused the wood to creak underneath it. Strong winds picked up and caused the bridge to sway. The draft grunted in irritation and took a single step backward. Annie whispered to her horse, soothing the large beast as they slowly made their way across. On the other side, Mabel and Molly waited for them nervously. Once the three of them were united, it was Arthur's turn. He took the reins of the thoroughbred and stepped on to the bridge.

"Come on, boy, the sooner we get this over with the better."

Regal snorted in protest, but with a firm tug on the reins, the stallion reluctantly followed. The wind was picking up again halfway, but Arthur forced the horse to continue. Finally, they were across. Mabel gave a sigh of relief and patted her mount on the neck.

"It gets easier from here. Nothing but forest and valley," Annie said.

As they rode along a trail, Mabel said, "Mister Morgan, as a way of saying thank you, Annie and I have agreed to allow you to stay at our boarding house for as long as you like."

"You don't have to do that, Miss Pike, I'm only doin' what's right."

A fox darted across the trail, barely missing heavy hooves.

"And so am I, Mister Morgan. I know you won't be staying in Empire long, as you seem to be the transit type, but I'd like to help you out after… what was it that happened to you?"

"I, uh, was robbed I guess you could say."

He didn't enjoy lying to them, but how were they going to believe that something resurrected him from the dead? Not even he could believe it. He kept telling himself he was in some sort of purgatory and that maybe these girls were dead too.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but don't you worry, well get you on your feet."

They left the woods behind them and came to a valley covered in various wildflowers.

"Isn't it pretty?" Mabel said. "We must come back here sometime."

Racing across the flower fields, Arthur was lost in thought again. This couldn't be real. How was he alive? Why and who could have done this, if a person was involved at all? He tried thinking of rational reasons he was brought back. Perhaps magic? No one he knew of practiced magic, so that was out. Could be the deer who visited his dreams, but what was its motive? What did it want from Arthur? What if he had unfinished business as ghost sometimes did?

Tilly once told him of the time she saw her grandmother's ghost. She couldn't figure out why her grandmother was haunting her until the apparition led to the location of where the grandmother's jewelry box was buried. He never believed that story and besides, Arthur couldn't be a ghost. The pain he felt from that blow to the head and the pain he continued to feel told him he wasn't a ghost. Still, there had to be a purpose, some goal he needed to meet for him to be breathing, truly breathing. Whatever the reason, he would find out as soon as possible. The only obstacle he faced was where to begin.

"This area is called Copper Valley," Annie Pike said as they crossed a small stream. Her voice interrupting his thoughts.

"I can see why," Arthur replied.

All around them were fields of wheat ready for harvest. That told him it was late in the summer. Farmers stopped their work long enough to wave hello to those passing through. No one seemed to mind that two riders were close to their property. In Lemoyne, workers had their finger on the trigger the moment they saw him riding along the roads.

He died in early spring, which meant that he was out for five months. If that was the case then maybe it wasn't too late to try and track down the remaining survivors of Dutch's gang and see if they could help him. The ones who mattered at least.

"Don't worry about the folks around here," Annie said over her shoulder. "Mister Olofsson is friendly with us as are the rest of the farmers in this area. Our folks were influential like that."

"I take it we ain't far from Empire then?"

"We should be there by this evening."

"We still have hills to pass over," Mabel reminded them.

"I'm hungry!" Molly added.

"So am I!" said Annie. "Can't we get somethin' to eat?"

Mabel thought for a moment, then suggested, "Well, there is an orchard not far from here. I'm sure Mister O'Hara wouldn't mind if we took some of his fruit, but we must inform him first."

"Yay!" the small child cheered.

Mr. O'Hara was more than happy to give them a share of peaches and plums. He knew of the journey the girls went on to get their sister back and threw in a few sticks of jerky while his wife refilled their canteens. Once they had what they need, they bid the old farmer goodbye and continued toward their destination.

They ate their fill and arrived at the top of the first hill. Before him, was a vast sea of green, rolling hills, reminding him of the Heartlands in New Hanover. Off in the distance were more snow-capped mountains.

"Those are the Buckskin Mountains," Annie said. "It got its name because a lot of Mustangs and Nokota used to roam those mountains and just beyond. There ain't so many anymore."

