The Secret Promise

Chapter Fifteen

Finally, with a heavy sigh, he turned around and walked back to his house to find that his pa and Arthur had already eaten and supper was keeping hot on the back of the stove for him.

"Did you have any trouble putting in your order at the mill?" his pa asked.

"No, why?"

He shrugged. "I just figured you'd have been back by now."

"I was walking Allie home."

His pa stared, but Arthur's ears perked up and he set his book down to join Lucas at the table.

"Well, were you able to apologize?" he asked.

Wanting to hear for himself, his pa pulled out a chair and sat down too.

Lucas glanced at Arthur and then his pa. "I tried." he said. "She didn't believe me, just as I suspected."

"Well, it's a good start!" Arthur said jovially. "You'll just have to keep on trying until she knows you're telling the truth."

"Did she actually let you walk her home?" Mr. Dillan asked.

"Well, no. Not really. She hinted a couple of times that she didn't need me to. And then when we got to the bend in the road, she climbed over the fence and cut through the field." he said.

"What's your interest in Miss Warner, anyway?" his pa asked.

"I think he likes her!" Arthur grinned.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to make things right, that's all."

His pa seemed to be closely scrutinizing him.

"What, Pa?"

Mr. Dillan shook his head. "I know what's going on," he said. "You got home after five years to find that little Allie is all grown up and now she's one of the prettiest young ladies in town and all of a sudden you're interested in her."

"No." Lucas said. "I'm not interested in her, I'm just-,"

"In love!" Arthur was still smiling broadly.

"I'm not in love with her, Arthur! I haven't even seen her in five years, so I barely know her!"

"But she's beautiful," his pa said.

"Well, yeah. I guess so. But that's not what this is about!"

"You're sure? Because five years ago, you wouldn't have given her the time of day, but all of a sudden she's pretty and you're all about making up for lost time?"

"I'm not making up for lost anything!" Lucas argued. "I'm just not a stupid teenager anymore and I would rather be friends than enemies!"

"With the prettiest girl in town."

Lucas sighed and silently finished his supper. There was going to be no winning with these two.

Allie knocked on the door. Usually Mrs. Lynch was in the kitchen or sitting room and came to the door right away, but she'd knocked three times and there was no answer. She had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and walked to the window, peering inside. There was no sign of the woman in the front room.

Setting the basket of produce on the porch beside the door, she hurried down the steps and nearly ran to the sheriff's office.

"Miss Warner!" Sheriff Northrop leaped to his feet when she burst into the office. "What's wrong?"

"I think something might have happened to Mrs. Lynch," she said, worry creasing her forehead as she tried to catch her breath. "She's not answering the door and she's never not answered before."