Read Online Luke’s Runaway Bride by Kate Bridges - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Bridges
Ads: Link
whispering now, it’s not polite. Speak up.”
The round face peered at Jenny. When her eyes sparkled back, Luke knew he’d passed the first hurdle.
Adam leaned around Luke’s knees and whispered to her. “You look like you could use somethin’ to drink. Would you like a glass of cider? I helped Daisy press the apples.”
The muscles in Luke’s neck stiffened as he awaited her decision. Jenny paled, looked toward the house, gulped, then turned back to the boy. “That’d be very nice.”
A rush of pride filled Luke at how the boy had handled himself. It was important that these two people get along. More important than Jenny could ever guess. The day she married Daniel, she’d become Adam’s stepmother.
The boy squinted. “How’d you get that cut on your head? And rip your dress?”
Luke playfully tossed his wide hat onto the boy’s head. “She fell off my horse. Now don’t go asking nosy questions. Most people don’t like it, especially women.” The sooner the boy learned that fact, the better off he’d be.
Grinning with delight, Adam adjusted the oversize hat on his head. “I never met no one who fell off a tame horse before.”
In a self-conscious gesture, Jenny raised her fingertips to her brow and swept them across the bruised area.
“Luke!” someone hollered. “Hello!” Two gray-haired folks had come out on the porch and now hurried toward them.
Jenny reeled back in surprise.
Lord almighty, you’d have thought Luke had gone for two weeks instead of two days. No one came running to greet him at the saloon when he returned from being away. It felt strange, but brought a grin to his lips.
Nathaniel reached Jenny’s side first. He smiled, baring tobacco-stained teeth beneath his waxed mustache. His overalls were freshly pressed, the only man Luke had ever seen with ironed creases down the front of his denims. His plaid shirt smelled strongly of bayberry soap. He was a man well cared for by a woman who’d loved him for forty years.
Clutching the skirts of her faded brown house-dress against the swirling wind, Daisy wove her arm through Nathaniel’s elbow. She smoothed her gray bun and peered at Jenny. The wrinkles on her sun-beaten face deepened when she smiled.
Feeling protective, Luke stepped beside Jenny. Her eyes widened and she looked as if she was still struggling with her decision whether to stay or run.
“Jenny,” Luke said, pressing a palm to the small of her back, “this is Daisy and her husband, Nathaniel Hill. They’re Daniel’s aunt and uncle, three times removed.”
“Daniel’s aunt and uncle?” she said, taken aback.
Nathaniel held out his hand. “Well, we’re more like cousins, I suppose. But because of the age difference, he used to call us aunt and uncle when he was small. It’s on his mother’s side, three cousins back. Howdy, young miss.”
Nervously, she moistened her dry lips and placed her hand in Nathaniel’s. Luke knew she’d be surprised. He didn’t think Daniel had told her about his only living kin. It would have meant admitting to a connection to Cheyenne, and the possibility of running into Adam.
Luke was counting on Daisy and Nathaniel to draw her into the house and make her feel welcome. They also didn’t know that Daniel was Adam’s father. Luke didn’t want to raise anyone’s hopes until he knew Daniel’s plans.
And for Luke’s plan to work right now, Jenny had to stay. But this time, there was no point in forcing her. He couldn’t force her to like Adam. Besides, if there was a hint any one of these people here might get hurt, including Jenny, he’d call the whole thing off and send her home. He’d deal with Daniel on his own.
Adam entwined himself around Nathaniel’s faded britches, peeking out from behind a baggy thigh. Nathaniel chuckled and pulled the boy’s ears. The two looked mighty relaxed together, Luke observed, unlike how he himself usually felt with the boy. Why was that? Why did he feel uncomfortable with a
The round face peered at Jenny. When her eyes sparkled back, Luke knew he’d passed the first hurdle.
Adam leaned around Luke’s knees and whispered to her. “You look like you could use somethin’ to drink. Would you like a glass of cider? I helped Daisy press the apples.”
The muscles in Luke’s neck stiffened as he awaited her decision. Jenny paled, looked toward the house, gulped, then turned back to the boy. “That’d be very nice.”
A rush of pride filled Luke at how the boy had handled himself. It was important that these two people get along. More important than Jenny could ever guess. The day she married Daniel, she’d become Adam’s stepmother.
The boy squinted. “How’d you get that cut on your head? And rip your dress?”
Luke playfully tossed his wide hat onto the boy’s head. “She fell off my horse. Now don’t go asking nosy questions. Most people don’t like it, especially women.” The sooner the boy learned that fact, the better off he’d be.
Grinning with delight, Adam adjusted the oversize hat on his head. “I never met no one who fell off a tame horse before.”
In a self-conscious gesture, Jenny raised her fingertips to her brow and swept them across the bruised area.
“Luke!” someone hollered. “Hello!” Two gray-haired folks had come out on the porch and now hurried toward them.
Jenny reeled back in surprise.
Lord almighty, you’d have thought Luke had gone for two weeks instead of two days. No one came running to greet him at the saloon when he returned from being away. It felt strange, but brought a grin to his lips.
Nathaniel reached Jenny’s side first. He smiled, baring tobacco-stained teeth beneath his waxed mustache. His overalls were freshly pressed, the only man Luke had ever seen with ironed creases down the front of his denims. His plaid shirt smelled strongly of bayberry soap. He was a man well cared for by a woman who’d loved him for forty years.
Clutching the skirts of her faded brown house-dress against the swirling wind, Daisy wove her arm through Nathaniel’s elbow. She smoothed her gray bun and peered at Jenny. The wrinkles on her sun-beaten face deepened when she smiled.
Feeling protective, Luke stepped beside Jenny. Her eyes widened and she looked as if she was still struggling with her decision whether to stay or run.
“Jenny,” Luke said, pressing a palm to the small of her back, “this is Daisy and her husband, Nathaniel Hill. They’re Daniel’s aunt and uncle, three times removed.”
“Daniel’s aunt and uncle?” she said, taken aback.
Nathaniel held out his hand. “Well, we’re more like cousins, I suppose. But because of the age difference, he used to call us aunt and uncle when he was small. It’s on his mother’s side, three cousins back. Howdy, young miss.”
Nervously, she moistened her dry lips and placed her hand in Nathaniel’s. Luke knew she’d be surprised. He didn’t think Daniel had told her about his only living kin. It would have meant admitting to a connection to Cheyenne, and the possibility of running into Adam.
Luke was counting on Daisy and Nathaniel to draw her into the house and make her feel welcome. They also didn’t know that Daniel was Adam’s father. Luke didn’t want to raise anyone’s hopes until he knew Daniel’s plans.
And for Luke’s plan to work right now, Jenny had to stay. But this time, there was no point in forcing her. He couldn’t force her to like Adam. Besides, if there was a hint any one of these people here might get hurt, including Jenny, he’d call the whole thing off and send her home. He’d deal with Daniel on his own.
Adam entwined himself around Nathaniel’s faded britches, peeking out from behind a baggy thigh. Nathaniel chuckled and pulled the boy’s ears. The two looked mighty relaxed together, Luke observed, unlike how he himself usually felt with the boy. Why was that? Why did he feel uncomfortable with a
Similar Books