"What happen to 'em?"

"What do you think happened? The government rounded them up years ago for military use. Some weren't necessarily wild but used by the Indians and could roam freely. Well, as you can guess those Indians ain't there anymore either."

That wasn't surprising to hear, but it still left him sad and agitated all the same.

They raced up and over the hills, through a river, and finally came to a shady forest. Regal froze on the spot and refused to budge when Arthur commanded him to move. Even Annie's large and intimidating horse had his ears pinned and took a few steps back. He had to admit, something did feel off about the place.

"Broken Pines," Mabel whimpered. "I hate this place."

"We'll be fine," Annie assured. "The stories ain't true."

"I know that, but..." She looked down at Molly who shivered in her arms. "But Molly doesn't like it and neither do the horses."

Annie laughed. "Sure, sis, the horses and Molly are the reason you won't enter the forest."

"What's wrong with the forest?" Arthur asked. I don't think I want to know…

"Folks say it's haunted, others claim the witch will get you. Then you have cougars and bears that live here, but not so much anymore," Annie said.

"Witch?" I don't exactly believe in them, but maybe she could help.

"Yeah, Widow Gibbons or the Raven Lady is what they typically call her. She rarely comes to town but when she does folks scatter and this big raven follows her everywhere."

He looked up at the trees and noticed a flock of ravens scattered about, unmoving and silent as they watched from above.

"Creepy," Annie whispered.

After much resistance, the horses finally moved and entered the unusually dark forest. Their horses moved quickly along the path. The entire time, Arthur was apprehensive about the place. He honestly dreaded the idea of coming back here, but it necessary if he wanted answers.

Behind him, the ravens took flight and flew above them. The birds cawed, startling the women and putting the horses on edge. Regal gave a grunt and picked up speed. Arthur held on tighter, worried that if the cremello stallion was spooked any further, he'd throw Arthur and make a run for it.

The ravens perched on the trees at the end of the forest as if waiting for them. The eeriest part wasn't that they were waiting, but that they specifically watched Arthur with tiny yellow eyes.

Sunlight greeted them as they left the forest and Mabel announced Empire wasn't far. Half an hour later, they stood atop a hill, looking down at the town below.

"Welcome to Empire, Mister Morgan."

Empire, in a way, reminded Arthur of Blackwater, an uncivilized town trying to look civilized. Multiple businesses, a cobblestone main street, the law on every corner, and the citizens wearing the latest fashions. That was something else that stuck out to him, the clothes. The women showed more skin and the material of their dresses were light in appearance with bright colors and the skirts of their dresses were shorter, up past the ankles.

A lot has changed in a short amount of time...

Down the road, the clear call of a newsboy could be heard from a block and a half. All he could hear was something about a war in Europe. There was always a war.

"This is main street," Mabel began. "My mother used to own a boutique here years ago before she started the boarding house." She pointed at the blue and white building. "That's it. It's still a dress shop, but Mrs. Beaufort owns it now. You'll like her. Most of the citizens here are good, honest, hardworking people. They do what they can to make Empire reflect that."

"Too bad those pieces of shits Grady and Brown are trying to destroy this place and any good, honest person in it!" Annie growled. "and that preacher man is no different!"

"Hush, Annie. Not here, you know what happened the last time."

He was curious to know what happened the last time, but figured now wasn't the time or place to ask.

People watched as their horses trotted down the street. Most of them waved and called out questions to the sisters about the girl's safe return. Mabel gave hellos and answered the questions as quickly as possible without sounding curt. Others watched Arthur with a curious eye, some leaned into their companion's ear and whispered while pointing. A stranger in town must have been the highlight of their day.

They made it to the end of the street where Arthur found the newsboy, waving the latest edition of the paper about. Curiosity got to Arthur as he wanted to know just what was going on in the world since he passed.

"Hold on a second, ladies." He slid off the horse and approached the newsboy. "Gimme one of them papers, boy."

The boy gave Arthur the paper. "Here ya go, mister. That'll be thirty cents."

"Thirty cents?! Last time I paid for a paper it was only a dime," Arthur grumbled as he dug into his satchel for the right amount.

