Read Online Iris (Suitors of Seattle Book 8) by Kirsten Osbourne - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kirsten Osbourne
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needed to know the answer to that before he moved on. He'd heard rumors, and he wondered if they were true.
"I have no idea. I've only seen her with someone that I don't know one time. That's when we were in the wagon together heading out for me to treat Mallie's broken arm. Did you know the man with her?"
"That was Cletus Sanders. He lives in the woods year-round. No one's quite sure what he does and why he does it, but he comes into town every couple of weeks to stock up on chewing tobacco. He is a strange one." They were out of town, and Francis pulled over to the side of the road. "Why are you sitting so far away?"
Iris smiled, scooting across the seat to sit next to him, her thigh against his. "I didn't want anyone in town to get the wrong idea."
"What wrong idea? That I'm courting you? That wouldn't be the wrong idea."
Iris smiled. "You are?"
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I thought we settled this last night."
Iris shrugged. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel today." She'd always had a lot of confidence in certain things, but her ability to be in a relationship was not one of them.
He cupped the base of her neck with his hand, leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. "I feel like God was smiling down on me when he sent you to Nowhere, Texas."
Iris smiled. "I feel the same way."
When they reached his house, the girls were all waiting for her. Mallie was bouncing up and down on her heels. "It's so good to see you, Dr. Sullivan." The girl rushed forward and gave Iris an awkward one armed hug.
Iris waited for Francis to come around and help her down. "Nice to see you too, Mallie. How's the arm feeling?"
"Better."
Ettie and Katie came close as well. Katie threw her arms around Iris. "I'm glad you came to eat supper with us, Dr. Sullivan."
Iris hugged the youngest girl back. "What are we having for supper?"
Katie shrugged. "Edith said it was something special, and I would like it. I was afraid to ask too many questions, or she might not let me eat it."
Iris laughed. "I'm sure Edith lets you eat everything she cooks."
Katie smiled sweetly. "But I never know what she's going to do next time." She leaned forward and whispered, "She's sneaky."
"You're a silly girl Katie."
Katie nodded. "Sometimes being silly is fun."
Francis offered his arm to Iris. "This is a silly way to court. With three little girls following us everywhere."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to get to know your girls too." She stepped into the kitchen, which was a great deal cleaner than it had been the first time she'd seen it. "Dinner smells wonderful Edith."
Edith turn from the stove with a smile. "I just hope it tastes as good as it smells."
Iris wondered what Francis had told the girls about why she'd come to dinner. Had he admitted that they were courting?
Ettie answered the question before she could even ask it. "Are you going to marry our pa?"
Iris blushed, wondering how she should answer that question. "I don't really know. Would you like me to?"
Ettie nodded silently. "Yes please."
Mallie moved over beside her sister. "We all want you to marry Pa."
Francis walked over and shook his head at the girls. "Wash your hands before supper."
Iris looked at Francis with a smile. What could she say to him now that his girls had tried to get her to be their mother? "I like your girls."
"I'm not certain, but I think they like you as well." He winked at her.
When they sat down at the table, Iris couldn't help but think about the family dinners that they'd had in the Sullivan home back in Seattle. Right about this time, Jasmine would have had to throw some food at someone else, and then she would have immediately blamed it on someone else entirely. Her sister had always made family meals interesting, and sometimes unpleasant. She waited for a biscuit to be lobbed across the table, but when it didn't happen, she began eating.
Edith had made a roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, biscuits, and there was a
"I have no idea. I've only seen her with someone that I don't know one time. That's when we were in the wagon together heading out for me to treat Mallie's broken arm. Did you know the man with her?"
"That was Cletus Sanders. He lives in the woods year-round. No one's quite sure what he does and why he does it, but he comes into town every couple of weeks to stock up on chewing tobacco. He is a strange one." They were out of town, and Francis pulled over to the side of the road. "Why are you sitting so far away?"
Iris smiled, scooting across the seat to sit next to him, her thigh against his. "I didn't want anyone in town to get the wrong idea."
"What wrong idea? That I'm courting you? That wouldn't be the wrong idea."
Iris smiled. "You are?"
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I thought we settled this last night."
Iris shrugged. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel today." She'd always had a lot of confidence in certain things, but her ability to be in a relationship was not one of them.
He cupped the base of her neck with his hand, leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. "I feel like God was smiling down on me when he sent you to Nowhere, Texas."
Iris smiled. "I feel the same way."
When they reached his house, the girls were all waiting for her. Mallie was bouncing up and down on her heels. "It's so good to see you, Dr. Sullivan." The girl rushed forward and gave Iris an awkward one armed hug.
Iris waited for Francis to come around and help her down. "Nice to see you too, Mallie. How's the arm feeling?"
"Better."
Ettie and Katie came close as well. Katie threw her arms around Iris. "I'm glad you came to eat supper with us, Dr. Sullivan."
Iris hugged the youngest girl back. "What are we having for supper?"
Katie shrugged. "Edith said it was something special, and I would like it. I was afraid to ask too many questions, or she might not let me eat it."
Iris laughed. "I'm sure Edith lets you eat everything she cooks."
Katie smiled sweetly. "But I never know what she's going to do next time." She leaned forward and whispered, "She's sneaky."
"You're a silly girl Katie."
Katie nodded. "Sometimes being silly is fun."
Francis offered his arm to Iris. "This is a silly way to court. With three little girls following us everywhere."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to get to know your girls too." She stepped into the kitchen, which was a great deal cleaner than it had been the first time she'd seen it. "Dinner smells wonderful Edith."
Edith turn from the stove with a smile. "I just hope it tastes as good as it smells."
Iris wondered what Francis had told the girls about why she'd come to dinner. Had he admitted that they were courting?
Ettie answered the question before she could even ask it. "Are you going to marry our pa?"
Iris blushed, wondering how she should answer that question. "I don't really know. Would you like me to?"
Ettie nodded silently. "Yes please."
Mallie moved over beside her sister. "We all want you to marry Pa."
Francis walked over and shook his head at the girls. "Wash your hands before supper."
Iris looked at Francis with a smile. What could she say to him now that his girls had tried to get her to be their mother? "I like your girls."
"I'm not certain, but I think they like you as well." He winked at her.
When they sat down at the table, Iris couldn't help but think about the family dinners that they'd had in the Sullivan home back in Seattle. Right about this time, Jasmine would have had to throw some food at someone else, and then she would have immediately blamed it on someone else entirely. Her sister had always made family meals interesting, and sometimes unpleasant. She waited for a biscuit to be lobbed across the table, but when it didn't happen, she began eating.
Edith had made a roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, biscuits, and there was a
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