Read Online Sudden Storms by Marcia Lynn McClure - Free Book Online
Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure
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longer. And here before him, the hurt all too apparent in her eyes, she stood—beautiful, desirable, perfect, and now hating him.
“Then I have to leave at once. Don’t I?” Rivers whispered.
“No,” Paxton corrected her. “She’d think me a lost cause then and never marry Weston.”
Rivers looked away from him for a moment. He inhaled deeply and swallowed hard.
Paxton felt ill. Sickening heat seemed to tear through his body as he fought to resist pulling her into his arms. He was no good, a hardened, rough ol’ bobcat with nothing to offer a warm, soft, sweet-tasting bunny like Rivers. He had to keep reminding himself she deserved better. He had to make sure he did not give in to his selfish desire to own her—she deserved better.
She looked back to him then, and it was nearly his undoing. Tears brimmed plentifully in her eyes, and he felt her pain piercing his own heart. He realized then his actions, or rather lack of action, had been breaking her for weeks. It was further proof, reassurance he did not deserve her.
Rivers thought she might die from the pain clenching her heart. As she looked at him, having already known this day would come, knowing she could never hope to own the heart of a man like Paxton Gray—as she looked at him, she asked, “Then what do you want me to do, Paxton? What do you want me to do? You tell me that because I’m here Jolee won’t move further on with Weston. But then you tell me I can’t go. What do you want me…”
“I want ya to help me convince her that I’ll be fine without her here,” he explained. “Let her think what she wants, and then when she finally accepts Weston…you can do whatever ya feel ya need to.” He took a deep breath and looked out toward the fields nearby. “There was this girl, ya see. Years back. Jolee’s worried I won’t ever…that I…” he began.
“Ruby,” Rivers stated and watched as he looked back to her quickly, surprise apparent on his face. “Jolee told me about your Ruby when I first came here.”
“What did she tell you?” he asked, suddenly angry.
“That you were in love with a woman named Ruby. That’s all I know. She left you, ran away or something, and you’ve never gotten over her,” Rivers mumbled, struggling to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.
Paxton inhaled deeply, and Rivers knew he was barely controlling his temper. Yet control it he did.
“I want ya to help me convince Jolee, Rivers. I want her to think…to think I’ve some interest in you—enough that she’ll think if she marries Weston, you’ll stay with me. She’s wasted enough of her life takin’ care of me.” He chuckled and shook his head. “She loves me so much she can’t see it makes me miserable to see her lettin’ her life pass by because of it.”
Rivers studied him as he gazed out over the fields. Oh, how attractive he was! The breeze caught the tousled locks of hair at his forehead and blew them back for a moment. She loved him! She would never love anyone like she loved Paxton Gray! She made a silent oath, promising herself she would never forget how wonderful he was, how handsome. He was compassionate, self-sacrificing. For all his selfish, crabby pretenses, he did not hide his true self very well. He had a heart, a feeling heart, though he would like everyone to think otherwise. Rivers knew his heart, knew him for his goodness as well as his physical beauty.
She’d always known Paxton Gray was only a dream to her—that a man such as he was would never give himself to an orphan girl who drifted from town to town by riding the rails. Yet she had so desperately wished that he would. But he wouldn’t. She knew. All good things must come to an end , her father had always said. And so, end it must.
“I’ll stay until we see Jolee married, then I’ll be on my way,” she told him. It was what he wanted to hear. “I promise.”
Paxton looked back at her, nodding with appreciation, though he still wore a
“Then I have to leave at once. Don’t I?” Rivers whispered.
“No,” Paxton corrected her. “She’d think me a lost cause then and never marry Weston.”
Rivers looked away from him for a moment. He inhaled deeply and swallowed hard.
Paxton felt ill. Sickening heat seemed to tear through his body as he fought to resist pulling her into his arms. He was no good, a hardened, rough ol’ bobcat with nothing to offer a warm, soft, sweet-tasting bunny like Rivers. He had to keep reminding himself she deserved better. He had to make sure he did not give in to his selfish desire to own her—she deserved better.
She looked back to him then, and it was nearly his undoing. Tears brimmed plentifully in her eyes, and he felt her pain piercing his own heart. He realized then his actions, or rather lack of action, had been breaking her for weeks. It was further proof, reassurance he did not deserve her.
Rivers thought she might die from the pain clenching her heart. As she looked at him, having already known this day would come, knowing she could never hope to own the heart of a man like Paxton Gray—as she looked at him, she asked, “Then what do you want me to do, Paxton? What do you want me to do? You tell me that because I’m here Jolee won’t move further on with Weston. But then you tell me I can’t go. What do you want me…”
“I want ya to help me convince her that I’ll be fine without her here,” he explained. “Let her think what she wants, and then when she finally accepts Weston…you can do whatever ya feel ya need to.” He took a deep breath and looked out toward the fields nearby. “There was this girl, ya see. Years back. Jolee’s worried I won’t ever…that I…” he began.
“Ruby,” Rivers stated and watched as he looked back to her quickly, surprise apparent on his face. “Jolee told me about your Ruby when I first came here.”
“What did she tell you?” he asked, suddenly angry.
“That you were in love with a woman named Ruby. That’s all I know. She left you, ran away or something, and you’ve never gotten over her,” Rivers mumbled, struggling to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.
Paxton inhaled deeply, and Rivers knew he was barely controlling his temper. Yet control it he did.
“I want ya to help me convince Jolee, Rivers. I want her to think…to think I’ve some interest in you—enough that she’ll think if she marries Weston, you’ll stay with me. She’s wasted enough of her life takin’ care of me.” He chuckled and shook his head. “She loves me so much she can’t see it makes me miserable to see her lettin’ her life pass by because of it.”
Rivers studied him as he gazed out over the fields. Oh, how attractive he was! The breeze caught the tousled locks of hair at his forehead and blew them back for a moment. She loved him! She would never love anyone like she loved Paxton Gray! She made a silent oath, promising herself she would never forget how wonderful he was, how handsome. He was compassionate, self-sacrificing. For all his selfish, crabby pretenses, he did not hide his true self very well. He had a heart, a feeling heart, though he would like everyone to think otherwise. Rivers knew his heart, knew him for his goodness as well as his physical beauty.
She’d always known Paxton Gray was only a dream to her—that a man such as he was would never give himself to an orphan girl who drifted from town to town by riding the rails. Yet she had so desperately wished that he would. But he wouldn’t. She knew. All good things must come to an end , her father had always said. And so, end it must.
“I’ll stay until we see Jolee married, then I’ll be on my way,” she told him. It was what he wanted to hear. “I promise.”
Paxton looked back at her, nodding with appreciation, though he still wore a
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