The Secret Promise

Chapter Twenty-Two

Allie was up early the next morning to do her chores. Monday was laundry day and she spent several hours on the back porch scrubbing clothes, towels, and linens. After rinsing and wringing them all out, she piled everything in baskets and carried them out to the clothes line.

She had finished with one basket and ducked underneath a sheet that was already hanging to reach for another basket when a hand clamped down on her wrist and she gasped. As soon as she heard the chuckle that followed, she rolled her eyes.

"Don't you have your own chores to do?" she asked as Lucas appeared from behind the sheet.

"I did mine already." he said, fingering the lace on a pair of her pantalets that were already hanging on the line.

"Must be nice." she said, swatting his hand away before hanging a pair of Seth's pants over the line.

"I'm sure it only takes you this long because you're so short you can barely reach the line," he was smiling.

"Really? That's what you want to do? Come over here and tease me about my size?"

"No," he tried to wipe the smile off his face, but he just couldn't. "It's okay though. I like you just the way you are,"

She laughed and threw a wet sock at him. "Why didn't you tell me you came and talked to my father?" she asked.

"I thought you knew!" he said. "I was sure he said something, or you wouldn't have sat by me in church on Sunday!"

"He didn't mention it until last night when I got home and he asked if you had behaved yourself."

"So, you didn't know, when you sat by me?"

"Hadn't a clue," she said.

"So, then why did you sit by me?" he asked.

"You'd rather I hadn't?"

"No!" he grinned. "I was just curious."

"Well, Susan and I were having a conversation on Saturday and I just happened to comment that I hadn't seen you since last Sunday, at church. It just made me realize that I'd been waiting for a year and a half for you to pull some kind of prank."

"So, it was a trick?" he was confused.

"No. I guess I just thought that since you've behaved yourself this long, maybe I could trust you to be nice."

"So, because I haven't tried to harass you since I've been back in town, you've decided to trust me?" He just wanted to be perfectly clear.

"I wouldn't exactly say you haven't tried to harass me." she laughed. "You've barely left me alone all year. But you haven't done anything horrible."

"And I promise, I never will again." he said.

"Susan was concerned that I was being too trusting,"

He shook his head. "No, you're not. Because I would never do anything to break your trust. I'm surprised you've even given me this chance." he said. "I don't exactly deserve it."

She pinned a shirt to the line and turned to face him. "You'll never get this chance again." she said.

"I know."

She watched him for a moment and then nodded, turning back to her work.

"I don't suppose your father would let you go for a walk with me? When you're done your chores, of course."

"He's in the barn. You could ask him. And that last basket there is all I have left."

"Okay. I'll be right back."