Read Online The Golden Rules of Love: Western Romance by Tammy Andresen - Free Book Online
Authors: Tammy Andresen
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longer.
She hadn’t had any dinner and her stomach grumbled terribly but she refused to return. She would wait until everyone had gone to bed.
Memories of her childhood floated back to her. “Annie you’d cut off your nose to spite your face,” her mother would always say. She had a stubborn streak that was for sure... Was she being too stubborn now?
When she made her way back to the wagons, she still hadn’t decided. Part of her thought she had travelled all this way for a reason. She couldn’t give up on that now.
Another side of her agreed with Mack that it was too dangerous. But her stubborn streak took over again. She couldn’t just do what Mack said. She refused to bend herself to a man’s will.
Her fists were clenched when she entered the camp. It was so quiet and still that Annie almost didn’t notice Mack sitting by the fire.
“What are you doing up?” she hissed.
He kept his voice low. “Couldn’t sleep. What about you?”
“I don’t need you to keep tabs on me. I don’t want you to protect me. I can take care of myself.”
He stood and walked over to her until his nose was just inches from her own. “Fine with me. You don’t want to be reasonable? You’re a grown woman. You can throw your life away if you want to. I won’t stop you. But before you go Annie Sullivan, I want you to know that I think you’re a fool.”
“How dare you!” her temper flared.
“You’re smart enough, and you’ve got real kindness in you. I’ve seen it. But you don’t know when to use the sense God gave you. You will do some stupid things in the name of your pride. I don’t want to watch you get hurt…or worse. So if you insist on being a fool, go do it where I don’t have to see it. I’ve got my own problems, Annie! I can help you but not if you’re not going to help yourself.”
Before Annie could even answer, he turned and stormed off. “Well, fine!” she yelled at his back. But he didn’t turn around and she knew she hadn’t made any point at all.
She pulled out her sleeping mat and laid it down next to Mary Beth. It was quiet and she breathed a sigh of relief that Mary Beth appeared to be asleep.
“Annie, don’t go in those camps alone. I’m scared for you.” Mary Beth’s voice startled Annie.
“Are you going to abandon me too?”
“You’re talking like it’s my fault or Mack’s fault. Would you want to watch someone you love go into a dangerous situation? You are making the first choice here. The people who care about you are just trying to protect themselves a little.”
Annie didn’t say anything. She was too angry to admit they had a point. She needed to find Jasper. She had to know why Garrett had left her like that. If he wrote to her saying he found gold he didn’t just want to abandon her. He clearly still cared. So why leave her and come to California? Since Garrett was dead, only Jasper could give her answers.
Her father had always seemed to find his only daughter a burden. In her heart of hearts, she worried that Garrett had felt the same. And if she didn’t push Mack away, he would also decide she was more trouble than she was worth. Seemed like he had already.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. Tomorrow, she would pack her things, and she would strike out on her own. She would find Jasper and then maybe she could put these demons to rest.
It was a long time before Annie fell asleep. She woke with the first rays of the sun. It was quiet and peaceful. She headed to the nearby river to rinse her face. She was tired and the water would help her clear her head and help with her eyes made puffy from crying a lot and sleeping little.
There was a cluster of rocks just up river that provided some privacy. Annie needed a few minutes to collect her thoughts. A few hours of sleep had changed her attitude. Now that her anger had cooled, she wondered if she should really leave. While she didn’t like to compromise and she desperately wanted to complete her mission, she
She hadn’t had any dinner and her stomach grumbled terribly but she refused to return. She would wait until everyone had gone to bed.
Memories of her childhood floated back to her. “Annie you’d cut off your nose to spite your face,” her mother would always say. She had a stubborn streak that was for sure... Was she being too stubborn now?
When she made her way back to the wagons, she still hadn’t decided. Part of her thought she had travelled all this way for a reason. She couldn’t give up on that now.
Another side of her agreed with Mack that it was too dangerous. But her stubborn streak took over again. She couldn’t just do what Mack said. She refused to bend herself to a man’s will.
Her fists were clenched when she entered the camp. It was so quiet and still that Annie almost didn’t notice Mack sitting by the fire.
“What are you doing up?” she hissed.
He kept his voice low. “Couldn’t sleep. What about you?”
“I don’t need you to keep tabs on me. I don’t want you to protect me. I can take care of myself.”
He stood and walked over to her until his nose was just inches from her own. “Fine with me. You don’t want to be reasonable? You’re a grown woman. You can throw your life away if you want to. I won’t stop you. But before you go Annie Sullivan, I want you to know that I think you’re a fool.”
“How dare you!” her temper flared.
“You’re smart enough, and you’ve got real kindness in you. I’ve seen it. But you don’t know when to use the sense God gave you. You will do some stupid things in the name of your pride. I don’t want to watch you get hurt…or worse. So if you insist on being a fool, go do it where I don’t have to see it. I’ve got my own problems, Annie! I can help you but not if you’re not going to help yourself.”
Before Annie could even answer, he turned and stormed off. “Well, fine!” she yelled at his back. But he didn’t turn around and she knew she hadn’t made any point at all.
She pulled out her sleeping mat and laid it down next to Mary Beth. It was quiet and she breathed a sigh of relief that Mary Beth appeared to be asleep.
“Annie, don’t go in those camps alone. I’m scared for you.” Mary Beth’s voice startled Annie.
“Are you going to abandon me too?”
“You’re talking like it’s my fault or Mack’s fault. Would you want to watch someone you love go into a dangerous situation? You are making the first choice here. The people who care about you are just trying to protect themselves a little.”
Annie didn’t say anything. She was too angry to admit they had a point. She needed to find Jasper. She had to know why Garrett had left her like that. If he wrote to her saying he found gold he didn’t just want to abandon her. He clearly still cared. So why leave her and come to California? Since Garrett was dead, only Jasper could give her answers.
Her father had always seemed to find his only daughter a burden. In her heart of hearts, she worried that Garrett had felt the same. And if she didn’t push Mack away, he would also decide she was more trouble than she was worth. Seemed like he had already.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. Tomorrow, she would pack her things, and she would strike out on her own. She would find Jasper and then maybe she could put these demons to rest.
It was a long time before Annie fell asleep. She woke with the first rays of the sun. It was quiet and peaceful. She headed to the nearby river to rinse her face. She was tired and the water would help her clear her head and help with her eyes made puffy from crying a lot and sleeping little.
There was a cluster of rocks just up river that provided some privacy. Annie needed a few minutes to collect her thoughts. A few hours of sleep had changed her attitude. Now that her anger had cooled, she wondered if she should really leave. While she didn’t like to compromise and she desperately wanted to complete her mission, she
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