Read Online Irish Hearts by Nora Roberts - Free Book Online
Authors: Nora Roberts
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Man-Woman Relationships, Love Stories, Large Type Books, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Modern fiction, Fiction - Romance, Cultural Heritage, Horses, General & Literary Fiction, maryland, Horse Racing, Romance - General, Irish Americans, Irish American women, Horse Trainers
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a leprechaun, Dee?" Mark asked, bouncing with excitement.
"By the saints, I thought I did, a time or two." She nodded sagely. "But I never got close enough before they had vanished, quick as you please. So"-she jumped from the bench and tousled two dark heads-"unless I'm finding me one who's traveled to America, I'll have to be working for my living." She picked up a hoof pick from the bench. "And that's what I'm doing now, or I'll be fired for laziness and be begging for pennies."
"We wouldn't let it come to that, would we, boys?"
Adelia spun around, her color rising as she met Travis's mocking smile. The thumping in her heart she attributed to surprise, and she was forced to swallow nervously before speaking.
"It's a habit you're making of creeping up on a body and frightening the wits from them, Mr. Grant."
"Maybe I mistook you for a leprechaun, Dee." His grin was annoying, but she refused to be baited and bent to lift Fortune's hoof.
He led the twins down to visit the new foal, and she set down the horse's leg and watched his broad back retreat down the passage.
Why did he always send her into a flutter? She wondered. Why did her pulses begin to race at a speed that rivaled Majesty's whenever she looked up and met those surprisingly blue eyes? She leaned her cheek against Fortune's sturdy neck and sighed. She'd lost, she conceded. She'd lost the battle, and though she fought against it, she was in love with Travis Grant. It was impossible, she admitted. Nothing could ever develop between the owner of Royal Meadows and an insignificant stablehand.
"Besides," she whispered to the understanding colt, "he's an arrogant brute of a man, and I don't believe I like him one little bit." Hearing the boys approach, she bent quickly and lifted another hoof for cleaning.
"Run along outside, boys. I want a word with Dee." At Travis's command, the twins scrambled past, chattering and exclaiming over the foal. She set down the horse's leg and straightened to face him, the color fading from her cheeks.
Blast my cursed tongue, she thought in desperate condemnation. Aunt Lettie told me a thousand times where my temper would take me.
"I-have I done something wrong, Mr. Grant?"
She stammered slightly and bit her lip in frustration.
"No, Dee," he answered, slowly searching her troubled face. "Did you think I was going to fire you?" His voice was oddly gentle, and she felt a tremor at the unfamiliar tone.
"You did say I could have a fortnight, and I've a few days left before-"
"There's no need for a trial," he interrupted. "I've already decided to keep you on."
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Grant," she began, overcome with relief. "I'm grateful to you."
"Your way with horses is quite phenomenal, a strange sort of empathy." He stroked Fortune's flank, then fixed his eyes on her again. "It would be impossible to complain about your work, except that there's too much of it. I don't want to hear about you cleaning tack at ten o'clock at night anymore."
"Oh, well-" Turning back to the bench, Adelia gave intense concentration to placing the hoof pick in its proper spot. "I just-"
"Don't argue, and don't do it again," he commanded, and she felt his hands descend to her shoulders. "You know, you seem to split your time between working and arguing. We'll have to see if we can find another outlet for all that energy."
"I don't argue, exactly. Well, perhaps sometimes." She shrugged and wished she had the courage to turn and face him. The decision was taken out of her hands as she found herself being turned, then lifted until she once again sat on the bench.
"Perhaps sometimes," Travis agreed, and she found it disconcerting that his smile was so close, his hands still circling her waist.
"Mr. Grant," she began, then swallowed as he reached up to pluck her cap from her hair, freeing the rich cloud of auburn. "Mr. Grant, I've work to do."
"Mmm." His comment was absent as he became involved with the winding of curls around his fingers. "I've
"By the saints, I thought I did, a time or two." She nodded sagely. "But I never got close enough before they had vanished, quick as you please. So"-she jumped from the bench and tousled two dark heads-"unless I'm finding me one who's traveled to America, I'll have to be working for my living." She picked up a hoof pick from the bench. "And that's what I'm doing now, or I'll be fired for laziness and be begging for pennies."
"We wouldn't let it come to that, would we, boys?"
Adelia spun around, her color rising as she met Travis's mocking smile. The thumping in her heart she attributed to surprise, and she was forced to swallow nervously before speaking.
"It's a habit you're making of creeping up on a body and frightening the wits from them, Mr. Grant."
"Maybe I mistook you for a leprechaun, Dee." His grin was annoying, but she refused to be baited and bent to lift Fortune's hoof.
He led the twins down to visit the new foal, and she set down the horse's leg and watched his broad back retreat down the passage.
Why did he always send her into a flutter? She wondered. Why did her pulses begin to race at a speed that rivaled Majesty's whenever she looked up and met those surprisingly blue eyes? She leaned her cheek against Fortune's sturdy neck and sighed. She'd lost, she conceded. She'd lost the battle, and though she fought against it, she was in love with Travis Grant. It was impossible, she admitted. Nothing could ever develop between the owner of Royal Meadows and an insignificant stablehand.
"Besides," she whispered to the understanding colt, "he's an arrogant brute of a man, and I don't believe I like him one little bit." Hearing the boys approach, she bent quickly and lifted another hoof for cleaning.
"Run along outside, boys. I want a word with Dee." At Travis's command, the twins scrambled past, chattering and exclaiming over the foal. She set down the horse's leg and straightened to face him, the color fading from her cheeks.
Blast my cursed tongue, she thought in desperate condemnation. Aunt Lettie told me a thousand times where my temper would take me.
"I-have I done something wrong, Mr. Grant?"
She stammered slightly and bit her lip in frustration.
"No, Dee," he answered, slowly searching her troubled face. "Did you think I was going to fire you?" His voice was oddly gentle, and she felt a tremor at the unfamiliar tone.
"You did say I could have a fortnight, and I've a few days left before-"
"There's no need for a trial," he interrupted. "I've already decided to keep you on."
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Grant," she began, overcome with relief. "I'm grateful to you."
"Your way with horses is quite phenomenal, a strange sort of empathy." He stroked Fortune's flank, then fixed his eyes on her again. "It would be impossible to complain about your work, except that there's too much of it. I don't want to hear about you cleaning tack at ten o'clock at night anymore."
"Oh, well-" Turning back to the bench, Adelia gave intense concentration to placing the hoof pick in its proper spot. "I just-"
"Don't argue, and don't do it again," he commanded, and she felt his hands descend to her shoulders. "You know, you seem to split your time between working and arguing. We'll have to see if we can find another outlet for all that energy."
"I don't argue, exactly. Well, perhaps sometimes." She shrugged and wished she had the courage to turn and face him. The decision was taken out of her hands as she found herself being turned, then lifted until she once again sat on the bench.
"Perhaps sometimes," Travis agreed, and she found it disconcerting that his smile was so close, his hands still circling her waist.
"Mr. Grant," she began, then swallowed as he reached up to pluck her cap from her hair, freeing the rich cloud of auburn. "Mr. Grant, I've work to do."
"Mmm." His comment was absent as he became involved with the winding of curls around his fingers. "I've
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