Read Online Midnight Sons Volume 1 by Debbie Macomber - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Debbie Macomber
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Instead, she asked, “What about the twenty acres?”
“It’s, uh, several miles to the east of here,” he explained reluctantly. “I have the plot map in the office and I’ll show you later if you want.”
“You mean to say the cabin doesn’t sit on the twenty acres?”
“No,” he answered, swallowing hard. When they’d initially discussed the details of this arrangement, it had all seemed equitable. Sort of. After all, Midnight Sons was picking up the women’s airfare and related expenses. But at the defeated, angry look in Abbey’s eyes, Sawyer felt like a jerk. Worse than a jerk. He wished she’d just yell at him.
“I see,” she said after a long silence. Her voice was so low Sawyer had to strain to hear.
He clenched his hands into tight fists to keep from taking her by the shoulders and shaking some sense into her. Was she actually thinking of staying? Christian and the others were so starved for female companionship, they’d have promised the moon to induce women to move to Hard Luck. He didn’t excuse himself; he’d played a major role in this deception, too.
“I found the outhouse,” Susan said, holding her nose as she returned to her mother’s side. “It stinks.”
“What are we gonna do?” Scott asked, sounding desperate.
“Well,” Abbey said thoughtfully, “we’ll have to move a pair of bunk beds in here and add a couple of chairs.”
“But, Mom…”
Sawyer glanced inside the cabin and groaned inwardly.
“We’ll make it a game,” Abbey told her children with forced enthusiasm. “Like pioneers.”
“I don’t wanna play,” Susan whined.
“Maybe there’s someplace else we can rent,” Scott said, looking hopefully at Sawyer.
“There isn’t.” He hated to disappoint the boy, but he couldn’t make houses that didn’t exist appear out of the blue. He turned to Abbey, who continued to stare impassively in the direction of the cabin. He suspected she was struggling to compose herself.
“Could you show me the library now?” she finally asked. Apparently she wanted to see the whole picture before she decided. Fair enough. Sawyer hoped that once she’d had time to analyze the situation, she’d make a reasonable decision. The only reasonable decision.
They all piled back into the truck. On the drive out to the cabin all three Sutherlands had been filled with anticipation. The drive back was silent, their unhappiness almost palpable.
The urge to suggest that Abbey give up and leave was almost more than Sawyer could suppress. But he’d be tipping his hand if he so much as hinted she fly home. He’d say something eventually if need be, but he’d rather she reached that conclusion herself.
The log building designated for the library had once belonged to Sawyer’s grandfather. Adam O’Halloran had settled in the area in the early 1930s. He’d come seeking gold, but instead of finding his fortune, he’d founded a community.
Since the day they’d heard that Christian had hired a librarian, Sawyer and the other pilots had hauled over a hundred or more boxes of books from Ellen’s house, which was now Christian’s.
The original O’Halloran home consisted of three large rooms. Abbey walked inside, and once more her disappointment was evident. “I’ll need bookshelves,” she said stiffly. “You can’t store books in boxes.”
“There are several in Mother’s house. I’ll see that they’re delivered first thing tomorrow morning.”
Her gaze shot to his. “Is your mother’s house vacant?”
Sawyer knew what she was thinking. He shook his head. “Mom’s remarried and out of the state, but Christian lives there now. Although he’s away at the moment, as you know.”
“I see.”
A young boy who introduced himself as Ronny Gold walked his bicycle up to the door and peeked inside. Scott and Ronny stared at each other.
“Can you play?” Ronny asked.
“Mom, can I go outside?”
Abbey nodded. “Don’t be gone long.” She glanced at her
“It’s, uh, several miles to the east of here,” he explained reluctantly. “I have the plot map in the office and I’ll show you later if you want.”
“You mean to say the cabin doesn’t sit on the twenty acres?”
“No,” he answered, swallowing hard. When they’d initially discussed the details of this arrangement, it had all seemed equitable. Sort of. After all, Midnight Sons was picking up the women’s airfare and related expenses. But at the defeated, angry look in Abbey’s eyes, Sawyer felt like a jerk. Worse than a jerk. He wished she’d just yell at him.
“I see,” she said after a long silence. Her voice was so low Sawyer had to strain to hear.
He clenched his hands into tight fists to keep from taking her by the shoulders and shaking some sense into her. Was she actually thinking of staying? Christian and the others were so starved for female companionship, they’d have promised the moon to induce women to move to Hard Luck. He didn’t excuse himself; he’d played a major role in this deception, too.
“I found the outhouse,” Susan said, holding her nose as she returned to her mother’s side. “It stinks.”
“What are we gonna do?” Scott asked, sounding desperate.
“Well,” Abbey said thoughtfully, “we’ll have to move a pair of bunk beds in here and add a couple of chairs.”
“But, Mom…”
Sawyer glanced inside the cabin and groaned inwardly.
“We’ll make it a game,” Abbey told her children with forced enthusiasm. “Like pioneers.”
“I don’t wanna play,” Susan whined.
“Maybe there’s someplace else we can rent,” Scott said, looking hopefully at Sawyer.
“There isn’t.” He hated to disappoint the boy, but he couldn’t make houses that didn’t exist appear out of the blue. He turned to Abbey, who continued to stare impassively in the direction of the cabin. He suspected she was struggling to compose herself.
“Could you show me the library now?” she finally asked. Apparently she wanted to see the whole picture before she decided. Fair enough. Sawyer hoped that once she’d had time to analyze the situation, she’d make a reasonable decision. The only reasonable decision.
They all piled back into the truck. On the drive out to the cabin all three Sutherlands had been filled with anticipation. The drive back was silent, their unhappiness almost palpable.
The urge to suggest that Abbey give up and leave was almost more than Sawyer could suppress. But he’d be tipping his hand if he so much as hinted she fly home. He’d say something eventually if need be, but he’d rather she reached that conclusion herself.
The log building designated for the library had once belonged to Sawyer’s grandfather. Adam O’Halloran had settled in the area in the early 1930s. He’d come seeking gold, but instead of finding his fortune, he’d founded a community.
Since the day they’d heard that Christian had hired a librarian, Sawyer and the other pilots had hauled over a hundred or more boxes of books from Ellen’s house, which was now Christian’s.
The original O’Halloran home consisted of three large rooms. Abbey walked inside, and once more her disappointment was evident. “I’ll need bookshelves,” she said stiffly. “You can’t store books in boxes.”
“There are several in Mother’s house. I’ll see that they’re delivered first thing tomorrow morning.”
Her gaze shot to his. “Is your mother’s house vacant?”
Sawyer knew what she was thinking. He shook his head. “Mom’s remarried and out of the state, but Christian lives there now. Although he’s away at the moment, as you know.”
“I see.”
A young boy who introduced himself as Ronny Gold walked his bicycle up to the door and peeked inside. Scott and Ronny stared at each other.
“Can you play?” Ronny asked.
“Mom, can I go outside?”
Abbey nodded. “Don’t be gone long.” She glanced at her
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