"Don't know where you been, mister, but the paper ain't cost that much in a long time."

He dropped the change in the boy's hand and leaned against the wall as he read the headlines. WAR BREAKS OUT ACROSS EUROPE! EXPECTED TO BE OVER BY CHRISTMAS! He skimmed the article before his eyes drifted back to the top where he checked the date. The paper almost slipped from his hands when he saw the year: August 4th, 1914.

Fifteen years. Fifteen goddamn years and he'd been dead for all that time. So much happened in the world and to his friends and he missed it all. Fifteen years the world carried on without Arthur Morgan in it. So many people he encountered all those years ago moved on with their lives. At that moment, he thought of the women, Sadie, Charles, the Marstons. What became of John, he wondered. Did he and Abigail stay together? Did little Jack become a scholar? He was always a smart kid for his age. His mind landed on Dutch and Micah. He'd like to think Micah was dead by now, but somehow, that man always cheated death. Dutch most likely found his paradise.

"Arthur, are you okay?" Annie asked.

He looked up from the paper. The girls watched him with concern in their eyes.

"You don't look well, Mister Morgan."

"I… I'm fine, I just need to find something. It won't take me long."

He scanned the front of the paper again and stopped on another article, one about a government agent called Edgar Ross who retired. Showing the man's picture, Arthur recognized him easily. Sure he was much older, but it was still that Pinkerton who worked beside Agent Milton. Reading further, he found the answers to his questions and his blood ran cold. The Dutch van der Linde gang had been eradicated. Dutch van der Linde, Javier Escuella, Bill Williamson, and John Marston were all dead. The last one stuck out to him the most, making his heart heavy. After everything he and John went through to give the Marstons a new life, the law finally got him.

Neatly folding the paper, he stored it in his satchel. Grief rested on his shoulders as he made his way to the horse. He had not felt this low since his diagnosis.

"Why, Miss Pike, you found Molly!" a woman's voice, pulled Arthur back into the real world.

A tall, heavyset woman in dark clothing crossed the street, making her way towards the Pike sisters.

"Missus Baysinger," Mabel said. The friendly tone in her voice sounded forced. "How lovely to see you."

"Heard you went and got Molly yourself and here she is, alive and well. A bit dirty, though."

"She'll have a bath once we get home," Mabel replied.

"Well, see to it and give that poor thing a decent meal." Mrs. Baysinger gave Arthur a judgmental eye and said, "Who is the fellow with you? I've never seen him 'round here before."

Mabel dismounted off the horse, giving Annie and Molly extra saddle room. "Missus Baysinger, this is Arthur Morgan. He helped us bring Molly back home."

Arthur wasn't up to politeness when he just discovered that his friend, his brother was dead, but somehow he managed to in the effort. He almost reached for his hat, only to remember that he gave it to John long ago. Marston probably didn't have it anymore.

"Evenin', ma'am," Arthur said.

"So, you helped bring back this child, eh? Well, that's good to hear! Could use more people like you 'round here."

She stuck out her hand, and he shook it, noticing the woman's strong grip.

"I only did what anyone else would've done."

She scoffed. "Oh, bull! Half the men here are nothin' but chicken hearts. Ain't none of 'em were willin' to help out the Pikes. They've had enough heartache as is."

Mabel averted her eyes to the ground. He remembered she spoke of her deceased parents the night before and felt sorry for her.

"Say, Mister Morgan, you stayin' in town for long?"

"I, uh, I'm not sure."

"Well, if you need money, you come to me. My husband owns a stagecoach business. It don't get a lot of business these days with those fancy automobiles and such, but some folk still use 'em. We could always use a guard and a fella such as yourself would be perfect."

"I appreciate the offer, ma'am."

"Don't mention it. I should be goin' now. Mabel, you get that baby home, you hear?"

Mable smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am."

Once Mrs. Baysinger was gone, Arthur mounted Regal. He stayed behind the sisters, his thoughts scattered and his heart heavy. Had it all been for nothing?

You're my brother…

It couldn't have been for nothing. If Jack was still out there, if the remaining women had made it out alright, he had to hold out for hope.

