Read Online The Haunting of Autumn Lake by Marcia Lynn McClure - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure
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again.
Autumn gasped a little as she entered the room—surprised to see Gentry standing near the window. It wasn’t so much his standing near the window that had astounded her as it was the fact he wore not a thread of clothing other than a pair of long underdrawers with no top and a drooping drawstring at the waist.
Turning his gaze from the window to Autumn, Gentry smiled, greeting, “Good mornin’, Autumn.”
The sight of his handsome face, complemented so perfectly by the dimples in each of his unshaven cheeks, instantly caused a smile of full felicity to spread over Autumn’s face. “Good mornin’, Mr. James,” she greeted in return.
Dang, he was handsome. He was so handsome! She couldn’t believe how handsome he was! Quickly she studied him from head to toe for a moment. In truth, she’d never seen anything like him before. Well, naturally she’d never seen a man standing at the window in just his underdrawers before—any man other than her father, that was. But it was more than that. Gentry James was much, much taller than he’d appeared to be when’d he’d been lying in bed. Furthermore, even for the sling holding his left arm across his torso, Autumn could see the perfect definition of the muscles in his arms, shoulders, stomach, and broad chest. His hair was its usual shaggy brown and gold, hanging over his ears, neck, eyebrows, and eyes. All in all, Autumn Lake had never, ever, ever seen the likes of him, standing at the window in Doctor Sullivan’s patient room.
“You must be feelin’ quite a bit better today,” she said. She began to move toward the chair she usually sat in, but since Gentry was at the window and standing so close to it, she paused. Autumn wasn’t at all sure if she should sit down so close to a man when he was dressed in nothing but a pair of underdrawers.
“I do feel better,” he confirmed, smiling once more and returning his attention to the world outside the window. “I was thinkin’ I might need to go check on my horse today. He’s probably thinkin’ I’m dead and never comin’ back.”
“He’s fine,” Autumn explained. “Daddy and I have been seein’ to him every day.”
Gentry looked at her again and grinned. “Really? Well, that’s awful nice of you all.”
Autumn shrugged. Then, as anxiety began to creep into her thoughts, she couldn’t keep from asking, “So how much better are you really feelin’? Not good enough to ride, I hope.”
Gentry’s handsome brow puckered a bit. “That there was kind of a strange thing to say. It almost sounded like you don’t want me to be mended up.”
“Oh, no! No, no, no!” Autumn assured him. “I do! I-I just know how some men are—you know…thinkin’ they’re all better and well enough to ride hard and things…when really they need a little more rest than they’re willin’ to admit.”
He smiled again, and she felt relieved that she’d managed to cover her tracks a bit. “You sound like you’re speakin’ from experience.”
Autumn giggled and nodded. “You’ve met my daddy, so I’m sure you can imagine what I’ve seen.”
“Oh, yes, I can,” he admitted. “Ol’ Doc Sullivan has told me quite a bit about your daddy…your mama too. From what I hear, Mr. Ransom Lake and his lovely wife are quite the pair.”
Autumn nodded once more. “Yep,” she sighed happily. “They are.” Suddenly remembering the plate in her hand, Autumn exclaimed, “Oh! That reminds me…Mama sent one of her apple fruit rolls over for you for breakfast.” Lifting the cloth off the plate, Autumn offered it to Gentry. “I even remembered to bring along a fork for you,” she said, reaching into the pocket of her apron and withdrawing a fork.
“Well, thank you kindly, ma’am,” Gentry said, accepting the plate with his right hand.
“Here you go,” Autumn said, carefully placing the fork on the plate with the fruit roll. “And let me help you.” She positioned the chair she usually sat in so that
Autumn gasped a little as she entered the room—surprised to see Gentry standing near the window. It wasn’t so much his standing near the window that had astounded her as it was the fact he wore not a thread of clothing other than a pair of long underdrawers with no top and a drooping drawstring at the waist.
Turning his gaze from the window to Autumn, Gentry smiled, greeting, “Good mornin’, Autumn.”
The sight of his handsome face, complemented so perfectly by the dimples in each of his unshaven cheeks, instantly caused a smile of full felicity to spread over Autumn’s face. “Good mornin’, Mr. James,” she greeted in return.
Dang, he was handsome. He was so handsome! She couldn’t believe how handsome he was! Quickly she studied him from head to toe for a moment. In truth, she’d never seen anything like him before. Well, naturally she’d never seen a man standing at the window in just his underdrawers before—any man other than her father, that was. But it was more than that. Gentry James was much, much taller than he’d appeared to be when’d he’d been lying in bed. Furthermore, even for the sling holding his left arm across his torso, Autumn could see the perfect definition of the muscles in his arms, shoulders, stomach, and broad chest. His hair was its usual shaggy brown and gold, hanging over his ears, neck, eyebrows, and eyes. All in all, Autumn Lake had never, ever, ever seen the likes of him, standing at the window in Doctor Sullivan’s patient room.
“You must be feelin’ quite a bit better today,” she said. She began to move toward the chair she usually sat in, but since Gentry was at the window and standing so close to it, she paused. Autumn wasn’t at all sure if she should sit down so close to a man when he was dressed in nothing but a pair of underdrawers.
“I do feel better,” he confirmed, smiling once more and returning his attention to the world outside the window. “I was thinkin’ I might need to go check on my horse today. He’s probably thinkin’ I’m dead and never comin’ back.”
“He’s fine,” Autumn explained. “Daddy and I have been seein’ to him every day.”
Gentry looked at her again and grinned. “Really? Well, that’s awful nice of you all.”
Autumn shrugged. Then, as anxiety began to creep into her thoughts, she couldn’t keep from asking, “So how much better are you really feelin’? Not good enough to ride, I hope.”
Gentry’s handsome brow puckered a bit. “That there was kind of a strange thing to say. It almost sounded like you don’t want me to be mended up.”
“Oh, no! No, no, no!” Autumn assured him. “I do! I-I just know how some men are—you know…thinkin’ they’re all better and well enough to ride hard and things…when really they need a little more rest than they’re willin’ to admit.”
He smiled again, and she felt relieved that she’d managed to cover her tracks a bit. “You sound like you’re speakin’ from experience.”
Autumn giggled and nodded. “You’ve met my daddy, so I’m sure you can imagine what I’ve seen.”
“Oh, yes, I can,” he admitted. “Ol’ Doc Sullivan has told me quite a bit about your daddy…your mama too. From what I hear, Mr. Ransom Lake and his lovely wife are quite the pair.”
Autumn nodded once more. “Yep,” she sighed happily. “They are.” Suddenly remembering the plate in her hand, Autumn exclaimed, “Oh! That reminds me…Mama sent one of her apple fruit rolls over for you for breakfast.” Lifting the cloth off the plate, Autumn offered it to Gentry. “I even remembered to bring along a fork for you,” she said, reaching into the pocket of her apron and withdrawing a fork.
“Well, thank you kindly, ma’am,” Gentry said, accepting the plate with his right hand.
“Here you go,” Autumn said, carefully placing the fork on the plate with the fruit roll. “And let me help you.” She positioned the chair she usually sat in so that
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