Addie had lied to Preacher. She would, perhaps, eventually feel guilt about that. But not today. Today did not count by any proper reckoning. Sophia knew of the promise and had participated in breaking it, which proved the world had, indeed, turned upside down.
Addie had promised to stay with Sophia. To ride through the forest, where they’d not be seen, then over to the road and hightail it to Greenville. That was not what she had done. She’d gathered the horses—they had two—and met Sophia on the wide main path. It was quite impossible to hide the taking of the horses, but no one seemed to pay her much mind. In truth, no one had even noticed. She took them and they rode them until they had to dismount and steer them along the secondary path to Timothy James’s cabin. Then Addie ensconced Sophia there, shotgun in hand, and went back to town. For Preacher. To keep him safe.