Read Online Dacey: Bride of North Carolina (Amercan Mail-Order Bride 12) by Shanna Hatfield - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shanna Hatfield
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, north carolina, Past Issues, misunderstanding, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifth In Series, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, new beginning, Conniving Mother, Reluctant Groom, Family Plantation, Asheville, Simple Farmer, Unknown Existence
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across it like the reptile might somehow work its way up her riding skirt if she stood still.
Amused, he lifted a hand out to her again. “Come down from there. That snake won’t hurt you. In fact, it’s probably more afraid of us than you are of it.” Braxton motioned for her to step off the rock.
Emphatically shaking her head, she refused. “I’m here to tell you that isn’t possible. I despise snakes. Completely. And don’t you dare tell me it’s harmless. I don’t care if it has fangs two feet long full of deadly poison or not, they are all dangerous in my opinion.” She waggled her finger toward the ground near his feet. “If you think I’m setting foot down there until you kill that thing, you’ve got rocks rattling around in that handsome head of yours.”
Braxton didn’t know whether to be insulted or complimented by her words. At least she’d said he was handsome. That stroked his ego.
He bit back his humor at her uncharacteristic terror of the snake and took a step closer.
“I’m not killing the snake, so either you’ll have to spend the day sitting on this rock, or…” he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, swinging her into his arms.
Instinctively, she wrapped her hands around his neck and glanced down to make sure the snake hadn’t started slithering up Braxton’s boots to get to her.
He laughed and held her closer against his chest. “You are something else, Miss Dacey Jo Butler.”
“I am?” she asked, looking up at him. Her face, mere inches from his, made him groan inwardly. It would be so easy to sample a taste of those tempting lips, to devour her with his surging passion. Rather than surrender to his need for her, he drew a deep breath of fresh mountain air and continued walking to his horse.
If seeing a snake sent her into his arms, he might have to task some of the younger boys with gathering a few to strategically place around the yard and barn. There would be no objection from him to have an excuse to hold her as often as possible.
At the last moment, he veered off course and over to a tree covered in morning dew. Deftly, he stepped beneath a canopy of copper-toned leaves.
Dacey drew in a breath and looked around, awestruck. “What is this, Brax? What is this place?”
Reluctantly, he set her on her feet. “This is a weeping beech tree. Mother said my grandmother had it planted for her birthday when she turned sixteen. I used to come out here and pretend it was my secret spot when I was a boy. The branches create a wonderful place to hide since they cascade to the ground.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It reminds me of a weeping willow, only more colorful with different leaves.” Dacey reached up and stroked her fingers across the leaves.
As she studied the tree, a fanciful dream of Braxton meeting her there for an afternoon of sweet kisses filled her thoughts. Mindful of how badly she wanted him to kiss her, she needed to leave before she acted on her feelings.
She turned to go and bumped into his solid form, unaware he stood so close behind her.
His hands grasped her arms to steady her. The power of his touch caused her legs to tremble. Absently, she contemplated how she’d get back to the house when she could barely keep herself upright.
“Dacey, I…” Braxton’s head lowered toward hers.
Lips aching for his kiss, she closed her eyes. His unique, manly scent filled her nose while her hands rested on the muscles of his chest.
Warmth swirled through her, from her head to her toes, as his breath brushed against her face. Foreign feelings washed over her, leaving her unsettled and uncertain.
Her eyes popped open. Resigned to doing what was right, she pushed away from him, scurrying outside into the bright morning light.
Frustrated, Braxton released a careworn sigh and followed her over to his horse. He grasped the reins in his hand and swung up to the saddle, then held out a hand to her. She took it and pulled herself up behind
Amused, he lifted a hand out to her again. “Come down from there. That snake won’t hurt you. In fact, it’s probably more afraid of us than you are of it.” Braxton motioned for her to step off the rock.
Emphatically shaking her head, she refused. “I’m here to tell you that isn’t possible. I despise snakes. Completely. And don’t you dare tell me it’s harmless. I don’t care if it has fangs two feet long full of deadly poison or not, they are all dangerous in my opinion.” She waggled her finger toward the ground near his feet. “If you think I’m setting foot down there until you kill that thing, you’ve got rocks rattling around in that handsome head of yours.”
Braxton didn’t know whether to be insulted or complimented by her words. At least she’d said he was handsome. That stroked his ego.
He bit back his humor at her uncharacteristic terror of the snake and took a step closer.
“I’m not killing the snake, so either you’ll have to spend the day sitting on this rock, or…” he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, swinging her into his arms.
Instinctively, she wrapped her hands around his neck and glanced down to make sure the snake hadn’t started slithering up Braxton’s boots to get to her.
He laughed and held her closer against his chest. “You are something else, Miss Dacey Jo Butler.”
“I am?” she asked, looking up at him. Her face, mere inches from his, made him groan inwardly. It would be so easy to sample a taste of those tempting lips, to devour her with his surging passion. Rather than surrender to his need for her, he drew a deep breath of fresh mountain air and continued walking to his horse.
If seeing a snake sent her into his arms, he might have to task some of the younger boys with gathering a few to strategically place around the yard and barn. There would be no objection from him to have an excuse to hold her as often as possible.
At the last moment, he veered off course and over to a tree covered in morning dew. Deftly, he stepped beneath a canopy of copper-toned leaves.
Dacey drew in a breath and looked around, awestruck. “What is this, Brax? What is this place?”
Reluctantly, he set her on her feet. “This is a weeping beech tree. Mother said my grandmother had it planted for her birthday when she turned sixteen. I used to come out here and pretend it was my secret spot when I was a boy. The branches create a wonderful place to hide since they cascade to the ground.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It reminds me of a weeping willow, only more colorful with different leaves.” Dacey reached up and stroked her fingers across the leaves.
As she studied the tree, a fanciful dream of Braxton meeting her there for an afternoon of sweet kisses filled her thoughts. Mindful of how badly she wanted him to kiss her, she needed to leave before she acted on her feelings.
She turned to go and bumped into his solid form, unaware he stood so close behind her.
His hands grasped her arms to steady her. The power of his touch caused her legs to tremble. Absently, she contemplated how she’d get back to the house when she could barely keep herself upright.
“Dacey, I…” Braxton’s head lowered toward hers.
Lips aching for his kiss, she closed her eyes. His unique, manly scent filled her nose while her hands rested on the muscles of his chest.
Warmth swirled through her, from her head to her toes, as his breath brushed against her face. Foreign feelings washed over her, leaving her unsettled and uncertain.
Her eyes popped open. Resigned to doing what was right, she pushed away from him, scurrying outside into the bright morning light.
Frustrated, Braxton released a careworn sigh and followed her over to his horse. He grasped the reins in his hand and swung up to the saddle, then held out a hand to her. She took it and pulled herself up behind
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