Read Online A Wife by Christmas by Callie Hutton - Free Book Online
Authors: Callie Hutton
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warm gloves and scarves, and for the families with children, we’ve managed to collect small toys.”
Max pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not comfortable with you going into strange houses to deliver baskets. I’m going to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer.”
She tilted her head and waited.
“If your uncle knew what you planned to do, would he approve?”
She opened her mouth to respond, and then stopped. That was something she’d never thought about. Would he approve of her going into strange houses in questionable neighborhoods? A vision of Jesse’s tight-lipped glare after he’d caught her at several escapades gave her pause. “No. He probably wouldn’t.” Her shoulders slumped.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“Excuse me?” She swore he’d offered to go with her.
“When the time comes to make your deliveries, I will drive you.” He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. “Now I’ll walk you to your door.”
Ellie continued to stare at him as he left the automobile, walked around the front, and opened her door. He put his hand out. She took it and her hand tingled, the sensation racing up her arm. Her heart did double time as she fixed her gaze on his face. He smiled at her. Smiled!
Tonight she’d snuck into his bedroom, made it necessary for him to crawl out his own window like a thief, fell on him when she dropped from the ledge, and messed up his hair. Instead of the disdain she’d expected, he drove her home, offered to go with her to deliver her baskets, and then smiled.
They walked slowly up the steps. “Thanks, Mr. Colbert.”
“I think it’s time you called me Max. At least while not in school.” He gave her a lopsided grin. Her stomach clenched.
“Good night.” She hurried through the door.
Max returned to his motorcar and headed for home. Sweat beaded his forehead. This situation troubled him. The plan was to find someone to marry Miss Henderson to get her out of his hair, but every time he ran into her, it got harder to remember. Oh, she was trouble all right. No doubt about that, but her presence slowly peeled away the layers of protection he’d placed around himself.
He’d witnessed first-hand what his father had gone through with his fool-headed mother. As much as he loved her, like Ellie Henderson, his mother skipped from one crazy project to another. An upstanding businessman and respected member of the Chicago community, Joseph Colbert had rescued his wife from more than one debacle. Growing up, Max had always felt sorry for his father until the day he told him, with a besotted look on his face, that he loved his wife, not in spite of her peculiar ways, but because of them.
Not him. He had his life well planned, with no room for the lunacy of a wife. They cried, complained, and did all sorts of things to embarrass their husbands. Ellie. Practically a duplicate of his crazy mother.
It was time to present her with another prospective husband.
Max stood at the door and watched as the last students left the building. The dry spell had broken, and clouds dumped buckets of much needed water on Guthrie. It doused houses and people, and ran in the streets in rivulets, creating red mud everywhere. Two boys pushed each other until they were both rolling around in the muck, laughing.
Max winced. “Get up out of that mud and go on home. Your mothers will take a switch to you.” He closed the door and headed down the hallway to Ellie’s classroom.
Her lovely bottom rose in the air as she crawled under her desk. An unintended grin crossed his face. “Miss Henderson?”
“Oh.” She banged her head on the desk as she jumped. She backed out, rubbing her head, wreaking havoc with her hair. Face flushed, she climbed to her feet and smoothed her blouse, leaving a trail of blue ink across one breast. “I was looking for my good pen that rolled under the desk.” She held up a black fountain pen, chewed around the edge. Dark blue ink dripped from
Max pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not comfortable with you going into strange houses to deliver baskets. I’m going to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer.”
She tilted her head and waited.
“If your uncle knew what you planned to do, would he approve?”
She opened her mouth to respond, and then stopped. That was something she’d never thought about. Would he approve of her going into strange houses in questionable neighborhoods? A vision of Jesse’s tight-lipped glare after he’d caught her at several escapades gave her pause. “No. He probably wouldn’t.” Her shoulders slumped.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“Excuse me?” She swore he’d offered to go with her.
“When the time comes to make your deliveries, I will drive you.” He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. “Now I’ll walk you to your door.”
Ellie continued to stare at him as he left the automobile, walked around the front, and opened her door. He put his hand out. She took it and her hand tingled, the sensation racing up her arm. Her heart did double time as she fixed her gaze on his face. He smiled at her. Smiled!
Tonight she’d snuck into his bedroom, made it necessary for him to crawl out his own window like a thief, fell on him when she dropped from the ledge, and messed up his hair. Instead of the disdain she’d expected, he drove her home, offered to go with her to deliver her baskets, and then smiled.
They walked slowly up the steps. “Thanks, Mr. Colbert.”
“I think it’s time you called me Max. At least while not in school.” He gave her a lopsided grin. Her stomach clenched.
“Good night.” She hurried through the door.
Max returned to his motorcar and headed for home. Sweat beaded his forehead. This situation troubled him. The plan was to find someone to marry Miss Henderson to get her out of his hair, but every time he ran into her, it got harder to remember. Oh, she was trouble all right. No doubt about that, but her presence slowly peeled away the layers of protection he’d placed around himself.
He’d witnessed first-hand what his father had gone through with his fool-headed mother. As much as he loved her, like Ellie Henderson, his mother skipped from one crazy project to another. An upstanding businessman and respected member of the Chicago community, Joseph Colbert had rescued his wife from more than one debacle. Growing up, Max had always felt sorry for his father until the day he told him, with a besotted look on his face, that he loved his wife, not in spite of her peculiar ways, but because of them.
Not him. He had his life well planned, with no room for the lunacy of a wife. They cried, complained, and did all sorts of things to embarrass their husbands. Ellie. Practically a duplicate of his crazy mother.
It was time to present her with another prospective husband.
Max stood at the door and watched as the last students left the building. The dry spell had broken, and clouds dumped buckets of much needed water on Guthrie. It doused houses and people, and ran in the streets in rivulets, creating red mud everywhere. Two boys pushed each other until they were both rolling around in the muck, laughing.
Max winced. “Get up out of that mud and go on home. Your mothers will take a switch to you.” He closed the door and headed down the hallway to Ellie’s classroom.
Her lovely bottom rose in the air as she crawled under her desk. An unintended grin crossed his face. “Miss Henderson?”
“Oh.” She banged her head on the desk as she jumped. She backed out, rubbing her head, wreaking havoc with her hair. Face flushed, she climbed to her feet and smoothed her blouse, leaving a trail of blue ink across one breast. “I was looking for my good pen that rolled under the desk.” She held up a black fountain pen, chewed around the edge. Dark blue ink dripped from
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