The boarding house was outside of town, surrounded by prairie. It was large, painted light blue with white trimming. Morning glories wrapped themselves around the porch posts and rose bushes were planted on each side. The balcony wrapped around the second-story and he could see blue curtains in one of the rooms. To the east end of the property, was a bright red barn with a large corral attached. An adolescent boy who looked no older than fourteen was riding a bay Nokota inside the corral.

The screen door flew open and a woman whose build reminded him of Karen came running out of the house. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a tight, neat bun and her eyes were brown. Molly jumped off the horse before Mabel or Annie could stop her and ran towards the woman.

"Susanne, I missed you!" the child cried.

Molly jumped into the woman's arms and hugged her neck.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're safe. I was so worried I wouldn't see you again. Mabel, Annie, I'm glad you got her back."

"We didn't do it alone," Annie said. "Arthur here helped us. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have found her."

Susanne set Molly down as Arthur slid off the horse. She approached him, the tears welling in her eyes.

"Thank you so much! She's all I have left of my friend."

"Don't mention it."

She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "We're all grateful to you. Annie, go down to the barn and fetch Clayton and the girls for me, tell them supper is ready."

Annie took the reins of both horses and led them to the barn. Susanne scooped up Molly again and beckoned for the others to follow.

"Come on, I'll tell Beth to set out an extra plate."

The aroma of a home-cooked reminded him he had not properly eaten yet. It had been fifteen years after all. In the kitchen, a blonde girl they introduced as Beth set the plates, silverware, and glasses.

"Mister Morgan, this is Beth. She's thirteen and does the cooking and laundry," Mabel said. "While she and Susanne prepare the table, I'll show you to your room."

He followed her up the stairs as she carried a pitcher of warm water. Entering the room, he was surprised at the lack of decorations. It didn't seem to fit the rest of the place. Mabel set the pitcher in a bowl on the dresser and opened the curtains. What was left of the sunlight shown through the windows and gave him some visibility. The full-sized bed was fitted with clean white sheets and a patch quilt over it. Next to the closet was a small stove heater and a kerosene lamp on the nightstand.

"It's not much, but I figured you wouldn't want the frilly room," Mabel said.

"This room is fine. Thank you, Miss Pike."

"You're welcome. Supper should be ready by the time you finish and if you want a bath, we have a bathroom downstairs." Even in the poor lighting, he noticed a blush creep on her face. "Well, I'll leave you to it and one more thing, I'll set out a fresh set of clothes for you. One of our previous tenants left without his things a few years ago. You should be about his size."

She left him alone to wash up. When he finished, he gave himself a once-over in the mirror. He wasn't as thin as he used to be when he was sick, but it was clear he wasn't as brawny as he once had been. He dried his face and placed the towel back in its original placed.

Looks as if I'm stuck here in Empire until I can get some money. At least I have a place to sleep until I can figure out what to do.

He joined the Pikes downstairs, the aroma of the meal hit him, making his stomach beg for the pork roast and roasted vegetables. Pulling out a chair, he took his seat beside Mabel. The screen door opened and slammed shut behind Annie, a black-haired boy he assumed to be Clayton.

"I take it you're Arthur Morgan?" Clayton said as he took a seat across from Arthur.

"I am."

"I'm Clayton Pike. Used to be Clayton O'Neil but that was a long time ago."

"I, uh, heard you kids were all adopted," Arthur said. "Your folks must've been good people to take you all in."

"They were great. Better than my real parents. I hope they're dead!" Clayton said, bluntly.

"Clayton, don't you dare say a thing like that!" Mabel scolded.

"Are we gonna keep yappin' or are we gonna eat?" Annie growled.

Susanne cut the pork roast into thick slices and served everyone their fill. They passed the mash potato bowl around, along with the gravy, vegetables, cornbread, butter, and fried okra. Arthur looked down at his plate, his hand gripping the fork, as he resisted gobbling it up like an animal. When tuberculosis took hold, he wasn't as hungry as he used to be. Everyone around camp had noticed and asked if he was okay. Some of them such as Bill joked that Pearson's cooking was at fault, none of them knowing that sickness was slowly taking over Arthur's body. Now his appetite hit him at full force.

"Go on, everyone, dig in," Susanne said.

The food was better than expected from a thirteen-year-old. When he complimented her, she blushed and mumbled a thank you.

