Read Online Texas Pride: Night Riders by Leigh Greenwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leigh Greenwood
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anybody feeling sorry for me.” She turned her attention to three dresses she’d set aside. “I think you’ll like one of these.” She held up a dress of pale blue cotton with white trim.
“It’s very pretty, but how about something with more color? Light blue looks faded on me.” She didn’t like a yellow dress or the gingham any better. She caught sight of a red dress lying across a table in the back room. “Why didn’t you bring out that one?”
Sadie’s face was a study in dismay. “I don’t… it didn’t seem… it never occurred to me… it’s not exactly…”
“What are you trying to say?”
Sadie seemed finally to gather her thoughts. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too bold for an unmarried lady?”
“I can’t tell until I see what it looks like on me.”
Sadie reluctantly handed the dress to Carla. It was a simple frock with a flared skirt. The neckline wasn’t low enough to be considered daring. If she wore a shawl to guard against the chill, she would be quite modestly dressed. She was holding it up in front of her and looking at herself in the mirror when the door opened and Ivan returned.
“That dress looks very nice on you,” he said. “You should buy it.”
The look in his eye said so much more. Carla felt the heat of embarrassment rise along the back of her neck. “I thought you went to Mr. Thompson’s?” It was all she could think to say.
“I came back to fix Mrs. Lowell’s back door. It is so loose it barely locks.”
“Bless your soul!” Sadie exclaimed. “I don’t know what kind Providence sent you to Overlin, but I hope you never leave. I’ve been worried sick about that door.”
“It is not hard to fix,” Ivan said. “All I have to do is put some shims behind the hinges.” He held up two thin pieces of wood for her inspection.
“Is that all it takes?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I could kill Gordon,” Sadie fumed. “He said there was nothing I could do but buy a new door. From him.” She harrumphed in a manner that didn’t bode well for Mr. Thompson. “You’ll have to come to lunch two Sundays,” Sadie said to Ivan. “Maybe three.”
“One is enough. Now I fix your door.”
Ivan disappeared through the back, and Sadie turned to Carla, a look of sheer adoration on her face. “That young man is an angel. I wonder if he has a place to stay. Do you think I should offer him a room?”
“You never saw him before today,” Carla exclaimed. “You don’t know what kind of person he might be.”
“I know all I need to know,” Sadie declared. “He doesn’t know me, but he’s done more for me in the last hour than anybody in this town has done in the last year. I’ll probably have to force him to eat more than a couple of mouthfuls. Poor boy. I wonder where he eats. Do you know anything about him?”
Carla was caught. She couldn’t say she didn’t know Ivan, but if she told Sadie the entire story, it would be all over town by the day’s end.
Carla was saved by the arrival of Myrtle Jenkins. Never one to wait her turn, Myrtle barged right in and proceeded to relate to Sadie everything she’d told Carla earlier that morning. Before long, both women were trying to outdo the other in praise of Ivan. Carla considered herself a Christian woman, but there were limits to what she could endure.
“I’ll take the red dress,” she told Sadie when the two women paused for breath.
Myrtle’s disapproval was obvious. “Why would you buy such a dress?”
“I want something new to wear to the dance.”
Myrtle’s frown deepened. “I don’t approve of dancing. It leads to lewd behavior.”
“Only if you want to behave lewdly,” Carla responded, “which I don’t and never have.”
“I wasn’t speaking of you, my dear,” Myrtle said with a grimace that was anything but endearing. “I was speaking of the men who would attend the dance. You know they all have only one thing in mind .” Myrtle whispered the last words even though she had
“It’s very pretty, but how about something with more color? Light blue looks faded on me.” She didn’t like a yellow dress or the gingham any better. She caught sight of a red dress lying across a table in the back room. “Why didn’t you bring out that one?”
Sadie’s face was a study in dismay. “I don’t… it didn’t seem… it never occurred to me… it’s not exactly…”
“What are you trying to say?”
Sadie seemed finally to gather her thoughts. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too bold for an unmarried lady?”
“I can’t tell until I see what it looks like on me.”
Sadie reluctantly handed the dress to Carla. It was a simple frock with a flared skirt. The neckline wasn’t low enough to be considered daring. If she wore a shawl to guard against the chill, she would be quite modestly dressed. She was holding it up in front of her and looking at herself in the mirror when the door opened and Ivan returned.
“That dress looks very nice on you,” he said. “You should buy it.”
The look in his eye said so much more. Carla felt the heat of embarrassment rise along the back of her neck. “I thought you went to Mr. Thompson’s?” It was all she could think to say.
“I came back to fix Mrs. Lowell’s back door. It is so loose it barely locks.”
“Bless your soul!” Sadie exclaimed. “I don’t know what kind Providence sent you to Overlin, but I hope you never leave. I’ve been worried sick about that door.”
“It is not hard to fix,” Ivan said. “All I have to do is put some shims behind the hinges.” He held up two thin pieces of wood for her inspection.
“Is that all it takes?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I could kill Gordon,” Sadie fumed. “He said there was nothing I could do but buy a new door. From him.” She harrumphed in a manner that didn’t bode well for Mr. Thompson. “You’ll have to come to lunch two Sundays,” Sadie said to Ivan. “Maybe three.”
“One is enough. Now I fix your door.”
Ivan disappeared through the back, and Sadie turned to Carla, a look of sheer adoration on her face. “That young man is an angel. I wonder if he has a place to stay. Do you think I should offer him a room?”
“You never saw him before today,” Carla exclaimed. “You don’t know what kind of person he might be.”
“I know all I need to know,” Sadie declared. “He doesn’t know me, but he’s done more for me in the last hour than anybody in this town has done in the last year. I’ll probably have to force him to eat more than a couple of mouthfuls. Poor boy. I wonder where he eats. Do you know anything about him?”
Carla was caught. She couldn’t say she didn’t know Ivan, but if she told Sadie the entire story, it would be all over town by the day’s end.
Carla was saved by the arrival of Myrtle Jenkins. Never one to wait her turn, Myrtle barged right in and proceeded to relate to Sadie everything she’d told Carla earlier that morning. Before long, both women were trying to outdo the other in praise of Ivan. Carla considered herself a Christian woman, but there were limits to what she could endure.
“I’ll take the red dress,” she told Sadie when the two women paused for breath.
Myrtle’s disapproval was obvious. “Why would you buy such a dress?”
“I want something new to wear to the dance.”
Myrtle’s frown deepened. “I don’t approve of dancing. It leads to lewd behavior.”
“Only if you want to behave lewdly,” Carla responded, “which I don’t and never have.”
“I wasn’t speaking of you, my dear,” Myrtle said with a grimace that was anything but endearing. “I was speaking of the men who would attend the dance. You know they all have only one thing in mind .” Myrtle whispered the last words even though she had
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