Read Online Moon Racer by Constance O'Banyon - Free Book Online Page B

word. His breath
touched her hair, and she felt a sensation like hot
honey running through her veins.
    "We should get-an early start, Major," she
managed to say, stepping away from him. "I'll meet
you at the barn at six."
    He was still watching her. "Good night, Miss
Hunter," he said finally. "I believe I'll just stay out
here for a while. It's very tranquil this time of night."
    He wouldn't think it was so tranquil, she thought
bitterly, if he looked beneath the facade her family
had created for others to see.
    "I hope you will be comfortable. If you should
need anything, just ask Frances."

    "You are more than kind, Miss Hunter."
    The humor was back in his voice, and she resented
him for it; in fact, she resented everything about him.
    And yet she felt reluctant to leave him.
Something vibrated through her, filling her with
such sweetness, she had to swallow twice before
she could find her voice.
    "I must thank you for not telling my brothers
about this morning. They would not have approved
of what I did." She was quiet for a moment, waiting
for him to speak. When he made no reply, she
asked, "Does your shoulder bother you?"
    He laughed softly. "Not so much. Rest easy, Miss
Hunter; only my pride was hurt." He turned away
from her and stared into the night sky.
    The screen door creaked when she opened it. "In
the morning at six," she reminded him before going
inside.
    From her bedroom, Abby could hear when her
father returned from the stable and bid Jonah goodnight. She found herself pacing between her bed
and the door, her stomach knotted. Finally, in
exhaustion, she threw herself on the bed and buried
her face in the coverlet.
    Why did he have to come to the Half-Moon? She
was bewildered by him, and she didn't know why.
After she undressed and slipped between the sheets,
Abby pounded her pillow and closed her eyes.
Restlessly she wrestled with her sheet and pillow
until long after midnight, and then she fell asleep.

     

Abby took a quick sip of milk, staring at Frances
over the rim of the glass. She had a sinking feeling
in the pit of her stomach. "How long ago did you
say he ate?"
    "It's been a good hour now. Said he wanted to
get one of the men to show him around a bit. He
said I was to tell you that he'd be waiting for you."
    "He's early," Abby replied sharply. "It's just like
him to do something like this."
    Frances paused in her biscuit making with dough
caked on her fingers. "I like the cut of that man. You
balked yesterday when I said he's a real gentleman,
but he is. I figured out a long time ago that there are
two kinds of people in this world: those who want
to talk about themselves all the time, and those who
listen to what others have to say. He sat right here in this kitchen and talked to me while he ate this
morning-treated me just like he was interested in
what I was saying."

    Abby casty the housekeeper a disgusted look,
grabbed her hat, and picked up the canvas bag
Frances had packed with food. "You don't really
know him. It would be just like that man to be
pacing while he waits for me."
    "Then you'd better get going, hadn't you?"
    With boundless energy, Abby raced across the
yard to the barn. When she entered the dark interior,
the sun had just touched the eastern sky, shedding
shards of light through the cracks in the wood. It
took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lone
lantern that hung from one of the stalls, where
Navidad and Curly were deep in conversation with
Major Tremain.
    Drawing an irritated breath, she took measured
steps in their direction, wishing she did not have to
be alone with the major today.
    Curly must have been telling one of his yarns,
because Jonah was laughing heartily. But when
Jonah noticed her walking toward him, his
amusement faded, and he centered his attention on
her. Abby was made more aware of how
inadequately she was dressed. There was an
expression on his face that she did not understandprobably stark