if he wasn’t convincing.
He got into his buggy and headed back to the office.
A young woman walked down the dirty street, her golden curls peeking out from beneath her bonnet. The tilt of her head, the set of her shoulders, even from the back he knew it was her. He urged the horse forward and pulled up beside her. “Miss O’Shannon.”
Startled, she turned. Her eyes grew wide, and Sam knew he wasn’t mistaking the gladness he saw there.
“May I give you a lift somewhere? It’s awfully hot to be walking.”
Nervously, she glanced around. “I had hoped to hail a cabbie, but there doesn’t seem to be one in sight.”
He didn’t want to say that cabbies didn’t usually hang around this area. Strange she didn’t know that. He stepped out of the carriage. “I assure you, I only wish to help you if you’ll allow it.”
Her eyes shifted with uncertainty then looked fully into his own, nearly robbing him of the ability to breathe. “If it’s not an inconvenience,” she said in a tiny voice. “I could use a ride to the theater.” The feel of her tiny gloved hand filled him with awe as he helped her into the carriage.
He urged the horse to a trot and glanced at her with a smile.
A pink blush washed over her face, and she gave him a sweet smile. “Mr. Nelson, I feel I should explain why I haven’t accepted any of your invitations when you’ve been so kind.” She gave a slight cough.
“You owe me no explanation, Miss O’Shannon. You have a right to refuse me if you please.”
“But you see, I would have accepted if it were up to me.” Once more the pretty blush caressed her cheeks.
“What do you mean?” He hoped his eagerness didn’t startle her.
“My father has forbidden me to accept invitations from any young man without his approval. And after all, he doesn’t even know you.”
Sam tried hard to control the grin that started in his heart and worked its way to his lips. But it was a hopeless task. “Well,” he said, “we’ll just have to do something about that, won’t we?”
Seven
Katie jumped out of the carriage before the young man had a chance to assist her. If her father saw her, there was no telling what he’d do. Oh, why hadn’t she asked Mr. Nelson to drop her off a block away from the theater?
She heard his startled exclamation as her feet hit the street, and she turned, throwing him an apologetic look. “Thank you so much for the ride. It was very kind of you, but I must be going.”
She started off toward the side of the building, hoping to avoid anyone she knew. At the sight of Bobby and Molly standing at the corner, she groaned and stopped.
Bobby shot a glare at Mr. Nelson, who still sat in his carriage, watching her. “Who’s that?” Bobby demanded, sending Katie a reproachful look.
“Why, he’s an acquaintance of mine, Bobby Brown, if it’s any of your business.” She frowned at him, and he turned and stalked off.
“Ah, poor, poor Bobby. Now you’ve gone and broken his heart.” Molly grinned and looked pointedly at the carriage and its occupant.
Katie felt heat rise to her face. Why in the world was he still sitting there? “Well, I don’t know how his heart could be broken,” Katie retorted. “I’ve never given him reason to think I was interested in anything but friendship.” Well, maybe she had flirted a little bit. A pang of conscience stabbed her as she remembered her ploy to get information from him about Conley’s Patch.
“If you say so, dear.” Molly rounded the corner of the building.
Katie’s heart thumped. She didn’t need to look back to know he was still there, watching her. But she looked anyway. Land’s sake. What was he doing?
He tipped his hat and grinned.
Katie waved and then bolted around the corner, her stomach doing little flips. Stepping through the open door into the theater, she couldn’t help the smile that tilted her lips.
“I saw that.” Molly was waiting for her just inside the door.
Setting her chin,
He got into his buggy and headed back to the office.
A young woman walked down the dirty street, her golden curls peeking out from beneath her bonnet. The tilt of her head, the set of her shoulders, even from the back he knew it was her. He urged the horse forward and pulled up beside her. “Miss O’Shannon.”
Startled, she turned. Her eyes grew wide, and Sam knew he wasn’t mistaking the gladness he saw there.
“May I give you a lift somewhere? It’s awfully hot to be walking.”
Nervously, she glanced around. “I had hoped to hail a cabbie, but there doesn’t seem to be one in sight.”
He didn’t want to say that cabbies didn’t usually hang around this area. Strange she didn’t know that. He stepped out of the carriage. “I assure you, I only wish to help you if you’ll allow it.”
Her eyes shifted with uncertainty then looked fully into his own, nearly robbing him of the ability to breathe. “If it’s not an inconvenience,” she said in a tiny voice. “I could use a ride to the theater.” The feel of her tiny gloved hand filled him with awe as he helped her into the carriage.
He urged the horse to a trot and glanced at her with a smile.
A pink blush washed over her face, and she gave him a sweet smile. “Mr. Nelson, I feel I should explain why I haven’t accepted any of your invitations when you’ve been so kind.” She gave a slight cough.
“You owe me no explanation, Miss O’Shannon. You have a right to refuse me if you please.”
“But you see, I would have accepted if it were up to me.” Once more the pretty blush caressed her cheeks.
“What do you mean?” He hoped his eagerness didn’t startle her.
“My father has forbidden me to accept invitations from any young man without his approval. And after all, he doesn’t even know you.”
Sam tried hard to control the grin that started in his heart and worked its way to his lips. But it was a hopeless task. “Well,” he said, “we’ll just have to do something about that, won’t we?”
Seven
Katie jumped out of the carriage before the young man had a chance to assist her. If her father saw her, there was no telling what he’d do. Oh, why hadn’t she asked Mr. Nelson to drop her off a block away from the theater?
She heard his startled exclamation as her feet hit the street, and she turned, throwing him an apologetic look. “Thank you so much for the ride. It was very kind of you, but I must be going.”
She started off toward the side of the building, hoping to avoid anyone she knew. At the sight of Bobby and Molly standing at the corner, she groaned and stopped.
Bobby shot a glare at Mr. Nelson, who still sat in his carriage, watching her. “Who’s that?” Bobby demanded, sending Katie a reproachful look.
“Why, he’s an acquaintance of mine, Bobby Brown, if it’s any of your business.” She frowned at him, and he turned and stalked off.
“Ah, poor, poor Bobby. Now you’ve gone and broken his heart.” Molly grinned and looked pointedly at the carriage and its occupant.
Katie felt heat rise to her face. Why in the world was he still sitting there? “Well, I don’t know how his heart could be broken,” Katie retorted. “I’ve never given him reason to think I was interested in anything but friendship.” Well, maybe she had flirted a little bit. A pang of conscience stabbed her as she remembered her ploy to get information from him about Conley’s Patch.
“If you say so, dear.” Molly rounded the corner of the building.
Katie’s heart thumped. She didn’t need to look back to know he was still there, watching her. But she looked anyway. Land’s sake. What was he doing?
He tipped his hat and grinned.
Katie waved and then bolted around the corner, her stomach doing little flips. Stepping through the open door into the theater, she couldn’t help the smile that tilted her lips.
“I saw that.” Molly was waiting for her just inside the door.
Setting her chin,
Similar Books
