Read Online Dacey: Bride of North Carolina (Amercan Mail-Order Bride 12) by Shanna Hatfield - Free Book Online Page A

fact, I understand if you’d like me to leave.”
    He watched as she brushed at a salty drop glistening on her cheek.
    The urge to take her in his arms, hold her, and comfort her threatened to chase every speck of sense from his head. Rather than give in to his desires, he released a slow breath.
    “You don’t owe me an apology, honey. I’m the one who should apologize. My mind was elsewhere when I spooked the horse yesterday. I know he’s flighty and it was pure stupidity on my part. When I saw you fly off his back…” Braxton experienced acute pain in his chest at thoughts of Dacey being seriously injured, or worse. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt. Even though I had no idea what you said, I’m fairly certain I deserved every word.”
    Dacey grinned as she stared at him. “It was highly inappropriate for me to get so mouthy in front of your men. I’m truly sorry. I’d like to say it won’t ever happen again, but sometimes my temper runs ahead of my good judgment.”
    Braxton chuckled. “I promise to not startle the fractious horses you’re riding if you promise not to give me a verbal lambasting in front of my men. Is that a fair compromise?”
    “That’s a deal, buster.” Dacey stuck out her hand and Braxton shook it. He wanted to hold onto it, kiss her fingers, and caress the back of it. Instead, he released it and turned his attention back to the splendid landscape in front of them. “What brought you to this particular spot?”
    “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Dacey asked as she inadvertently scooted closer to him and pointed to the horizon. “I’ve come out here a few times, just to watch the sunrise. It’s getting light so late these days, I’d miss breakfast if I did it too often.”
    “But you came today.”
    A tranquil sigh escaped her. “I just needed the peace of this place to calm my soul this morning.”  She grinned as she turned to him. “Do you know what I see out there?”
    “I have no idea, but I bet you’ll tell me.”
    The enthusiastic smile she gave him made his lips tingle to savor hers. She lifted a hand and waved it dramatically in front of her, pulling his attention back to the glory before them. “I see a canvas, like a painter uses. I envision God dipping his paintbrush into the beautiful shades of autumn, dabbing it over the trees and bushes. Isn’t it lovely?”
    “Lovely,” Braxton muttered, utterly mesmerized with the girl. Unlike any other woman he knew, he couldn’t think of a single person in his crowd of supposed friends who would rise early and hike miles up a hill just to watch the sun’s arrival and admire God’s handiwork.
    About to lose his battle to keep Dacey at arm’s length, he got to his feet and held a hand out to her. “Come on, Dacey. Cornelia said all you had for breakfast was a biscuit with apple butter. I’m sure I can coerce Cook into making us something if they’ve already put the food away from breakfast. You must be starving after skipping dinner last night then walking out here.”
    “I am hungry,” she admitted, sliding off the rock and accepting the hand he held out to her. She’d taken only two steps when her eyes widened to the size of bread plates. With a frantic leap, she returned to the rock and danced a nervous jig that made Braxton gape at her as if she’d lost her mind.
    “Snake!” she screamed, pointing to a reptile slithering beneath the edge of the rock.
    In the weeks Dacey had been at Bramble Hall, he’d seen her kill mice and spiders without blinking an eye. From reports he’d received, she’d faced down raccoons, removed a bat from the carriage house, chased away a family of opossum when they tried to take up residence beneath the back porch, and disposed of a dead skunk no one else was willing to go near.
    To those who’d witnessed her actions, she came across as unflappable and fearless.
    Yet the sight of a snake, and a harmless one at that, sent her skittering on top of a rock, fretfully pacing