Read Online Elly: Cowgirl Bride by Trish Milburn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Trish Milburn
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did Mark tell you?”
Janie refused to make eye contact. “He didn’t.”
Elly glanced around to see if any of the other customers were near enough to hear their conversation. “My father?”
Janie swallowed visibly, like she was trying to work a grapefruit down her throat. “I’ve known for a while, before Mark.”
Elly’s breath caught in her chest. “How long?”
“Since Dad was sick.”
Before Elly could question her further, Janie choked out, “I can’t talk about this now,” then turned and gave Elly’s list to Leslie Pearsoll, who was just stepping out of his office.
“Take care of Elly. I’ve got to help Collum McKinney find a new pair of boots.”
If Elly stood where she was any longer, she was going to cry and make a fool out of herself.
“Elly?” Leslie said, sounding worried.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes to get my load.” She spun on her boot heel and hurried out of the store. Once outside, she realized there was nowhere to hide to get her emotions under control, to wrap her mind around the fact that Janie had known about the affair, about Mark, for months. How had she acted like nothing was wrong? And why the change in her behavior now? Was the news going to be made public? Elly’s stomach rolled at the thought.
She spotted the Sagebrush Diner across the street and stalked toward it, pushed her way through the front door and up to the counter.
“Hey, Elly,” Martha Pickens said from her post behind the cash register.
Elly just nodded and ordered a monster, one of the diner’s signature six-inch diameter sweet rolls, and a large black coffee. She paid, offered a perfunctory thanks and retraced her steps outside.
She nearly plowed into Will as she barreled through the door into a world that was blanketed with too much sunshine for her mood.
Will gripped her upper arms to steady her. “Hey. I thought I saw you go in a minute ago.” He must have seen her expression because his changed to one of concern. “You okay?”
“No, I’m not, as a matter of fact,” she snapped.
Will glanced around then steered her away from the restaurant entrance to the side of the building that wasn’t lined with windows through which everyone in town could see her implode.
“I don’t think you want to do this here.”
“I don’t want to do this at all. I want it to go the hell away.”
Will held her hands lightly in his. “What happened?”
His voice sounded so gentle, so understanding that she had to swallow the lump that was increasing in size by the second.
She told him about the encounter at the Feed and Grain, about what she feared it meant.
“You don’t know what it means yet,” he said.
“Nothing good.” She sighed. “I feel like I’m losing everything.”
“You’re not losing Janie. Things may be strained between you two for a while, but you’ll work it out.”
She looked him fully in the face for the first time since she’d nearly bowled him over. Was she seeing more than concern in those gorgeous eyes of his?
No. She couldn’t handle this, not now. She pulled her hands away and crossed her arms, causing her paper bag full of sweet roll to crumple. She turned away from him. “I need to go. I’ve got a load of feed to take home.”
She thought he might try to stop her, but he didn’t. Despite her being the one who walked away, her heart broke a little more. She blinked several times. God, nothing made sense anymore.
She made it to the truck, called out for the feed to be put on the Cottonwood’s account. The truck’s back tires spit gravel as she sped from the parking lot.
She’d driven the road between Markton and the ranch so many times that it allowed her to travel on autopilot. She didn’t even think about where she was until she noticed the pull off that overlooked the ranch. After skidding to a halt on the side of the road, she let her gaze wander over all the undulations and colors of the land. Cody land.
Maybe Mark Hansen’s land.
Her
Janie refused to make eye contact. “He didn’t.”
Elly glanced around to see if any of the other customers were near enough to hear their conversation. “My father?”
Janie swallowed visibly, like she was trying to work a grapefruit down her throat. “I’ve known for a while, before Mark.”
Elly’s breath caught in her chest. “How long?”
“Since Dad was sick.”
Before Elly could question her further, Janie choked out, “I can’t talk about this now,” then turned and gave Elly’s list to Leslie Pearsoll, who was just stepping out of his office.
“Take care of Elly. I’ve got to help Collum McKinney find a new pair of boots.”
If Elly stood where she was any longer, she was going to cry and make a fool out of herself.
“Elly?” Leslie said, sounding worried.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes to get my load.” She spun on her boot heel and hurried out of the store. Once outside, she realized there was nowhere to hide to get her emotions under control, to wrap her mind around the fact that Janie had known about the affair, about Mark, for months. How had she acted like nothing was wrong? And why the change in her behavior now? Was the news going to be made public? Elly’s stomach rolled at the thought.
She spotted the Sagebrush Diner across the street and stalked toward it, pushed her way through the front door and up to the counter.
“Hey, Elly,” Martha Pickens said from her post behind the cash register.
Elly just nodded and ordered a monster, one of the diner’s signature six-inch diameter sweet rolls, and a large black coffee. She paid, offered a perfunctory thanks and retraced her steps outside.
She nearly plowed into Will as she barreled through the door into a world that was blanketed with too much sunshine for her mood.
Will gripped her upper arms to steady her. “Hey. I thought I saw you go in a minute ago.” He must have seen her expression because his changed to one of concern. “You okay?”
“No, I’m not, as a matter of fact,” she snapped.
Will glanced around then steered her away from the restaurant entrance to the side of the building that wasn’t lined with windows through which everyone in town could see her implode.
“I don’t think you want to do this here.”
“I don’t want to do this at all. I want it to go the hell away.”
Will held her hands lightly in his. “What happened?”
His voice sounded so gentle, so understanding that she had to swallow the lump that was increasing in size by the second.
She told him about the encounter at the Feed and Grain, about what she feared it meant.
“You don’t know what it means yet,” he said.
“Nothing good.” She sighed. “I feel like I’m losing everything.”
“You’re not losing Janie. Things may be strained between you two for a while, but you’ll work it out.”
She looked him fully in the face for the first time since she’d nearly bowled him over. Was she seeing more than concern in those gorgeous eyes of his?
No. She couldn’t handle this, not now. She pulled her hands away and crossed her arms, causing her paper bag full of sweet roll to crumple. She turned away from him. “I need to go. I’ve got a load of feed to take home.”
She thought he might try to stop her, but he didn’t. Despite her being the one who walked away, her heart broke a little more. She blinked several times. God, nothing made sense anymore.
She made it to the truck, called out for the feed to be put on the Cottonwood’s account. The truck’s back tires spit gravel as she sped from the parking lot.
She’d driven the road between Markton and the ranch so many times that it allowed her to travel on autopilot. She didn’t even think about where she was until she noticed the pull off that overlooked the ranch. After skidding to a halt on the side of the road, she let her gaze wander over all the undulations and colors of the land. Cody land.
Maybe Mark Hansen’s land.
Her
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