Read Online Hannah: A Bride For Cowboy Warren (Mail Order Brides For The Doyle Brothers Book 1) by Jenny Creek Tanner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenny Creek Tanner
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meet her prince, like the fairy tales she’d read in one of the books she’d borrowed. Young maidens were always rescued by handsome princes—or at least well-meaning young men. Where was her prince?
She laughed again, tickling Jeremiah until his small laugh pierced the quiet. It sounded so foolish to think of a prince coming to her rescue. She’d settle for a handsome cowboy though. Someone with broad shoulders, fine features, and a winsome smile. Someone who would put her first and care for her. Someone who—
Essie jumped in surprise. Her daydream was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jeremiah turned toward the sound as well but Essie was already picking up him. She approached the door with caution. Everyone was gone today since all of the hands had been needed on driving a large herd to a new location. She bit her lip and stared at the door and waited a few more seconds.
Another knock, louder this time, rocked through the silence of the house but it was followed by, “Hello? Anybody home? It’s Gus.”
Relief flooded through Essie and she pulled the door open. “Gus!”
He looked surprised at her excitement to see him, and his eyes went to the baby in her arms.
“Well, come in silly,” she said, and stepped back to let him in.
He ambled in, his cane close to his right leg; so much a part of him Essie hardly noticed it now. He didn’t say anything, but stood just inside the door glancing between her, the baby, and the floor. She was used to his brooding silence and waited, knowing he would speak up when he was ready.
“I came to take the mare in to town.”
She searched her memory for any clue to what he was talking about. “The mare…?”
He nodded once. “Russell mentioned one of his mare’s had thrown a shoe. I thought I’d take care of that.”
His kindness washed over her. Russell would never ask him to take care of something like that, but he would do it anyway. Not many people saw the soft side to Gus McNeal.
“I’m assuming he’s not expecting you to take her.”
He shook his head once.
“Well, since you’re here, would you like a piece of peach pie?”
He scrunched up his face. “Did you make it?”
“Yes, sir.” She said, smiling.
“Then probably not.”
Her mouth dropped open at his blunt comment until a rare grin burst onto his usually gruff features.
“How dare you, Gus! I should take back my offer.”
He didn’t defend his teasing and she knew he wouldn’t. Instead, she turned around and went to the kitchen to get the man his pie. He always gave her a hard time, and yet she found that she didn’t mind it one bit.
Gus took a bite of the pie and almost choked. It was much too sweet and the crust was rubbery instead of flaky, but he’d never tell sweet Essie that. She looked on with a hopeful expression that showed she’d put all of her effort into making the dessert.
“Mmm,” he said, swallowing the lump of dough in his mouth.
She jogged the baby up and down on her knee then looked back at him with pale blue eyes the color of the morning sky. Her bright blonde hair reminded him of the husks of wheat left at the end of the season. In his opinion she was by far the most beautiful of the Cummins sisters and, for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why no man had come to his senses and courted or married her.
Then again, she was still young. If he remembered correctly she’d just turned eighteen but, as Russell liked to say, her mind was a thousand miles away almost all the time. He was always telling stories about how she’d burned the stew or over-baked the bread, leaving Winnie to clean up after her messes because she was off walking by the river or reading a book.
Gus knew his friend became frustrated with her at times. She would disappear for hours at a time, not noticing the passing of the sun. She was a dreamer. Innocent and maybe a little naive.
Gus liked her innocence though. It reminded him of happier times—when he used to have
She laughed again, tickling Jeremiah until his small laugh pierced the quiet. It sounded so foolish to think of a prince coming to her rescue. She’d settle for a handsome cowboy though. Someone with broad shoulders, fine features, and a winsome smile. Someone who would put her first and care for her. Someone who—
Essie jumped in surprise. Her daydream was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jeremiah turned toward the sound as well but Essie was already picking up him. She approached the door with caution. Everyone was gone today since all of the hands had been needed on driving a large herd to a new location. She bit her lip and stared at the door and waited a few more seconds.
Another knock, louder this time, rocked through the silence of the house but it was followed by, “Hello? Anybody home? It’s Gus.”
Relief flooded through Essie and she pulled the door open. “Gus!”
He looked surprised at her excitement to see him, and his eyes went to the baby in her arms.
“Well, come in silly,” she said, and stepped back to let him in.
He ambled in, his cane close to his right leg; so much a part of him Essie hardly noticed it now. He didn’t say anything, but stood just inside the door glancing between her, the baby, and the floor. She was used to his brooding silence and waited, knowing he would speak up when he was ready.
“I came to take the mare in to town.”
She searched her memory for any clue to what he was talking about. “The mare…?”
He nodded once. “Russell mentioned one of his mare’s had thrown a shoe. I thought I’d take care of that.”
His kindness washed over her. Russell would never ask him to take care of something like that, but he would do it anyway. Not many people saw the soft side to Gus McNeal.
“I’m assuming he’s not expecting you to take her.”
He shook his head once.
“Well, since you’re here, would you like a piece of peach pie?”
He scrunched up his face. “Did you make it?”
“Yes, sir.” She said, smiling.
“Then probably not.”
Her mouth dropped open at his blunt comment until a rare grin burst onto his usually gruff features.
“How dare you, Gus! I should take back my offer.”
He didn’t defend his teasing and she knew he wouldn’t. Instead, she turned around and went to the kitchen to get the man his pie. He always gave her a hard time, and yet she found that she didn’t mind it one bit.
Gus took a bite of the pie and almost choked. It was much too sweet and the crust was rubbery instead of flaky, but he’d never tell sweet Essie that. She looked on with a hopeful expression that showed she’d put all of her effort into making the dessert.
“Mmm,” he said, swallowing the lump of dough in his mouth.
She jogged the baby up and down on her knee then looked back at him with pale blue eyes the color of the morning sky. Her bright blonde hair reminded him of the husks of wheat left at the end of the season. In his opinion she was by far the most beautiful of the Cummins sisters and, for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why no man had come to his senses and courted or married her.
Then again, she was still young. If he remembered correctly she’d just turned eighteen but, as Russell liked to say, her mind was a thousand miles away almost all the time. He was always telling stories about how she’d burned the stew or over-baked the bread, leaving Winnie to clean up after her messes because she was off walking by the river or reading a book.
Gus knew his friend became frustrated with her at times. She would disappear for hours at a time, not noticing the passing of the sun. She was a dreamer. Innocent and maybe a little naive.
Gus liked her innocence though. It reminded him of happier times—when he used to have
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