The Secret Promise

Chapter Five

"I have a surprise for you," Susan said. "For your birthday!"

Allie laughed softly. "You know what the best birthday present has been?"

"Lucas being gone for two whole years?" Susan joked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact!" Allie replied.

"Oh. You're serious!?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I have something better than that, although from your perspective, I can see how him being gone is a blessing."

"I haven't had to look over my shoulder once in the past two years." Allie said. "It's been rather refreshing!"

Susan looped her arm around Allie's as they walked towards her house. It was the last day of school and Susan had been working on something for the past few weeks. "Well, I wish I could guarantee that would last, but I'm sure he's going to come back eventually,"

Allie scrunched up her nose at the thought. "Yeah. Probably. Hey, isn't that Annabeth?"

"Looks like it," Susan glanced over and saw that the woman was walking towards them. "And she's coming over to say hello!"

"Hi, Annabeth," Allie said.

"Have you ladies heard the news?"

"What news?" Susan asked. They hadn't heard anything new that she could recall.

"I heard the railroad was attacked by Comanche Indians a couple of weeks ago!" Annabeth said. "Three men were killed.....nobody from here, but Lucas Dillan nearly got himself scalped!"

"I wonder what he did to deserve it," Allie muttered.

Susan glanced at her with a look that told her to be nice. "What do you mean, 'nearly'?" Susan asked. Unlike Allie, she was actually interested.

"I guess he's got quite the scar, but someone shot the Indian before he could get too far. Anyway, I just thought you'd like to know."

"Thanks, Annabeth," Allie smiled. They waved and walked on towards Susan's house. "Why she thinks we'd like to know is beyond me."

Susan shrugged. "Maybe she thinks it's only fitting after what he did to her and Beverly. And since you were the one that outed him, she figured you deserved to know. To relish in the fact that he could have been killed."

"Mm, yeah. Too bad." Allie mumbled.

Susan laughed. "You'd wish death on the poor man? I mean, I know he was horrible, but truly? Death?"

"I mean, I guess scalping would be a bit much." Allie said. "But what about being hit by a train? I could live with that."

"They're still laying track!" Susan laughed. "There aren't any trains around them that would be moving fast enough to take him out like that."

"Someday,"

When they reached Susan's house, she led Allie up to her room with her eyes closed until she could present her with the gift she'd made. "Okay," she set the small box in Allie's hands. "You can open your eyes now!"

Allie looked down. The box was wrapped with a pretty pink bow and she untied it, slowly taking the lid off and unwrapping the delicate tissue paper inside. Inside was several ribbons, but when she looked closer, they were stitched together to make them reversible. There were three in total, but six different designs.

"They're for your bonnet!" Susan exclaimed. "So you can flip them around and match different dresses!"

"Susan, they're beautiful!" she took them all out of the box and closely examined each side. "This one is an exact match to my favorite dress!"

"I know! Mrs. Lancaster was getting rid of all her old stock and she only had a tiny bit left. I bought it and a few of the others too, just so I could match them! Oh, and each side should coordinate with the opposite side, so they don't look weird."

Allie hugged her. "I can't wait to switch them out!" she said. Susan was a talented seamstress and had the most delicate, tiny stitches. The ribbons were even more special because she'd hand made them.

"I know, not quite as good as hearing that Lucas has been hit by a train, but I hope it's a close second." she smiled.

"Yes! A very close second!" Allie laughed.

Over the next few months, Allie realized that she had outgrown some of her dresses, and the fact that she was sixteen meant she could lengthen her skirts. So when she went to see Mrs. Lancaster at the dress shop in town, she made sure to have a few dresses made with the newest pattern, but ordered them in similar fabrics to the ribbons Susan had made so she could still wear them together.

She was finishing her chores one evening when her pa came in from a trip to town. "Allie,"

"Yes Pa?" she asked, setting her basket of produce on the table as she went to meet him near the front door.

"I was just talking to Mrs. Lancaster in town," he said, hanging up his hat and kicking off his boots. "She said she'll have your dresses finished by tomorrow morning, so once I get the field seeded, you should be able to take the wagon into town and pick up your order. I made sure to pay her today,"

"Thanks, Pa." she said. "Would it be alright if I take them over to Susan's to show her?" she asked.

"I figured you would," he chuckled.

"Supper's keeping warm on the stove," she said, heading back to the table to process the beans and carrots she'd spent the last hour and a half picking in the garden.

The next afternoon, Allie drove into town. She stopped at the dress shop, excited to see her new dresses, but wasn't disappointed when Mrs. Lancaster already had them wrapped up. She knew they would fit perfectly as they always did, and she'd be able to see them for the first time when she took them over to show Susan.

"Are they done already?" Susan met her at the door.

"Yes!"

"Have you seen them yet?" Susan asked, seeing that they were all wrapped.

"Not yet!"

With a squeal, the girls carried the packages up the stairs to Susan's room and opened them one at a time, admiring the beautiful work Mrs. Lancaster had done. Not only were there six dresses, there were new undergarments, and a new bonnet.

"I made sure your ribbons would match at least a few of the dresses," Allie said.

"I would have made you more if you needed me to," Susan said. "These are so pretty!"

"I like the ones you already made," Allie said. "And they're not even that old! I haven't had a chance to wear all of them yet."

"Well, I think they'll look really nice with these dresses. I can't wait to see you wear them! You're going to look so grown up!"

"I guess it took long enough," Allie laughed softly.

"You're just a late bloomer is all," Susan said. "But your hair is so pretty now, and you've grown into your freckles. I think you're one of the prettiest girls in town now. Not that you weren't pretty before."

"Of course you think so," Allie said, re-wrapping the dresses. "You're my best friend."

"Even if I wasn't!" Susan said, helping her. They carried the items down the stairs and she helped tuck them safely under the seat of the wagon. "Wear the blue one to church so we can match!"

"Okay," Allie waved as she drove home. "See you then!"