Read Online Ever After by Odessa Gillespie Black - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Odessa Gillespie Black
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thing. Sort of flirty. Yet full of bad boy.
Nancy’s cheeks reddened. “You’re not a bit cute.”
Cole turned back to his plate. Every gargantuan bite of food he shoveled into his mouth should have weighed him down, but the circles under his eyes lightened and his demeanor shifted. Cole devoured the last of a pile of pancakes and eggs. His hand brushed mine as we both reached for a napkin from the center of the table. He jerked back.
“Sorry,” I said, still a little put off with him.
Frozen, he stared into my eyes for a few seconds. His gaze went to my hair. Cole’s eyes glinted a lighter green as his gaze traveled down my neck. He stopped the appraisal by grabbing up his napkin. He wiped his lips. “I just don’t like people in my personal space.”
“Personal space?” I smirked. “You weren’t too worried about personal space last night. I think I have a bruise or two from your grip.”
A frying pan clattered. Nancy turned from the oven and stared at us.
Cole’s eyes twitched again, the way they did when I’d said just the right thing.
“Yeah, walk much?”
I bit the inside of my lips.
Nancy wrenched the dishtowel. Was she going to pop him with it?
“Where are your manners?” Her face pinched in disapproval.
“Don’t even start.” He dropped his fork on his plate with a loud clang and shoved it away.
“Don’t you take that tone with me, young man.”
Cole stood and took his half-emptied plate to the dishwasher.
“So, Miss Knowles, are you married? Cole hasn’t been on a date in quite some time.” Nancy turned to face the sink, a smile visible on the side of her face.
Cole actually dropped his plate. Luckily, the rack inside the dishwasher was plastic coated.
Nancy’s mischievous smile widened. “You know what they say about the energies of people who argue like cats and dogs when they meet—”
“I’ve heard quite enough of your astrology b.s. Stars do not dictate who I fall in love with. Trust me on this one.”
I could have crawled under the table.
“Suit yourself. Go milk a cow, plow a field, or shovel manure until you’re old. Just waste away a lonely old man, ’cause that’s what you’re going to be.” Nancy’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. “There will never be any babies around here for me to spoil.”
Cole openly stared at her as if he might hurtle the closest thing he could find in her direction. Nancy tipped a nod in my direction.
Cole’s eyes twitched as he stared her down.
She huffed and gave up, turning back to the stove. She picked up a cast iron frying pan, and went to work cleaning eggs out of it.
“I’ll see you whenever you’re done with breakfast. Take your time. You can afford to, but some of us do have to work. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be feeding the cattle.” He shoved through the swinging door. Nancy turned an apologetic smile in my direction.
“Don’t pay him too much mind. He’s been this way since I’ve known him. He doesn’t take kindly to females. Except Ava. She was the closest thing he had to a mother other than me.” One side of Nancy’s mouth pulled back in a sad grimace.
“Do you think he hates me because of this whole crazy will mix-up?”
“Cole Kinsley could care less about the money. And as I’m sure you’ve heard already, Ava didn’t make mistakes. She was born incapable. Regarding Cranky-pants, he’s miserable because he’s lonely. And from what I saw of his reaction to you this morning, you probably remind him of everything he doesn’t have.” Nancy patted my shoulder and turned to answer a service bell in the dining hall.
* * * *
The long stone hallways were lined with paintings from different eras. It was time to get to know the woman who thought enough of me to leave me everything she owned.
The first painting on the left was a young girl. The plaque read, “Ava Maryann Rollins 1948.” She’d had brown hair, green eyes and a tall, skinny figure. She reminded me of a snooty
Nancy’s cheeks reddened. “You’re not a bit cute.”
Cole turned back to his plate. Every gargantuan bite of food he shoveled into his mouth should have weighed him down, but the circles under his eyes lightened and his demeanor shifted. Cole devoured the last of a pile of pancakes and eggs. His hand brushed mine as we both reached for a napkin from the center of the table. He jerked back.
“Sorry,” I said, still a little put off with him.
Frozen, he stared into my eyes for a few seconds. His gaze went to my hair. Cole’s eyes glinted a lighter green as his gaze traveled down my neck. He stopped the appraisal by grabbing up his napkin. He wiped his lips. “I just don’t like people in my personal space.”
“Personal space?” I smirked. “You weren’t too worried about personal space last night. I think I have a bruise or two from your grip.”
A frying pan clattered. Nancy turned from the oven and stared at us.
Cole’s eyes twitched again, the way they did when I’d said just the right thing.
“Yeah, walk much?”
I bit the inside of my lips.
Nancy wrenched the dishtowel. Was she going to pop him with it?
“Where are your manners?” Her face pinched in disapproval.
“Don’t even start.” He dropped his fork on his plate with a loud clang and shoved it away.
“Don’t you take that tone with me, young man.”
Cole stood and took his half-emptied plate to the dishwasher.
“So, Miss Knowles, are you married? Cole hasn’t been on a date in quite some time.” Nancy turned to face the sink, a smile visible on the side of her face.
Cole actually dropped his plate. Luckily, the rack inside the dishwasher was plastic coated.
Nancy’s mischievous smile widened. “You know what they say about the energies of people who argue like cats and dogs when they meet—”
“I’ve heard quite enough of your astrology b.s. Stars do not dictate who I fall in love with. Trust me on this one.”
I could have crawled under the table.
“Suit yourself. Go milk a cow, plow a field, or shovel manure until you’re old. Just waste away a lonely old man, ’cause that’s what you’re going to be.” Nancy’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. “There will never be any babies around here for me to spoil.”
Cole openly stared at her as if he might hurtle the closest thing he could find in her direction. Nancy tipped a nod in my direction.
Cole’s eyes twitched as he stared her down.
She huffed and gave up, turning back to the stove. She picked up a cast iron frying pan, and went to work cleaning eggs out of it.
“I’ll see you whenever you’re done with breakfast. Take your time. You can afford to, but some of us do have to work. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be feeding the cattle.” He shoved through the swinging door. Nancy turned an apologetic smile in my direction.
“Don’t pay him too much mind. He’s been this way since I’ve known him. He doesn’t take kindly to females. Except Ava. She was the closest thing he had to a mother other than me.” One side of Nancy’s mouth pulled back in a sad grimace.
“Do you think he hates me because of this whole crazy will mix-up?”
“Cole Kinsley could care less about the money. And as I’m sure you’ve heard already, Ava didn’t make mistakes. She was born incapable. Regarding Cranky-pants, he’s miserable because he’s lonely. And from what I saw of his reaction to you this morning, you probably remind him of everything he doesn’t have.” Nancy patted my shoulder and turned to answer a service bell in the dining hall.
* * * *
The long stone hallways were lined with paintings from different eras. It was time to get to know the woman who thought enough of me to leave me everything she owned.
The first painting on the left was a young girl. The plaque read, “Ava Maryann Rollins 1948.” She’d had brown hair, green eyes and a tall, skinny figure. She reminded me of a snooty
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