Read Online Charlene Sands by Bodines Bounty - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bodines Bounty
Ads: Link
you fixing on drinking every drop?”
Bodine’s mouth quirked up. “Why, you want some?”
Emma flinched and shook her head. “No. Thank you,” she said, rather primly. “Does it help with the pain?”
“Some,” he said, setting the jug on the floor beside him. “Don’t worry, Emmy. I’m not a drunk.”
“Oh! I didn’t think so…I mean the notion never entered my mind.”
He closed his eyes. “Got some berry wine, too. You should try it. Takes the chill off.”
“I don’t drink.”
Bodine’s eyes opened halfway as he regarded her. “Funny that you should work in a saloon, then. Being as you’re a teetotaler and all.”
Emma moved away from the window and walked over to the cookstove to brew another pot of coffee. “I’m not exactly…a teetotaler. I don’t drink whiskey, but I’ve had a taste or two of wine.”
“Still doesn’t explain why you’re working in a saloon.”
“I told you, I’m looking for my father.” She grabbed the sack of Arbuckles’ and dumped a measured amount into the grinder.
“Ah, the outlaw. And you think you’ll just come across him in a saloon?”
“Well, it’s better than sitting home, wondering all my life about him. I have to try. Maybe I’ll meet up with someone who knows of him. That’s all I’m doing, Bodine. Hoping to hear word of him.”
“What if what you hear isn’t what you expect?”
She turned the wheel on the coffee grinder and contemplated as Ariosa beans crunched into sifted grinds. “My gosh, Bodine. Nothing in my life has been expected. I never knew my father. My mama died at a young age. I was raised in my grandparents’ home and they saw fit to lie to me time and again. All these years I thought my father was a decent man who’d been killed in a milling accident.”
She quit grinding long enough to take a deep breath. “I agreed to marry someone I shouldn’t, just to keep my aging grandmother happy. She’s afraid she’ll die and I’ll be left alone. I don’t blame her for that, but when I learned the truth about my father, I realized marrying Grant would only add to the lies.”
“So, you do have a beau?”
She started grinding coffee beans again. “Not so much a beau as a good friend. He…wants to marry. But my life is heading in a different direction now.”
“And you don’t want to marry him?”
She finished with the coffee beans and looked at him, sharing her innermost thoughts. “Well, no. I’ve known Grant all my life and he’s a decent man, but…”
“But what?” Bodine picked up the jug and drank from it again.
Emma drew in her bottom lip and shook her head, unable to speak her mind. She couldn’t reveal that lying in Bodine’s arms, having him hold her that first night, had sparked something inside that she’d never felt before.
He’d think her silly and too darn innocent to know what those feelings were. And he’d be correct in his assumption. She didn’t know what it all meant, but she had felt something different being held by him and she’d never looked upon Grant Harper with any such desire.
One night with Bodine had convinced her that marrying Grant wouldn’t have been fair to either of them.
“But,” she continued, keeping her eyes averted from him, “I have more to do with my life. Finding my father is a big part of it, but there’s more out there for me.” She wasn’t ready to reveal her plan to become an entertainer. It had been her mother’s dream, and not fulfilling her ambition had led to a broken heart. Emma feared that not trying to achieve her goals would break her heart, as well. She had to try. There had to be a reason for her gift.
Silence ensued and Emma looked over to Bodine, who was slouched in the big chair, sleeping.
Her heart swelled a little, seeing him rest, knowing he was healing and that she’d had a hand in saving his life. He had rescued her from Hurley’s wrath and she counted her blessings for meeting up with Bodine when she did.
As she set
Bodine’s mouth quirked up. “Why, you want some?”
Emma flinched and shook her head. “No. Thank you,” she said, rather primly. “Does it help with the pain?”
“Some,” he said, setting the jug on the floor beside him. “Don’t worry, Emmy. I’m not a drunk.”
“Oh! I didn’t think so…I mean the notion never entered my mind.”
He closed his eyes. “Got some berry wine, too. You should try it. Takes the chill off.”
“I don’t drink.”
Bodine’s eyes opened halfway as he regarded her. “Funny that you should work in a saloon, then. Being as you’re a teetotaler and all.”
Emma moved away from the window and walked over to the cookstove to brew another pot of coffee. “I’m not exactly…a teetotaler. I don’t drink whiskey, but I’ve had a taste or two of wine.”
“Still doesn’t explain why you’re working in a saloon.”
“I told you, I’m looking for my father.” She grabbed the sack of Arbuckles’ and dumped a measured amount into the grinder.
“Ah, the outlaw. And you think you’ll just come across him in a saloon?”
“Well, it’s better than sitting home, wondering all my life about him. I have to try. Maybe I’ll meet up with someone who knows of him. That’s all I’m doing, Bodine. Hoping to hear word of him.”
“What if what you hear isn’t what you expect?”
She turned the wheel on the coffee grinder and contemplated as Ariosa beans crunched into sifted grinds. “My gosh, Bodine. Nothing in my life has been expected. I never knew my father. My mama died at a young age. I was raised in my grandparents’ home and they saw fit to lie to me time and again. All these years I thought my father was a decent man who’d been killed in a milling accident.”
She quit grinding long enough to take a deep breath. “I agreed to marry someone I shouldn’t, just to keep my aging grandmother happy. She’s afraid she’ll die and I’ll be left alone. I don’t blame her for that, but when I learned the truth about my father, I realized marrying Grant would only add to the lies.”
“So, you do have a beau?”
She started grinding coffee beans again. “Not so much a beau as a good friend. He…wants to marry. But my life is heading in a different direction now.”
“And you don’t want to marry him?”
She finished with the coffee beans and looked at him, sharing her innermost thoughts. “Well, no. I’ve known Grant all my life and he’s a decent man, but…”
“But what?” Bodine picked up the jug and drank from it again.
Emma drew in her bottom lip and shook her head, unable to speak her mind. She couldn’t reveal that lying in Bodine’s arms, having him hold her that first night, had sparked something inside that she’d never felt before.
He’d think her silly and too darn innocent to know what those feelings were. And he’d be correct in his assumption. She didn’t know what it all meant, but she had felt something different being held by him and she’d never looked upon Grant Harper with any such desire.
One night with Bodine had convinced her that marrying Grant wouldn’t have been fair to either of them.
“But,” she continued, keeping her eyes averted from him, “I have more to do with my life. Finding my father is a big part of it, but there’s more out there for me.” She wasn’t ready to reveal her plan to become an entertainer. It had been her mother’s dream, and not fulfilling her ambition had led to a broken heart. Emma feared that not trying to achieve her goals would break her heart, as well. She had to try. There had to be a reason for her gift.
Silence ensued and Emma looked over to Bodine, who was slouched in the big chair, sleeping.
Her heart swelled a little, seeing him rest, knowing he was healing and that she’d had a hand in saving his life. He had rescued her from Hurley’s wrath and she counted her blessings for meeting up with Bodine when she did.
As she set
Similar Books
