Read Online His Wicked Dream (Velvet Lies, Book 2) by Adrienne deWolfe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Adrienne deWolfe
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more civil about it. The day after her arrival, for instance, when she'd spied him saddling his horse, he'd greeted her with nothing more than a curt nod and a surly, "Mornin'." Later that afternoon, when she'd passed the open window of his clinic, he'd turned his back so hastily, she'd felt certain he'd meant to snub her.
Eden wished she could say Michael's opinion of her didn't matter. But as Sera's guardian, he could end Eden's budding friendship with his sister. Eden had warmed immediately to the younger girl, even though she'd suspected that Sera's effusive praise of Michael had been a matchmaking ploy. Sera was the only unmarried young woman in town who didn't glare daggers at Eden, thanks to Bonnie, and Eden, who'd never lived in any town long enough to make a close friend, was eager to deepen their acquaintance.
The bell jangled over the front door, rousing her from her thoughts. A rosy-cheeked child with wheat-colored ringlets bounced into the store. "Hello, Miss Eden," the nine-year-old said brightly, her eyes already fixed on the candy jars. "Hello, Aunt Claudia. How are you today?"
Claudia grunted, apparently unimpressed by this elfin charm. "I've been better."
Eden hid her smile. "Hello, Amanda. Did you bring us your mama's shopping list?"
"Yes, ma'am." The child juggled a squirming blanket and dug the paper out of her pinafore's pocket.
Claudia tugged her pipe from her lips. "Amanda Jean, that bundle of yours ain't your little brother, is it?"
"Oh no, ma'am. I brought my puppy."
Amanda glanced at Jamie as she spoke. To Eden's mystification, the children exchanged conspiratorial looks before Jamie blushed and dropped his gaze back to his toad.
Amanda knelt before Stazzie. "Puppy and me were wondering if you'd like to come to our tea party," she crooned as the dozing cat cracked open an eye.
"Puppy?" Aunt Claudia snorted. "Amanda Jean Buchanan, you can't go on calling that whelp Puppy."
"I can't?"
"'Course not."
"How come?"
"'Cause he's gonna grow up. Become a great big coondog someday. Coondogs need a respectable name."
Amanda looked perplexed. "What's 'respecabell'?" she whispered to Jamie.
"Grown up," he fired back.
"Oh." She peeled back the blanket, as if seeking inspiration from her hound.
Suddenly, a pink tongue darted out. The puppy tried to lick Stazzie, and the cat yowled, recoiling. Wearing a look of potent disgust, she leaped off the pickle barrel and padded to a safer napping place.
"I know!" Amanda was beaming with her newfound idea. "I'll call my doggie Mr. Puppy. That's grown up."
Claudia rolled her eyes.
The whelp sneezed.
"Uh-oh." The light in Amanda's face snuffed out. "I think Mr. Puppy has a cold."
"A cold?" Frowning like a hanging judge, Jamie dropped his jar of flies and hurried to Amanda's side. "That puppy wasn't sneezing last night. What did you do to him, Mandy?"
"Nothing!" She snatched the hound from Jamie's reach. "I gave him a bath, is all."
"What for?"
"'Cause he was smelly on account of the way you—" She seemed to catch herself, clutching the dog closer to her chest and darting a furtive glance at the grown-ups. "Never mind. Mr. Puppy," she emphasized, "is my puppy now. And I won't have him being smelly."
"You have to keep baby animals very warm," Eden interceded gently, "especially when they're wet. Otherwise, they get sick like Mr. Puppy did."
"I didn't mean for him to get sick." Amanda sounded stricken. "Is he gonna die?"
Eden winced, caught off guard. Talk of death never failed to remind her of the futility of the herbal medicine training that Talking Raven had given her. "Don't worry, Amanda. I'm sure your Mama can help Mr. Puppy feel better."
Amanda darted another glance—this one anxious—toward Jamie. He cleared his throat.
"Miss Eden, couldn't you help Mr. Puppy?"
