Read Online Angel in My Arms by Colleen Faulkner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colleen Faulkner
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floured hands and began to knead
the dough, releasing a yeasty scent into the air. The woman was
domestic for a whore.
"I don't want to sell the house." She paused. "Or the land."
He reached into the cupboard for a teacup. He pulled down two,
wondering if his father was the one with the good taste in fine china,
or if Celeste or one of his other whores had helped him pick out the
pattern. "You'd be foolish not to take money offered."
What money?
he thought. "What are you going to do with the worthless claims?"
Her response came in a split second that seemed to surprise her as much as it surprised him. "Mine them."
Fox chuckled. "Mine them?" He set the teacups on the table and went back for the teapot and loose tea. "You? How?"
It was her turn to shrug. "How does everyone else mine? Pick a good
spot and dig. John was certain there was gold in that area; he said he
just hadn't found the placer yet."
"From what I heard on the train, this area has been mined out. I seriously doubt there's any gold here."
She flipped the dough on the table with capable hands and punched it
down. "We'll just see about that, won't we?" She looked at him over her
shoulder for the first time since he'd entered the kitchen. "Of course,
I could buy
you
out." She lifted an eyebrow. Her green eyes were more hazel now. Stormy.
"Buy me out?" He gave a little laugh.
Take the money and run,
a small voice inside his head encouraged. "Why would I want to do that?"
"If it's worthless, Mr. MacPhearson, it would be an excellent deal for a wise, wealthy businessman like yourself."
"Look, Celeste, you slept with my father. We're sharing an
inheritance and presently a house. I think we're on a first-name basis
here."
She nodded. "All right,
Fox.
If the land is worthless, why not sell it to me?"
Why not?
he thought. He filled the teapot with hot water
from the kettle, taking his time to respond. "I'd like to have a look
at the land first." She looked out the window. "Once the rain stops.
It'll be a day or two, I suspect."
Fox didn't know why he was stalling. If she'd give him money for his
half of the claims, he could take it and return to California. He could
be done with reminders of John and visions of a red-haired beauty who
had been his father's mistress. But, of course, she couldn't pay him
enough to get his vineyard started. And somehow the idea of getting on
a train and returning to California was not very appealing. The ride
here had been lonely. He'd had enough of loneliness to last a lifetime.
"All right. I can wait a day or two." He pulled back her chair. "Tea is served."
She glanced at him over her shoulder again. "I suppose you'll want to stay here in my house?"
He was hoping she'd offer, so that he wouldn't have to ask. "If you'd be so kind."
"You're John's son," she said simply. "I'd not turn you out."
Fox felt shame for the tone of voice he'd used with her. She was more a lady than he would ever be a gentleman.
"Celeste, let's call a truce," he said quietly. "Come have tea and let me apologize for my earlier behavior."
She dropped a clean linen towel over the mound of bread dough, and
turned toward him. She had covered her dress in a white ruffle kitchen
apron. It was feminine and very becoming. He smiled as she crossed the
room toward him, her dog at her heels.
"All right, Fox." She took the seat he offered. "I'm ready for those
apologies." She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "And will you
please pass the cream?"
"You told him you were going to what?" Sally's pretty eyes widened.
"Shhh," Celeste hushed through a mouthful of straight pins. "Turn around and keep your voice down. He's upstairs."
Sally turned on the small wooden stool she stood on in the middle of
Celeste's cozy kitchen, as Celeste pinned up a new gown Sally would
wear on Big Nose Kate's stage.
"You told him
what
?" Sally repeated.
"I told him I intended"—she pulled a pin from her mouth and slipped
it through the jersey fabric—"to mine the land John
the dough, releasing a yeasty scent into the air. The woman was
domestic for a whore.
"I don't want to sell the house." She paused. "Or the land."
He reached into the cupboard for a teacup. He pulled down two,
wondering if his father was the one with the good taste in fine china,
or if Celeste or one of his other whores had helped him pick out the
pattern. "You'd be foolish not to take money offered."
What money?
he thought. "What are you going to do with the worthless claims?"
Her response came in a split second that seemed to surprise her as much as it surprised him. "Mine them."
Fox chuckled. "Mine them?" He set the teacups on the table and went back for the teapot and loose tea. "You? How?"
It was her turn to shrug. "How does everyone else mine? Pick a good
spot and dig. John was certain there was gold in that area; he said he
just hadn't found the placer yet."
"From what I heard on the train, this area has been mined out. I seriously doubt there's any gold here."
She flipped the dough on the table with capable hands and punched it
down. "We'll just see about that, won't we?" She looked at him over her
shoulder for the first time since he'd entered the kitchen. "Of course,
I could buy
you
out." She lifted an eyebrow. Her green eyes were more hazel now. Stormy.
"Buy me out?" He gave a little laugh.
Take the money and run,
a small voice inside his head encouraged. "Why would I want to do that?"
"If it's worthless, Mr. MacPhearson, it would be an excellent deal for a wise, wealthy businessman like yourself."
"Look, Celeste, you slept with my father. We're sharing an
inheritance and presently a house. I think we're on a first-name basis
here."
She nodded. "All right,
Fox.
If the land is worthless, why not sell it to me?"
Why not?
he thought. He filled the teapot with hot water
from the kettle, taking his time to respond. "I'd like to have a look
at the land first." She looked out the window. "Once the rain stops.
It'll be a day or two, I suspect."
Fox didn't know why he was stalling. If she'd give him money for his
half of the claims, he could take it and return to California. He could
be done with reminders of John and visions of a red-haired beauty who
had been his father's mistress. But, of course, she couldn't pay him
enough to get his vineyard started. And somehow the idea of getting on
a train and returning to California was not very appealing. The ride
here had been lonely. He'd had enough of loneliness to last a lifetime.
"All right. I can wait a day or two." He pulled back her chair. "Tea is served."
She glanced at him over her shoulder again. "I suppose you'll want to stay here in my house?"
He was hoping she'd offer, so that he wouldn't have to ask. "If you'd be so kind."
"You're John's son," she said simply. "I'd not turn you out."
Fox felt shame for the tone of voice he'd used with her. She was more a lady than he would ever be a gentleman.
"Celeste, let's call a truce," he said quietly. "Come have tea and let me apologize for my earlier behavior."
She dropped a clean linen towel over the mound of bread dough, and
turned toward him. She had covered her dress in a white ruffle kitchen
apron. It was feminine and very becoming. He smiled as she crossed the
room toward him, her dog at her heels.
"All right, Fox." She took the seat he offered. "I'm ready for those
apologies." She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "And will you
please pass the cream?"
"You told him you were going to what?" Sally's pretty eyes widened.
"Shhh," Celeste hushed through a mouthful of straight pins. "Turn around and keep your voice down. He's upstairs."
Sally turned on the small wooden stool she stood on in the middle of
Celeste's cozy kitchen, as Celeste pinned up a new gown Sally would
wear on Big Nose Kate's stage.
"You told him
what
?" Sally repeated.
"I told him I intended"—she pulled a pin from her mouth and slipped
it through the jersey fabric—"to mine the land John
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