Read Online Lucky Penny by Catherine Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catherine Anderson
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
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roan mare. Didn’t happen the way I planned, but I can’t complain about the results.” Stroking Blue’s arched neck, David added, “He is fine.”
“Breedin’ for color is like tossin’ dice. When you cross a black with a blue roan, the foal’s color can go either way, with the off chance of some other colors poppin’ up.”
“You know your horses.”
“I do, and that’s a fact.” Lucy, who had regained her feet, seemed to realize she was being slighted and let loose with a full donkey bray, startling both David and the other man. They both laughed, and the proprietor patted Lucy’s shoulder. “Yer right fine, too, darlin’. Never seen a purdier girl, and ya got grit, to boot. Been a long ride, ain’t it? Yer due for some coddlin’.”
David liked the way this fellow talked to animals—as if they understood and had feelings. Sad to say, he didn’t see it very often. The tension flowed from his body. Allowing his mount and mule to be at the mercy of a stranger always made him nervous. No need for that tonight. Blue and Lucy would be in good hands.
As if the livery owner sensed David’s approval, hesmiled as he left Lucy’s stall. “Got a round pen out back. Ya can walk ’em both out there. When yer ready for the hay, oats, and water, give me a holler.”
Amazing what a difference two hours could make. David had dispensed with the trail grime in a luxurious hot bath, scraped off his whiskers without nicking himself, and put on clean clothes before heading for Glory Ridge’s only restaurant. Lucky for him, it was a good one. The two-inch-thick steak with all the trimmings that he’d just wolfed down had been every bit as tasty as the fare at Roxie Balloux’s. The hotel had proved to be a pleasant surprise, too. His room was spacious, if a little threadbare in spots, and immaculately clean. The window glass had grown cloudy with age, not layers of dirt as he’d first thought. The freshly turned, soft down mattress beckoned to him after days of sleeping on the ground with a saddle for a pillow. All in all, David couldn’t complain.
After leaving a generous tip, he exited the restaurant, crossed the rickety boardwalk, and stepped out onto the packed-dirt street. A glass of chilled, foaming ale sounded just fine, but first things first. He’d better get this Brianna Paxton business over with. He’d locate the dress shop where she worked as a seamstress in the afternoons and evenings and hope he’d catch her there.
Well, okay,
hope
was a little strong. Now that the meeting was upon him, David felt as jumpy as an unbranded calf at roundup time. How should he approach this unknown woman, who might or might not be the mother of his daughter? If the child was his, and he couldn’t recall Brianna, she would have every right to be madder than a bear with a bee up its nose. He just hoped her claws weren’t quite as sharp.
He’d dressed carefully for the meeting. He didn’t want to look too formal, like some stuck-up city swell. He’d finally settled on a clean pair of tan trousers and the long-sleeved blue shirt Hazel Wright had complimented him on. Thinking of Hazel made him recall how difficult it had been to leave No Name without letting the nature of hisjourney slip. She’d tried everything to wrangle an explanation out of him, and she’d gotten downright ornery when he refused to give her one. It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before.
The restaurant was at the end of Main. If he turned left he’d be headed out to commune with prairie dogs and coyotes. Turning right, David set a slow pace and scanned the businesses that lined both sides of the street, looking for anything that resembled a dress shop. When he glimpsed a shine of copper brightness from the corner of his eye, he stopped, focused on the coin that lay in the dirt a few feet ahead of him, and was about to pick it up when a little girl, a whirlwind of pink ribbons and lace, darted in to grab it. David saved them both from
“Breedin’ for color is like tossin’ dice. When you cross a black with a blue roan, the foal’s color can go either way, with the off chance of some other colors poppin’ up.”
“You know your horses.”
“I do, and that’s a fact.” Lucy, who had regained her feet, seemed to realize she was being slighted and let loose with a full donkey bray, startling both David and the other man. They both laughed, and the proprietor patted Lucy’s shoulder. “Yer right fine, too, darlin’. Never seen a purdier girl, and ya got grit, to boot. Been a long ride, ain’t it? Yer due for some coddlin’.”
David liked the way this fellow talked to animals—as if they understood and had feelings. Sad to say, he didn’t see it very often. The tension flowed from his body. Allowing his mount and mule to be at the mercy of a stranger always made him nervous. No need for that tonight. Blue and Lucy would be in good hands.
As if the livery owner sensed David’s approval, hesmiled as he left Lucy’s stall. “Got a round pen out back. Ya can walk ’em both out there. When yer ready for the hay, oats, and water, give me a holler.”
Amazing what a difference two hours could make. David had dispensed with the trail grime in a luxurious hot bath, scraped off his whiskers without nicking himself, and put on clean clothes before heading for Glory Ridge’s only restaurant. Lucky for him, it was a good one. The two-inch-thick steak with all the trimmings that he’d just wolfed down had been every bit as tasty as the fare at Roxie Balloux’s. The hotel had proved to be a pleasant surprise, too. His room was spacious, if a little threadbare in spots, and immaculately clean. The window glass had grown cloudy with age, not layers of dirt as he’d first thought. The freshly turned, soft down mattress beckoned to him after days of sleeping on the ground with a saddle for a pillow. All in all, David couldn’t complain.
After leaving a generous tip, he exited the restaurant, crossed the rickety boardwalk, and stepped out onto the packed-dirt street. A glass of chilled, foaming ale sounded just fine, but first things first. He’d better get this Brianna Paxton business over with. He’d locate the dress shop where she worked as a seamstress in the afternoons and evenings and hope he’d catch her there.
Well, okay,
hope
was a little strong. Now that the meeting was upon him, David felt as jumpy as an unbranded calf at roundup time. How should he approach this unknown woman, who might or might not be the mother of his daughter? If the child was his, and he couldn’t recall Brianna, she would have every right to be madder than a bear with a bee up its nose. He just hoped her claws weren’t quite as sharp.
He’d dressed carefully for the meeting. He didn’t want to look too formal, like some stuck-up city swell. He’d finally settled on a clean pair of tan trousers and the long-sleeved blue shirt Hazel Wright had complimented him on. Thinking of Hazel made him recall how difficult it had been to leave No Name without letting the nature of hisjourney slip. She’d tried everything to wrangle an explanation out of him, and she’d gotten downright ornery when he refused to give her one. It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before.
The restaurant was at the end of Main. If he turned left he’d be headed out to commune with prairie dogs and coyotes. Turning right, David set a slow pace and scanned the businesses that lined both sides of the street, looking for anything that resembled a dress shop. When he glimpsed a shine of copper brightness from the corner of his eye, he stopped, focused on the coin that lay in the dirt a few feet ahead of him, and was about to pick it up when a little girl, a whirlwind of pink ribbons and lace, darted in to grab it. David saved them both from
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