Read Online Stuck Together (Trouble in Texas Book #3) by Mary Connealy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mary Connealy
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come later, when Mother was resting.
As they walked down the street toward Asa’s, the diner door swung open and Glynna stuck her head out. She was rapt with curiosity, and she didn’t even bother to hideit. “Vince, who are your . . . your friends?” She looked confused, glancing from Father to Vince to Melissa, their resemblance clearly marking them as family.
“Glynna Riker, I’d like to introduce you to my family.” Gesturing to each in turn, he said, “This is my father, Julius Yates, my mother, Virginia Belle, and my . . . sister, Melissa.” Vince was proud of himself for only stumbling for a second over the sister part of his introductions.
Melissa gave him a sharp look, almost as if she expected him to denounce her. But he didn’t bother. She was the least of his troubles.
“Would you all like to come in?” Glynna asked. “Vince is a good friend, and I’d love to get to know his family. I’m sure you’re exhausted and hungry. I’ve got apple pie.”
Which reminded Vince of Tina, the one who’d made that pie. The woman he’d almost kissed only minutes ago.
He was about to say no. He saw his father open his mouth, and Vince saw the determination in Father’s eyes to say no, too.
“Apple pie sounds lovely.” Mother, however, spoke first. “My old mammy used to bake an apple pie fit to make the angels weep.” Mother leaned on Melissa and asked in a childlike voice, “Where is mammy? Why didn’t she come on the train with us?”
Melissa whispered something Vince couldn’t hear. Mother started for the diner, while Father said in a resigned voice, “Very well. We can stop in for a moment.”
“Do come in and sit down. Were you heading for the boardinghouse?” Glynna smiled, and as a rule, her smile made the sun shine brighter in the sky. It had no effect on Father, though, and Vince was beyond smiling.
“Yep.” Vince sort of wished Glynna would leave off her smiling. It clashed with the general mood. “They’re staying at Asa’s.”
“I’ll have my son, Paul, get your trunks toted down there, and tell Asa to expect company.” Glynna’s smile brightened even more. “We’ll insist he give you clean sheets.”
Father glowered.
Melissa winced, but quickly covered it.
Vince wondered if the young woman got punished for having an opinion. Vince had grown up knowing to keep his mouth shut, and there was no sign that Father had mellowed with age.
“Two rooms?” Glynna asked.
“How many rooms are there?” Father studied the two-story house.
“Four,” Vince said.
“Get all four. I’d as soon not share the house. And tell the proprietor we’ll want them indefinitely.”
Indefinitely? Vince shook his head to clear out his ears. He must be hearing things.
Glynna’s blond brows arched, but then she swung the door wide and stepped back.
Paul was there and had heard them talking. The boy was shooting up taller every day. He had his mother’s blond hair, and shining blue eyes that must’ve come from his father. His voice broke and jumped from low to high and back again as he said, “What does ‘indefinitely’ mean? And ‘proprietor’?”
Glynna whispered definitions to him. She’d started overseeing the children’s studies since she’d married. Darehelped too. He seemed determined that his children would learn, even though there was no school in Broken Wheel.
Vince didn’t mention to his father that Asa lived in the boardinghouse, so they wouldn’t exactly have the house to themselves. Of course, Asa wasn’t one to intrude . . . unless he felt the need to shoot someone.
“That large basket needs careful handling,” Melissa said to Paul. “I think I should—”
Mother’s knees buckled suddenly, but Melissa caught her. She seemed to have forgotten what orders she was giving Paul. Vince helped to steady Mother from behind.
“I’ll tell Doc Riker to come over, then get the bags moved and talk to Asa.” Paul ran toward the back of the
As they walked down the street toward Asa’s, the diner door swung open and Glynna stuck her head out. She was rapt with curiosity, and she didn’t even bother to hideit. “Vince, who are your . . . your friends?” She looked confused, glancing from Father to Vince to Melissa, their resemblance clearly marking them as family.
“Glynna Riker, I’d like to introduce you to my family.” Gesturing to each in turn, he said, “This is my father, Julius Yates, my mother, Virginia Belle, and my . . . sister, Melissa.” Vince was proud of himself for only stumbling for a second over the sister part of his introductions.
Melissa gave him a sharp look, almost as if she expected him to denounce her. But he didn’t bother. She was the least of his troubles.
“Would you all like to come in?” Glynna asked. “Vince is a good friend, and I’d love to get to know his family. I’m sure you’re exhausted and hungry. I’ve got apple pie.”
Which reminded Vince of Tina, the one who’d made that pie. The woman he’d almost kissed only minutes ago.
He was about to say no. He saw his father open his mouth, and Vince saw the determination in Father’s eyes to say no, too.
“Apple pie sounds lovely.” Mother, however, spoke first. “My old mammy used to bake an apple pie fit to make the angels weep.” Mother leaned on Melissa and asked in a childlike voice, “Where is mammy? Why didn’t she come on the train with us?”
Melissa whispered something Vince couldn’t hear. Mother started for the diner, while Father said in a resigned voice, “Very well. We can stop in for a moment.”
“Do come in and sit down. Were you heading for the boardinghouse?” Glynna smiled, and as a rule, her smile made the sun shine brighter in the sky. It had no effect on Father, though, and Vince was beyond smiling.
“Yep.” Vince sort of wished Glynna would leave off her smiling. It clashed with the general mood. “They’re staying at Asa’s.”
“I’ll have my son, Paul, get your trunks toted down there, and tell Asa to expect company.” Glynna’s smile brightened even more. “We’ll insist he give you clean sheets.”
Father glowered.
Melissa winced, but quickly covered it.
Vince wondered if the young woman got punished for having an opinion. Vince had grown up knowing to keep his mouth shut, and there was no sign that Father had mellowed with age.
“Two rooms?” Glynna asked.
“How many rooms are there?” Father studied the two-story house.
“Four,” Vince said.
“Get all four. I’d as soon not share the house. And tell the proprietor we’ll want them indefinitely.”
Indefinitely? Vince shook his head to clear out his ears. He must be hearing things.
Glynna’s blond brows arched, but then she swung the door wide and stepped back.
Paul was there and had heard them talking. The boy was shooting up taller every day. He had his mother’s blond hair, and shining blue eyes that must’ve come from his father. His voice broke and jumped from low to high and back again as he said, “What does ‘indefinitely’ mean? And ‘proprietor’?”
Glynna whispered definitions to him. She’d started overseeing the children’s studies since she’d married. Darehelped too. He seemed determined that his children would learn, even though there was no school in Broken Wheel.
Vince didn’t mention to his father that Asa lived in the boardinghouse, so they wouldn’t exactly have the house to themselves. Of course, Asa wasn’t one to intrude . . . unless he felt the need to shoot someone.
“That large basket needs careful handling,” Melissa said to Paul. “I think I should—”
Mother’s knees buckled suddenly, but Melissa caught her. She seemed to have forgotten what orders she was giving Paul. Vince helped to steady Mother from behind.
“I’ll tell Doc Riker to come over, then get the bags moved and talk to Asa.” Paul ran toward the back of the
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