Read Online Louisa Rawlings by Forever Wild - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Forever Wild
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and standing up. “I can carry this old thing!”
He shook his head. “I said it before, and I reckon it’s so. You are a stubborn filly!”
Stung, she turned away and made for Uncle Jack’s boat, trying to move as though the basket were as light as a feather. It was heavier than she had imagined; she nearly tripped as she reached the boat. Drew had followed her; without a word he pulled the basket from her back and dropped it onto the beach. She felt angrier than ever, thinking he might be laughing at her.
Then he put his hand on her arm. She looked up and saw that he was smiling. A friendly smile.
“I’m glad you’re coming along,” he said quietly.
Her mouth went dry. “Mr…Bradford…” she stammered.
He grinned. “Drewry. Even better, call me Drew. It’s only fair. Now that you and Old Jack will be…” he chuckled, “…you know. Instead of Alonzo…”
Bed partners. He’d said it to Mrs. Marshall. She felt the blush creeping up to her hairline once again.
“Damn,” he said softly, his eyes examining her closely. “I wish I had my paint box at the ready. I wonder if I could ever mix that lovely shade of pink. I think that’s why I like to see you blush so often!”
“You’re making fun of me!” she said in indignation.
“No, I’m not. Truly.” He reached out and brushed a curl from her forehead. His fingers across her skin sent a flutter racing through her insides. “I don’t have the pigments to capture all those glorious colors. That hair…those extraordinary eyes…and your skin, when you blush…”
“You are making fun of me!”
He laughed. “Not at all. I’m probably thinking of you as an unpaid model for the next couple of months! It’s my good fortune that Stafford agreed to lend me the money. I don’t think I could have come up with that much this month. And I didn’t want the Marshalls to shoulder the expense—they’re already paying for two.”
“But he’s a doctor. He can afford it.”
“No. Not that kind of doctor. He’s just a professor at the university He teaches botany—that’s to do with plants, though I’ll bet you could teach him a thing or two about plants.”
She shrugged. “It’s easy when you’ve grown up with them. But he oughtn’t to call himself a doctor if he isn’t one!”
“He is a doctor—just the wrong kind. So you better not take sick.”
“Don’t fret none about me! I could show you plants and mushrooms in these mountains that’d cure half a hundred ills. And more that could cause ’em!” She giggled. “I could feed you something that would turn your skin green. And then you could match that with your paints!”
He laughed, his teeth white in his tanned face. “Damned if you’re not one first-rate girl, Marcy Tompkins!”
She smiled back, feeling wonderfully comfortable with him, as though she’d known him all her life. Why, she thought, he doesn’t even make me blush anymore! And then he leaned in close and murmured a few words, and she felt her face flaming.
He said, “I haven’t forgotten about that kiss you owe me.”
He was so matter-of-fact, so confident. It scared her. It wasn’t like being with Zeb. It was easy to keep the upper hand with Zeb, to call the tune. She should be able to do it now. After all, she’d already made up her mind that she couldn’t have anything to do with Drewry Bradford.
Then why did she feel so helpless when he looked at her?
“You’re mighty cocksure,” she snapped. “What makes you think I’ll give you a kiss?”
One black eyebrow arched up in cool amusement. “What makes you think I’ll ask?”
She gasped and backed away from him, glancing nervously around at the others on the beach. “If you want to be helpful,” she said quickly, “you’ll find a place to stow that basket in the boat while I go and see if Uncle Jack has more supplies for us.”
She managed to keep her distance from him until the boats were loaded and the party was ready to leave.
He shook his head. “I said it before, and I reckon it’s so. You are a stubborn filly!”
Stung, she turned away and made for Uncle Jack’s boat, trying to move as though the basket were as light as a feather. It was heavier than she had imagined; she nearly tripped as she reached the boat. Drew had followed her; without a word he pulled the basket from her back and dropped it onto the beach. She felt angrier than ever, thinking he might be laughing at her.
Then he put his hand on her arm. She looked up and saw that he was smiling. A friendly smile.
“I’m glad you’re coming along,” he said quietly.
Her mouth went dry. “Mr…Bradford…” she stammered.
He grinned. “Drewry. Even better, call me Drew. It’s only fair. Now that you and Old Jack will be…” he chuckled, “…you know. Instead of Alonzo…”
Bed partners. He’d said it to Mrs. Marshall. She felt the blush creeping up to her hairline once again.
“Damn,” he said softly, his eyes examining her closely. “I wish I had my paint box at the ready. I wonder if I could ever mix that lovely shade of pink. I think that’s why I like to see you blush so often!”
“You’re making fun of me!” she said in indignation.
“No, I’m not. Truly.” He reached out and brushed a curl from her forehead. His fingers across her skin sent a flutter racing through her insides. “I don’t have the pigments to capture all those glorious colors. That hair…those extraordinary eyes…and your skin, when you blush…”
“You are making fun of me!”
He laughed. “Not at all. I’m probably thinking of you as an unpaid model for the next couple of months! It’s my good fortune that Stafford agreed to lend me the money. I don’t think I could have come up with that much this month. And I didn’t want the Marshalls to shoulder the expense—they’re already paying for two.”
“But he’s a doctor. He can afford it.”
“No. Not that kind of doctor. He’s just a professor at the university He teaches botany—that’s to do with plants, though I’ll bet you could teach him a thing or two about plants.”
She shrugged. “It’s easy when you’ve grown up with them. But he oughtn’t to call himself a doctor if he isn’t one!”
“He is a doctor—just the wrong kind. So you better not take sick.”
“Don’t fret none about me! I could show you plants and mushrooms in these mountains that’d cure half a hundred ills. And more that could cause ’em!” She giggled. “I could feed you something that would turn your skin green. And then you could match that with your paints!”
He laughed, his teeth white in his tanned face. “Damned if you’re not one first-rate girl, Marcy Tompkins!”
She smiled back, feeling wonderfully comfortable with him, as though she’d known him all her life. Why, she thought, he doesn’t even make me blush anymore! And then he leaned in close and murmured a few words, and she felt her face flaming.
He said, “I haven’t forgotten about that kiss you owe me.”
He was so matter-of-fact, so confident. It scared her. It wasn’t like being with Zeb. It was easy to keep the upper hand with Zeb, to call the tune. She should be able to do it now. After all, she’d already made up her mind that she couldn’t have anything to do with Drewry Bradford.
Then why did she feel so helpless when he looked at her?
“You’re mighty cocksure,” she snapped. “What makes you think I’ll give you a kiss?”
One black eyebrow arched up in cool amusement. “What makes you think I’ll ask?”
She gasped and backed away from him, glancing nervously around at the others on the beach. “If you want to be helpful,” she said quickly, “you’ll find a place to stow that basket in the boat while I go and see if Uncle Jack has more supplies for us.”
She managed to keep her distance from him until the boats were loaded and the party was ready to leave.
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