"She's a bit shy," Mabel whispered.

Molly was the first to finish her supper. When she finished, she scooted away from the table, letting her chair squeak across the floor. She hopped away from the kitchen before running up the stairs.

"I'm so sorry for the girl's display just now, Mister Morgan. Molly can be… hyperactive," Susanne explained.

"No need to apologize, miss, children tend to be that way sometimes."

"Do you have any of your own?"

Memories of Isaac flashed in his mind and his heart hurt more than it did when he read the paper. The answer was caught in his throat and he struggled to find the right way to respond. Neither yes or no felt right. Susanne realized what she'd done and fumbled out an apology.

"I didn't mean… if I… I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I ain't offended."

They had the rest of their meal in silence.

After dinner and resting in the parlor, Arthur and Mabel stood in what was now his room. The awkward silence that passed between him was too much and he knew he had to be the one to break it.

"Dinner was great. I haven't had a meal like that since I was a kid," he admitted.

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear you liked it, Mister Morgan. We have little, but we manage."

"If you don't mind me askin', Miss Pike, where are the other tenants? You said this was a boarding house."

She looked down at the floor. "We haven't had a tenant in months. Our last one was a gold miner, and he moved out when he found a wife. I'll be honest with you, we've fallen on hard times, but I know things will get better. They have to. Now I what you to know that we'll be giving you one month rent free."

"A month? Miss Pike, I don't know about a month. A week maybe but-"

"Please accept it. I know you won't stay that long, but Susanne and I agreed on it."

A month was too generous, especially after just hearing of their financial troubles. He felt guilty accepting but did anyway as to not hurt her feelings.

"I appreciate your offer. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I should give you some space. Oh, I almost forgot." She was gone, leaving his door open. When she came back, she had two sets of fresh clothes in her arms. "Here are the new clothes I promised. If anything doesn't fit, let me know and I'll fix it for you." She placed them on his bed. "Goodnight, Mister Morgan."

She was gone again, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Taking the set of clothes, he placed them in on the rocking chair in the corner and crawled into bed. He turned off the lamp but didn't fall asleep right away. All he could think about was the news article he read hours earlier.

Mabel quickly slipped on her nightgown while Susanne did her nightly routine of checking in on the children. She nestled under the covers and opened the nightstand that stood between the twin beds. Taking out a copy of The Hounds of Baskervilles and putting on her reading glasses, she started chapter four, but after the third paragraph, she found it hard to concentrate. All she could think about was the handsome man who occupied the room across the hall.

It had been a long time since she noticed a man in that way. Not after Grant had broken her heart five years earlier. Since then, she had kept a wall around her heart, afraid that if she felt even the slightest hint of attraction, she'd get hurt again. Now the town called her a spinster which was fine with her. She didn't mind the loneliness if it hurt less than a man making her choose between him and her family.

Sighing, she shut the book and placed it back in its resting spot. As she folded her glasses, Susanne quietly entered the room and dressed for bed. She slid under the covers of her own bed and picked up her book. Mabel pulled the covers over her shoulders and closed her eyes. Only when she thought she was falling asleep did Susanne speak.

"He's very good looking, don't you think?"

Mabel opened her eyes but kept her stare at the ceiling. "Who?" If I didn't know.

"That Arthur Morgan fellow. He's a little strange, though. Do you think we can trust him?"

"I believe so."

"Well, you spent more time with him than I did." She looked worried and added. "I think I upset him at the table."

"I don't think your question offended him, but I noticed the sadness in his eyes." She sighed and stared at the bedroom door.

Susanne giggled.

"What's so funny?" Mabel asked.

"Why Mabel Pike, I think you have a crush."

She giggled again.

Mabel huffed. "I do not!"

"Do too," Susanne teased with a grin.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Susanne, you're acting exactly like the children you teach."

"But I'm not a teacher until September. Until then, I get to be plain ol' Susanne Pike."

Just as the youngest of the two opened her book, Mabel leaned in close to the lamp and blew out the flame.

"Hey!"

"Goodnight, dear sister," Mabel said, turning her back to Susanne.

As she closed her eyes and drifted off, she heard her sister quietly say, "Do too."