Read Online Forever Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Book 7) by Verna Clay - Free Book Online
Authors: Verna Clay
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"Yep," and pulled on her earlobe with his teeth.
She giggled like a school girl. "Sage, there are children running around." She felt him smile against her ear.
"Okay, I'll behave myself for now. But later, my love, we're going to spend some long hours together. As for Toby, I agree, the boy is smitten. Do you think she feels the same way about him? They haven't known each other long."
"Oh, I can assure you she has strong feelings for him."
"A woman's intuition?"
"No. Body language. The girl turns as red as a beet and practically swoons whenever he's around. Your idea of putting them on the same horse was fabulous."
"I thought you'd appreciate my brilliance."
Sarah jerked her elbow backward in a playful manner. "Now I know where the boys get their conceit, as well as their looks."
"Are you buttering me up for something?"
"Do you want me to?"
Sage made a growling sound and placed his hands around his wife's waist, pulling her tighter against him. "What do you think, darlin'?"
Sarah suddenly felt warm all over and turned her profile to her husband. "Sage, I've been married to you for twenty-five years and you still give me the vapors."
He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Honey, I won't even tell you what you do to me. You'd faint for sure."
She faced the gathering again and asked, "Did you get things set up with Preston and Freckles?"
"I did. And I can't wait to see Toby's face when he finds out he'll be taking Preston's place on the Trail Blaze."
"Do you think he and Freckles were terribly disappointed about not attending?"
"Any disappointment was outweighed by their glee at putting Toby in the hot seat. Three days in close proximity to Dovie is going to have that boy going crazy. I'm looking forward to seeing Toby falling all over himself."
"Like today?"
"Yep, just like today."
Chapter 14: Heart-to-Heart
The week after the trail ride and picnic Dovie was asked by Sarah, at the urging of the counselors, to share some of the obstacles she'd faced in her life. She had no qualms about sharing her challenges, she was just nervous thinking Toby might be there. When she finally sat on the overstuffed chair beside the hearth and faced the children and their overseers, as well as other guests who wanted to hear her story, she glanced surreptitiously around. She saw Sage and Sarah, their daughter Hannah, as well as Preston and Freckles and some of the ranch hands, but she didn't see Toby and heaved a sigh of relief.
She began her story by telling everyone that her father and mother had separated before she was born. Their marriage had already been rocky, and when a sonogram showed the extent of her physical deformity, her father hadn't been able to handle it and left. She'd never met him. She admitted to her small audience that a parent leaving a child wasn't something she could understand, but she didn't dwell on the past. There was too much to do and see in life to allow another's choice to affect her.
Benny blurted, "Do you want to see your father?"
She shrugged. "I guess if it happened, it would be okay, but like I said, it doesn't keep me awake nights. His choices were his. My choices are mine. Your choices are yours."
Benny said, "My mom chose drugs and now she's in jail."
Dovie responded, "Like I said, Benny, you're free to make your own choices. Your mother made a wrong one and hopefully she'll learn from it."
Roxy interjected in a disgruntled voice, "Well, I wish I could make my own choices. Everyone keeps insisting I do things I don't want to. Like staying at this dumb dude ranch."
All eyes turned from Roxy to Dovie for her response. Dovie said, "Whether you admit it or not, Roxy, you've made a choice. You've chosen to ignore the love surrounding you. Everyone here is reaching out to you with open arms, wanting to help you adjust to the changes in your life. And rather than acknowledge their efforts, you choose to live in a world of your own creation that only makes you miserable."
The room was so
She giggled like a school girl. "Sage, there are children running around." She felt him smile against her ear.
"Okay, I'll behave myself for now. But later, my love, we're going to spend some long hours together. As for Toby, I agree, the boy is smitten. Do you think she feels the same way about him? They haven't known each other long."
"Oh, I can assure you she has strong feelings for him."
"A woman's intuition?"
"No. Body language. The girl turns as red as a beet and practically swoons whenever he's around. Your idea of putting them on the same horse was fabulous."
"I thought you'd appreciate my brilliance."
Sarah jerked her elbow backward in a playful manner. "Now I know where the boys get their conceit, as well as their looks."
"Are you buttering me up for something?"
"Do you want me to?"
Sage made a growling sound and placed his hands around his wife's waist, pulling her tighter against him. "What do you think, darlin'?"
Sarah suddenly felt warm all over and turned her profile to her husband. "Sage, I've been married to you for twenty-five years and you still give me the vapors."
He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Honey, I won't even tell you what you do to me. You'd faint for sure."
She faced the gathering again and asked, "Did you get things set up with Preston and Freckles?"
"I did. And I can't wait to see Toby's face when he finds out he'll be taking Preston's place on the Trail Blaze."
"Do you think he and Freckles were terribly disappointed about not attending?"
"Any disappointment was outweighed by their glee at putting Toby in the hot seat. Three days in close proximity to Dovie is going to have that boy going crazy. I'm looking forward to seeing Toby falling all over himself."
"Like today?"
"Yep, just like today."
Chapter 14: Heart-to-Heart
The week after the trail ride and picnic Dovie was asked by Sarah, at the urging of the counselors, to share some of the obstacles she'd faced in her life. She had no qualms about sharing her challenges, she was just nervous thinking Toby might be there. When she finally sat on the overstuffed chair beside the hearth and faced the children and their overseers, as well as other guests who wanted to hear her story, she glanced surreptitiously around. She saw Sage and Sarah, their daughter Hannah, as well as Preston and Freckles and some of the ranch hands, but she didn't see Toby and heaved a sigh of relief.
She began her story by telling everyone that her father and mother had separated before she was born. Their marriage had already been rocky, and when a sonogram showed the extent of her physical deformity, her father hadn't been able to handle it and left. She'd never met him. She admitted to her small audience that a parent leaving a child wasn't something she could understand, but she didn't dwell on the past. There was too much to do and see in life to allow another's choice to affect her.
Benny blurted, "Do you want to see your father?"
She shrugged. "I guess if it happened, it would be okay, but like I said, it doesn't keep me awake nights. His choices were his. My choices are mine. Your choices are yours."
Benny said, "My mom chose drugs and now she's in jail."
Dovie responded, "Like I said, Benny, you're free to make your own choices. Your mother made a wrong one and hopefully she'll learn from it."
Roxy interjected in a disgruntled voice, "Well, I wish I could make my own choices. Everyone keeps insisting I do things I don't want to. Like staying at this dumb dude ranch."
All eyes turned from Roxy to Dovie for her response. Dovie said, "Whether you admit it or not, Roxy, you've made a choice. You've chosen to ignore the love surrounding you. Everyone here is reaching out to you with open arms, wanting to help you adjust to the changes in your life. And rather than acknowledge their efforts, you choose to live in a world of your own creation that only makes you miserable."
The room was so
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