Read Online Nan Ryan by Love Me Tonight - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Love Me Tonight
Ads: Link
ignored the messages sent by the child’s yearning body. He almost weakened when Charlie tipped his small blond head all the way back and looked straight up at him with big pleading brown eyes. But he was older and wiser than the stubborn little boy. He shook his white head and stuck to his guns. Frustrated, Charlie rocked his body back and forth, sighed, made faces.
And finally gave in.
“Will you make me go higher?” he said, again tipping back his head to look up at Jolly. “Please.”
An understanding and comradeship between the two was born in the instant. The white-haired man’s face broke into a wide, relieved smile. The little boy smiled back.
“Charlie, my boy,” Jolly said, cupping Charlie’s small chin for a moment in his veined, sun-weathered hand, “I’ll make you soar.”
Charlie Northway quickly took to the wise, permissive white-haired man who reminded him of his own deceased grandfather. On that warm Sunday afternoon, the two became fast friends.
From Jolly, Charlie was soon learning how to whittle and fish and swim and skip stones across the water’s surface and a hundred other things a little boy needs to know.
Kurt Northway was grateful to the old gentleman. Kurt knew nothing about being a father. Jolly Grubbs did. He had raised three sons of his own.
Three loud, lovable, affectionate boys who grew up to be intelligent, dependable, well-adjusted men.
Fine men who earned their father’s respect.
Honorable men who made him proud.
Brave men who lost their lives in the war.
Chapter Nine
N iles Loveless drew the diamond-and-gold-cased watch from his vest pocket and glanced at it. Three o’clock. He pushed the tall-backed leather chair away from the huge mahogany desk and rose to his feet.
Niles Loveless crossed the spacious office and lowered the shades over the many windows fronting onto Main Street. He locked the glass-paned front door on which LOVELESS ENTERPRISES was etched in fancy gold lettering.
Niles Loveless smiled then and reached for the finely tailored gray linen waistcoat hanging on the coat tree. He pulled on the waistcoat, tugged the matching double-breasted vest back down into place, and touched the gray silk cravat at his throat.
Niles Loveless took a wide brimmed planters hat from the coat tree, placed it on his blond head at a slight angle, and ran his thumb and forefinger around the front brim. He passed a well-tended, manicured hand over his smoothly shaven cheeks, licked the tip of his forefinger, and smoothed it along the closely clipped wings of his thick brown mustache.
Niles Loveless silently crossed the plushly carpeted office. He paused directly before the back door, took a small blue velvet box from inside his jacket pocket, and snapped it open. He withdrew the sparkling diamond-and-emerald necklace from inside, dropped the valuable bauble down into the right front pocket of his snugly fitted gray trousers, and tossed the velvet box aside.
He stepped out the back door into the narrow alley and his smile broadened. His fine brougham and matching blacks had been brought around just as requested.
Niles Loveless climbed into his fine carriage and drove around to Main Street. He headed north out of Spanish Fort, tipping his straw hat and smiling to friends and business acquaintances on the street. He had traveled less than a quarter of a mile when he spotted a couple of bobbing silk parasols ahead at the side of the road.
He drew rein on the blacks and stopped the brougham. He bounded down out of the carriage to greet the twittering, fluttery little Livingston sisters. The sisters were making their slow, sure way home.
Niles Loveless insisted he drive them the rest of the way and the sisters were thrilled. Both squeaked and trembled and giggled helplessly when the big blond man gallantly lifted each of them up into the claret-hued leather interior of the brougham.
Niles graciously inquired after their health and listened with interest as they listed
And finally gave in.
“Will you make me go higher?” he said, again tipping back his head to look up at Jolly. “Please.”
An understanding and comradeship between the two was born in the instant. The white-haired man’s face broke into a wide, relieved smile. The little boy smiled back.
“Charlie, my boy,” Jolly said, cupping Charlie’s small chin for a moment in his veined, sun-weathered hand, “I’ll make you soar.”
Charlie Northway quickly took to the wise, permissive white-haired man who reminded him of his own deceased grandfather. On that warm Sunday afternoon, the two became fast friends.
From Jolly, Charlie was soon learning how to whittle and fish and swim and skip stones across the water’s surface and a hundred other things a little boy needs to know.
Kurt Northway was grateful to the old gentleman. Kurt knew nothing about being a father. Jolly Grubbs did. He had raised three sons of his own.
Three loud, lovable, affectionate boys who grew up to be intelligent, dependable, well-adjusted men.
Fine men who earned their father’s respect.
Honorable men who made him proud.
Brave men who lost their lives in the war.
Chapter Nine
N iles Loveless drew the diamond-and-gold-cased watch from his vest pocket and glanced at it. Three o’clock. He pushed the tall-backed leather chair away from the huge mahogany desk and rose to his feet.
Niles Loveless crossed the spacious office and lowered the shades over the many windows fronting onto Main Street. He locked the glass-paned front door on which LOVELESS ENTERPRISES was etched in fancy gold lettering.
Niles Loveless smiled then and reached for the finely tailored gray linen waistcoat hanging on the coat tree. He pulled on the waistcoat, tugged the matching double-breasted vest back down into place, and touched the gray silk cravat at his throat.
Niles Loveless took a wide brimmed planters hat from the coat tree, placed it on his blond head at a slight angle, and ran his thumb and forefinger around the front brim. He passed a well-tended, manicured hand over his smoothly shaven cheeks, licked the tip of his forefinger, and smoothed it along the closely clipped wings of his thick brown mustache.
Niles Loveless silently crossed the plushly carpeted office. He paused directly before the back door, took a small blue velvet box from inside his jacket pocket, and snapped it open. He withdrew the sparkling diamond-and-emerald necklace from inside, dropped the valuable bauble down into the right front pocket of his snugly fitted gray trousers, and tossed the velvet box aside.
He stepped out the back door into the narrow alley and his smile broadened. His fine brougham and matching blacks had been brought around just as requested.
Niles Loveless climbed into his fine carriage and drove around to Main Street. He headed north out of Spanish Fort, tipping his straw hat and smiling to friends and business acquaintances on the street. He had traveled less than a quarter of a mile when he spotted a couple of bobbing silk parasols ahead at the side of the road.
He drew rein on the blacks and stopped the brougham. He bounded down out of the carriage to greet the twittering, fluttery little Livingston sisters. The sisters were making their slow, sure way home.
Niles Loveless insisted he drive them the rest of the way and the sisters were thrilled. Both squeaked and trembled and giggled helplessly when the big blond man gallantly lifted each of them up into the claret-hued leather interior of the brougham.
Niles graciously inquired after their health and listened with interest as they listed
Similar Books