Amanda nodded eagerly at Jamie's suggestion.
"Well, I'm not sure that would be—"
"Please?" Amanda chimed in.
Claudia struck a match and squinted at her pipe bowl. "Go on,
Eden wished she could say Michael's opinion of her didn't matter. But as Sera's guardian, he could end Eden's budding friendship with his sister. Eden had warmed immediately to the younger girl, even though she'd suspected that Sera's effusive praise of Michael had been a matchmaking ploy. Sera was the only unmarried young woman in town who didn't glare daggers at Eden, thanks to Bonnie, and Eden, who'd never lived in any town long enough to make a close friend, was eager to deepen their acquaintance.
The bell jangled over the front door, rousing her from her thoughts. A rosy-cheeked child with wheat-colored ringlets bounced into the store. "Hello, Miss Eden," the nine-year-old said brightly, her eyes already fixed on the candy jars. "Hello, Aunt Claudia. How are you today?"
Claudia grunted, apparently unimpressed by this elfin charm. "I've been better."
Eden hid her smile. "Hello, Amanda. Did you bring us your mama's shopping list?"
"Yes, ma'am." The child juggled a squirming blanket and dug the paper out of her pinafore's pocket.
Claudia tugged her pipe from her lips. "Amanda Jean, that bundle of yours ain't your little brother, is it?"
"Oh no, ma'am. I brought my puppy."
Amanda glanced at Jamie as she spoke. To Eden's mystification, the children exchanged conspiratorial looks before Jamie blushed and dropped his gaze back to his toad.
Amanda knelt before Stazzie. "Puppy and me were wondering if you'd like to come to our tea party," she crooned as the dozing cat cracked open an eye.
"Puppy?" Aunt Claudia snorted. "Amanda Jean Buchanan, you can't go on calling that whelp Puppy."
"I can't?"
"'Course not."
"How come?"
"'Cause he's gonna grow up. Become a great big coondog someday. Coondogs need a respectable name."
Amanda looked perplexed. "What's 'respecabell'?" she whispered to Jamie.
"Grown up," he fired back.
"Oh." She peeled back the blanket, as if seeking inspiration from her hound.
Suddenly, a pink tongue darted out. The puppy tried to lick Stazzie, and the cat yowled, recoiling. Wearing a look of potent disgust, she leaped off the pickle barrel and padded to a safer napping place.
"I know!" Amanda was beaming with her newfound idea. "I'll call my doggie Mr. Puppy. That's grown up."
Claudia rolled her eyes.
The whelp sneezed.
"Uh-oh." The light in Amanda's face snuffed out. "I think Mr. Puppy has a cold."
"A cold?" Frowning like a hanging judge, Jamie dropped his jar of flies and hurried to Amanda's side. "That puppy wasn't sneezing last night. What did you do to him, Mandy?"
"Nothing!" She snatched the hound from Jamie's reach. "I gave him a bath, is all."
"What for?"
"'Cause he was smelly on account of the way you—" She seemed to catch herself, clutching the dog closer to her chest and darting a furtive glance at the grown-ups. "Never mind. Mr. Puppy," she emphasized, "is my puppy now. And I won't have him being smelly."
"You have to keep baby animals very warm," Eden interceded gently, "especially when they're wet. Otherwise, they get sick like Mr. Puppy did."
"I didn't mean for him to get sick." Amanda sounded stricken. "Is he gonna die?"
Eden winced, caught off guard. Talk of death never failed to remind her of the futility of the herbal medicine training that Talking Raven had given her. "Don't worry, Amanda. I'm sure your Mama can help Mr. Puppy feel better."
Amanda darted another glance—this one anxious—toward Jamie. He cleared his throat.
"Miss Eden, couldn't you help Mr. Puppy?"
Amanda nodded eagerly at Jamie's suggestion.
"Well, I'm not sure that would be—"
"Please?" Amanda chimed in.
Claudia struck a match and squinted at her pipe bowl. "Go on,
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