Read Online The Midwife's Secret by Kate Bridges - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Bridges
Ads: Link
horses doing?”
“They’re magnificent.” Pa beamed, making all of Tom’s perseverance worthwhile.
“Glad you like ’em.”
“Now, I think I’ve got some black licorice gum to deliver,” Pa said, gazing at Miss Clementine by the outdoor fire. He rooted for something in the top pocket of his red jacket. “Her favorite.”
With caution, Tom gazed at the two ladies, who were boiling a kettle of potatoes over an open flame. Realizing he ought to warn his pa about the type of women they were, Tom decided he would mention it when the two men were alone.
Toward noon, Tom refused Amanda’s offer of lunch and tea for the third time.
“What is it?” she finally asked. She’d removed her bonnet. Her mended kerchief held back some of her wavy black hair, but the rest tumbled over her shoulders. “If it’s about last evening, I’m sorry I pulled away from you…but you have…and I’m not interested…”
He grumbled. She wasn’t interested? Well, he wasn’t interested, either, to be hoodwinked and bamboozled by another conniving woman. Conniving, he repeated in his mind as he gazed into her fraudulent blue eyes. Cold, heartless, lying.
In the background, he heard Wolf bark, then Pa and Miss Clementine laugh. “For your information,” Tom said, “not that it’s any of your concern, Clarissa is not a big part of my life. And I’ve got a lot of work to do today.” He gave her a dismissive nod, hoping she’d walk away.
“Let me help—”
“No.” He straightened his shoulders and finally confronted her.
Her lips tightened. Her brows arched. “I knew it was a mistake to hire you.”
“How dare you say that.”
She placed her hands on her rounded hips and glared at him. “Then what is it? What am I supposed to think as you continue to play games and not accept my tea…and not accept my help…and not even look in my direction? Why are you so hostile? Because yesterday I didn’t accept your advances? Haven’t you ever been turned down before?”
Tom balked. “Is that what you think it’s about?”
“I know that a successful man like you, who has a booming business and the respect of the town, isn’t used to be given a no—”
“Stop before you regret it—”
“Why, every woman in town must be flattered beyond belief when you look in her direction—”
Tom cut her off with an iron grip on her arm, being careful not to hurt her. The heat of her flesh seeped into his fingers. Fury laced his words. “Would you like me more if you thought my life were difficult?”
Their eyes locked. She opened her mouth to answer.
“Well?” He tugged her closer, an inch away from his face.
Slowly she closed her lips and took a deep breath. His question left her speechless, and trembling.
He was shaking a bit himself. Releasing her, he stepped away.
With quivering lips, she hiked her skirts to leave.
Now that she’d opened up the discussion, he couldn’t stop himself from hurling a question at her stiffened back. “Why couldn’t people be more honest?”
She spun around. “Pardon?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were divorced, Amanda?”
Her gaze clouded. The question seemed to weigh on her, choking her. “Well…I…”
Maybe she did have a conscience, or was she just embarrassed she’d been caught in her own lie?
She stared at his rigid stance. “That’s why you’re upset.”
“Were you and your grandmother having a little chuckle at my expense?”
A flash of grief rippled across her face. “We weren’t laughing at you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
“Because I…couldn’t.”
“The easily fooled jackass, Tom Murdock.”
Her eyes glistened in sympathy. She shook her head. “We weren’t laughing at you.”
“Turns out, I’ve got a few jokes of my own to tell. Like this property here, for instance. Zeb Finnigan took you to town. You paid five hundred, but I would have sold it to you for a whopping three.”
Another blow. She staggered.
“They’re magnificent.” Pa beamed, making all of Tom’s perseverance worthwhile.
“Glad you like ’em.”
“Now, I think I’ve got some black licorice gum to deliver,” Pa said, gazing at Miss Clementine by the outdoor fire. He rooted for something in the top pocket of his red jacket. “Her favorite.”
With caution, Tom gazed at the two ladies, who were boiling a kettle of potatoes over an open flame. Realizing he ought to warn his pa about the type of women they were, Tom decided he would mention it when the two men were alone.
Toward noon, Tom refused Amanda’s offer of lunch and tea for the third time.
“What is it?” she finally asked. She’d removed her bonnet. Her mended kerchief held back some of her wavy black hair, but the rest tumbled over her shoulders. “If it’s about last evening, I’m sorry I pulled away from you…but you have…and I’m not interested…”
He grumbled. She wasn’t interested? Well, he wasn’t interested, either, to be hoodwinked and bamboozled by another conniving woman. Conniving, he repeated in his mind as he gazed into her fraudulent blue eyes. Cold, heartless, lying.
In the background, he heard Wolf bark, then Pa and Miss Clementine laugh. “For your information,” Tom said, “not that it’s any of your concern, Clarissa is not a big part of my life. And I’ve got a lot of work to do today.” He gave her a dismissive nod, hoping she’d walk away.
“Let me help—”
“No.” He straightened his shoulders and finally confronted her.
Her lips tightened. Her brows arched. “I knew it was a mistake to hire you.”
“How dare you say that.”
She placed her hands on her rounded hips and glared at him. “Then what is it? What am I supposed to think as you continue to play games and not accept my tea…and not accept my help…and not even look in my direction? Why are you so hostile? Because yesterday I didn’t accept your advances? Haven’t you ever been turned down before?”
Tom balked. “Is that what you think it’s about?”
“I know that a successful man like you, who has a booming business and the respect of the town, isn’t used to be given a no—”
“Stop before you regret it—”
“Why, every woman in town must be flattered beyond belief when you look in her direction—”
Tom cut her off with an iron grip on her arm, being careful not to hurt her. The heat of her flesh seeped into his fingers. Fury laced his words. “Would you like me more if you thought my life were difficult?”
Their eyes locked. She opened her mouth to answer.
“Well?” He tugged her closer, an inch away from his face.
Slowly she closed her lips and took a deep breath. His question left her speechless, and trembling.
He was shaking a bit himself. Releasing her, he stepped away.
With quivering lips, she hiked her skirts to leave.
Now that she’d opened up the discussion, he couldn’t stop himself from hurling a question at her stiffened back. “Why couldn’t people be more honest?”
She spun around. “Pardon?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were divorced, Amanda?”
Her gaze clouded. The question seemed to weigh on her, choking her. “Well…I…”
Maybe she did have a conscience, or was she just embarrassed she’d been caught in her own lie?
She stared at his rigid stance. “That’s why you’re upset.”
“Were you and your grandmother having a little chuckle at my expense?”
A flash of grief rippled across her face. “We weren’t laughing at you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
“Because I…couldn’t.”
“The easily fooled jackass, Tom Murdock.”
Her eyes glistened in sympathy. She shook her head. “We weren’t laughing at you.”
“Turns out, I’ve got a few jokes of my own to tell. Like this property here, for instance. Zeb Finnigan took you to town. You paid five hundred, but I would have sold it to you for a whopping three.”
Another blow. She staggered.
Similar Books
