Read Online Daisy (Suitors of Seattle) by Kirsten Osbourne - Free Book Online Page B

together.  Daisy had always thought she’d have a large family like her mother, but she wasn’t certain how she felt about it now that she was seeing it from the other side.  She’d never had a friend with so many children before.
    They crowded around the table and Samuel said the prayer for them.  Eli sat beside Daisy and squeezed her hand under the table.  “You okay?” he asked.   He had realized while standing out in the barn talking that even though Daisy had seemed comfortable with Clara, he probably should have stayed in the house because of how shy she was.
    She nodded.  “I like your friends.”
    He smiled, patting her knee.  “I do too.  They’re good people.”
    They stayed around after lunch for long enough for Daisy to help with the dishes, but Natalie was nervous about Daisy and Eli being there when her beau arrived.  What she thought they’d do, Daisy wasn’t sure, but she didn’t mind.
    Eli helped her into the wagon, and they drove home, traveling on roads she’d never seen.  They passed a small stream, and he slowed a bit.  The day was unseasonably warm, and they enjoyed the weather.  “I’m glad you liked my friends.”
    She smiled at him, her eyes lit up.  “Me too.  It’s going to be nice to have friends who we both enjoy being around.”  She rested her head against his shoulder, loving being close to him.  “What did you men do outside?”
    He shrugged.  “We always tell Clara we work, but mainly we stand around talking in the barn.”
    “So why do you tell Clara that you’re working?”   Daisy was inordinately pleased that he’d told her the truth about what they’d done.
    He chuckled.  “ Albert doesn’t want her to send all the children outside with us, and if she thinks we’re working, she doesn’t.”
    Daisy laughed.  “He doesn’t like the children?”
    “Oh he loves the children.  He just likes to stand around and talk without them going back and telling her everything.” 
    He helped her down when they got back to the house.  She went inside while he unhitched the horses.  She was surprised when he followed her into the house.  He headed for the bedroom.  “I’m going to change clothes and go check on the cattle.”
    Daisy bit her lip as she watched him go.  He’d said in his letter that he finally had time for a wife.  He didn’t act as if he did, but instead acted like he had time to eat the food a wife cooked and make love with a wife every night, but actually spending time with a wife seemed to be beyond him.  She sighed.  She hoped he had feelings for her, but he certainly didn’t seem to.
    She made the cornbread for dinner and mixed up batter for a cake.  She’d heard the expression saying , “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”  She wanted Eli’s heart.  He was a good man, and she wanted more of him than he seemed willing to give her.
    Eli had enjoyed watching Daisy with his friends all day, but he was still afraid she would turn tail and go home.  He wasn’t sure what made him worry about that with her, because she’d told him that she was happier with him, but he just had a feeling in his gut that she was going to leave him.  He’d never really had a constant in his life. Albert had been his friend for eight years, and that was the longest he’d ever known and cared about anyone.
    He changed hurriedly and left the house, this time forgoing the kiss he usually left her with.  He was afraid he’d get too attached and she’d leave.  He wasn’t risking his heart. 
    Daisy spent the rest of the day alone, working in the house.  She’d already cleaned it to the point where it was immaculate, and there was nothing left to do there.  She’d done the small amount of decorating she needed to do.  She looked around.  What was left?
    She went to their room and went through his clothes for things that needed to be mended.  That would keep her busy for a while.  She sat down and worked on the