Read Online Coming Home to Wyoming (Peaceful Valley Series Book 1) by April Hill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: April Hill
Ads: Link
know exactly the right words to use to get people to do what she had wanted them to do all along.
By now, though, he knew Eileen a ‘Roon well enough to suspect that whatever she agreed to tonight, under Martha’s spell, could be just as easily withdrawn before dawn tomorrow. It was plain to Griff that, like so many other of Martha’s lost lambs, the girl was responding not to reason, but to Martha’s soft voice, kind words, and gentle touch. Cold, tired, and confused, and with an innocent need to feel loved again, the girl was trying to please a new, desperately needed friend by agreeing with whatever that friend asked of her.
Griff was planning to leave in the morning, right after breakfast. What he was hoping for, and even praying for—as what Martha had always called a Doubting Thomas —was that after a sound night’s sleep in a warm bed with a soft, goose-down pillow and clean sheets, Miss O’Malley would still think it was a good idea to stay on at Rainbow Water—and try to be happy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next morning, whenever he could do it without her noticing, Griff found himself watching Eileen A ‘Roon carefully, searching for any sign that she might be about to change her mind at the last minute, refuse to stay with the Goodspeeds, and ruin everything. He knew that Martha was concerned as well, but she was obviously better at hiding her feelings than he was. A few minutes later, when he excused himself from the breakfast table in order to get Jack saddled and ready to leave, Eileen a ‘Roon threw her napkin down, stood up abruptly, and followed him outside.
They were almost to the barn when she stepped in front of him, fixed him with a cool, appraising look, and asked the one question he’d most hoped to avoid answering.
“You’re plannin’ to just ride off and leave me with these folks, right?”
Griff hesitated, searching for the right thing to say, and knowing that whatever he said was going to come out wrong. “I wasn’t going to leave without telling you goodbye, I promise.”
“Well, now, that’s just real goddamned polite of you, ain’t it? I reckon you figured that’s all you needed to do—just give the dumb little kid a pat on the head, then take off runnin’ like a turpentined rabbit.”
Griff sighed. “Not exactly the way I’d put it.”
“Yeah, well how would you put it?”
“I thought that… Well, after last night, when you told Martha you’d like to stay, I figured that…”
“I wasn’t thinkin’ clear last night,” she grumbled, “so I figured to let it go ‘til I had me some sleep, and time to think on it. That Martha’s a real nice lady, and I don’t want to hurt her none.”
“She’s probably the nicest person either of us will ever know,” Griff pointed out, “and she’s the main reason I thought this would be a good place for you. She and Abner have always wanted a girl, and…”
“So, let ‘em hire one,” she snapped. “I ain’t for sale.”
Exasperated, Griff tried to turn the argument around—the way Martha had. “All right then, do you have a better idea?”
“I could go with you,” she suggested, “wherever it is you’re goin’.”
Griff shook his head. “I can’t do that. It could be a long time before I find the right place to settle down. Hard months on the road, in every kind of weather, and—”
“Like I can’t handle any kind o’ weather you throw at me,” she scoffed. “I been rained on, snowed on, half-drowned, and near roasted to death by the sun most o’ my life. If you ride off and leave me here, I’ll end up bein’ some dumb hayseed’s wife, with a passle of runny-nosed kids and nothin’ ahead o’ me when he dies pushing a damned plow but white hair and a busted rockin’ chair.”
He chuckled. “You haven’t even moved in and you’re already a white-haired widow?”
“You can fun with me all you want, Griff Harper, but it’s true, and you know it.”
“You’re wrong.
By now, though, he knew Eileen a ‘Roon well enough to suspect that whatever she agreed to tonight, under Martha’s spell, could be just as easily withdrawn before dawn tomorrow. It was plain to Griff that, like so many other of Martha’s lost lambs, the girl was responding not to reason, but to Martha’s soft voice, kind words, and gentle touch. Cold, tired, and confused, and with an innocent need to feel loved again, the girl was trying to please a new, desperately needed friend by agreeing with whatever that friend asked of her.
Griff was planning to leave in the morning, right after breakfast. What he was hoping for, and even praying for—as what Martha had always called a Doubting Thomas —was that after a sound night’s sleep in a warm bed with a soft, goose-down pillow and clean sheets, Miss O’Malley would still think it was a good idea to stay on at Rainbow Water—and try to be happy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next morning, whenever he could do it without her noticing, Griff found himself watching Eileen A ‘Roon carefully, searching for any sign that she might be about to change her mind at the last minute, refuse to stay with the Goodspeeds, and ruin everything. He knew that Martha was concerned as well, but she was obviously better at hiding her feelings than he was. A few minutes later, when he excused himself from the breakfast table in order to get Jack saddled and ready to leave, Eileen a ‘Roon threw her napkin down, stood up abruptly, and followed him outside.
They were almost to the barn when she stepped in front of him, fixed him with a cool, appraising look, and asked the one question he’d most hoped to avoid answering.
“You’re plannin’ to just ride off and leave me with these folks, right?”
Griff hesitated, searching for the right thing to say, and knowing that whatever he said was going to come out wrong. “I wasn’t going to leave without telling you goodbye, I promise.”
“Well, now, that’s just real goddamned polite of you, ain’t it? I reckon you figured that’s all you needed to do—just give the dumb little kid a pat on the head, then take off runnin’ like a turpentined rabbit.”
Griff sighed. “Not exactly the way I’d put it.”
“Yeah, well how would you put it?”
“I thought that… Well, after last night, when you told Martha you’d like to stay, I figured that…”
“I wasn’t thinkin’ clear last night,” she grumbled, “so I figured to let it go ‘til I had me some sleep, and time to think on it. That Martha’s a real nice lady, and I don’t want to hurt her none.”
“She’s probably the nicest person either of us will ever know,” Griff pointed out, “and she’s the main reason I thought this would be a good place for you. She and Abner have always wanted a girl, and…”
“So, let ‘em hire one,” she snapped. “I ain’t for sale.”
Exasperated, Griff tried to turn the argument around—the way Martha had. “All right then, do you have a better idea?”
“I could go with you,” she suggested, “wherever it is you’re goin’.”
Griff shook his head. “I can’t do that. It could be a long time before I find the right place to settle down. Hard months on the road, in every kind of weather, and—”
“Like I can’t handle any kind o’ weather you throw at me,” she scoffed. “I been rained on, snowed on, half-drowned, and near roasted to death by the sun most o’ my life. If you ride off and leave me here, I’ll end up bein’ some dumb hayseed’s wife, with a passle of runny-nosed kids and nothin’ ahead o’ me when he dies pushing a damned plow but white hair and a busted rockin’ chair.”
He chuckled. “You haven’t even moved in and you’re already a white-haired widow?”
“You can fun with me all you want, Griff Harper, but it’s true, and you know it.”
“You’re wrong.
Similar Books
