Read Online The Officer and the Bostoner (Historical Western Romance) (Fort Gibson Officers Series, Book 1) by Rose Gordon - Free Book Online
Authors: Rose Gordon
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rid them of your pretty new wife for a moment. We have a serious situation on our hands.”
Paying no mind to the smug looks on both Jack’s and Gray’s faces, Wes stood at attention and saluted. “Ready for orders, sir.”
“At ease, soldier,” Colonel Lewis said in his usual soft voice. “I need you and Officers Walker, Montgomery, and McCorkle to do some investigative work for me.”
“ Yes, sir,” Wes said, saluting.
“ Very good.” Colonel Lewis handed Wes a stack of papers, then scratched his jaw while Wes read them first and then handed them to Jack and Gray.
“ You cannot be serious,” Jack burst out, piercing their commanding officer with his stare.
“ I am,” Colonel Lewis said, his lips twitching.
“ What?” McCorkle asked, reaching for the papers Gray held in his loose grasp. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the sloppily written lines of their orders.
“ Are you sure this is a task that requires officers present?” Gray asked, his typical cool reserve well in place.
Colonel Lewis nodded once. “Certain.”
Wes suppressed a groan that was identical to the one that escaped Jack.
McCorkle, who’d just finished reading their orders, handed them back to Gray and adjusted his hat. “What are you waiting for, boys? Let’s go. Orders are orders.”
“That they are,” Colonel Lewis agreed as a traitorous grin spread across his lips. “You boys had better be off. The sun’s getting higher in the sky, and you don’t want to still be out there in the hot sun, overseeing dinner being slaughtered, at noonday.”
***
Allison took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Was it her imagination or was the cabin on fire?
She threw a glance over her left shoulder. The graying Mrs. Lewis and thin, pale Sarah Ridgely, General Ridgely’s wife, were both sitting in rocking chairs, their needles zipping in and out of the fabric in their hands. Behind them, a small, but contained, fire lit up the fireplace. She peered at the kitchen area. No smoke in there, either.
Releasing another breath, she turned her attention back to the fabric laid out in front of her.
Breathe. Just cut a straight line. That’s it. You can do this. She clenched her eyes closed. No, I can’t! she wanted to scream.
“ Do you need any help, Allison?” Mrs. Lewis asked, breaking into Allison’s thoughts.
“ No, ma’am. I just wanted to make sure...” She trailed off and bit her lip. Just cut . Tightening her grip on the shears, Allison began to cut.
Slow at first. Short, concise clips.
“It’ll be straighter, if you hold the fabric up at an angle and just glide the shears across,” Sarah said helpfully, as she tucked a ringlet of her dark blonde hair behind her ear.
Tentatively, Allison lifted the fabric, and with a prayer, pressed the V of the shears against the fabric and started to glide. She went slow at first, getting the feel for it, then sped up as she got more comfortable with it.
“Oh, Allison,” Mrs. Lewis began, “did you forget to—” Her words died on her tongue as the loud sound of fabric splitting rent the air.
Allison’s eyes flared wide. She somehow had turned the heavy fabric and now she was cutting at a sharp diagonal. Too scared of what might happen if she were to stop, Allison guided those cutting shears all the way down to the edge of the fabric.
Tears pricked her eyes. What had she done wrong?
“ Allison? Would you like some help?” Mrs. Lewis asked, concern filling her voice.
Yes! “No,” Allison said, shaking her head. She couldn’t accept help from Mrs. Lewis because then Wes would know she’d lied about being able to sew. She closed her eyes. Why had she lied about such a silly thing as knowing how to sew? She wasn’t his wife. She didn’t have to impress him with her womanly skills.
Yes she did. Why, she’d never know. Perhaps it was pride or a longing to show him that he had underestimated her in the worst way. But no matter what it was, she’d wanted to prove to
Paying no mind to the smug looks on both Jack’s and Gray’s faces, Wes stood at attention and saluted. “Ready for orders, sir.”
“At ease, soldier,” Colonel Lewis said in his usual soft voice. “I need you and Officers Walker, Montgomery, and McCorkle to do some investigative work for me.”
“ Yes, sir,” Wes said, saluting.
“ Very good.” Colonel Lewis handed Wes a stack of papers, then scratched his jaw while Wes read them first and then handed them to Jack and Gray.
“ You cannot be serious,” Jack burst out, piercing their commanding officer with his stare.
“ I am,” Colonel Lewis said, his lips twitching.
“ What?” McCorkle asked, reaching for the papers Gray held in his loose grasp. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the sloppily written lines of their orders.
“ Are you sure this is a task that requires officers present?” Gray asked, his typical cool reserve well in place.
Colonel Lewis nodded once. “Certain.”
Wes suppressed a groan that was identical to the one that escaped Jack.
McCorkle, who’d just finished reading their orders, handed them back to Gray and adjusted his hat. “What are you waiting for, boys? Let’s go. Orders are orders.”
“That they are,” Colonel Lewis agreed as a traitorous grin spread across his lips. “You boys had better be off. The sun’s getting higher in the sky, and you don’t want to still be out there in the hot sun, overseeing dinner being slaughtered, at noonday.”
***
Allison took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Was it her imagination or was the cabin on fire?
She threw a glance over her left shoulder. The graying Mrs. Lewis and thin, pale Sarah Ridgely, General Ridgely’s wife, were both sitting in rocking chairs, their needles zipping in and out of the fabric in their hands. Behind them, a small, but contained, fire lit up the fireplace. She peered at the kitchen area. No smoke in there, either.
Releasing another breath, she turned her attention back to the fabric laid out in front of her.
Breathe. Just cut a straight line. That’s it. You can do this. She clenched her eyes closed. No, I can’t! she wanted to scream.
“ Do you need any help, Allison?” Mrs. Lewis asked, breaking into Allison’s thoughts.
“ No, ma’am. I just wanted to make sure...” She trailed off and bit her lip. Just cut . Tightening her grip on the shears, Allison began to cut.
Slow at first. Short, concise clips.
“It’ll be straighter, if you hold the fabric up at an angle and just glide the shears across,” Sarah said helpfully, as she tucked a ringlet of her dark blonde hair behind her ear.
Tentatively, Allison lifted the fabric, and with a prayer, pressed the V of the shears against the fabric and started to glide. She went slow at first, getting the feel for it, then sped up as she got more comfortable with it.
“Oh, Allison,” Mrs. Lewis began, “did you forget to—” Her words died on her tongue as the loud sound of fabric splitting rent the air.
Allison’s eyes flared wide. She somehow had turned the heavy fabric and now she was cutting at a sharp diagonal. Too scared of what might happen if she were to stop, Allison guided those cutting shears all the way down to the edge of the fabric.
Tears pricked her eyes. What had she done wrong?
“ Allison? Would you like some help?” Mrs. Lewis asked, concern filling her voice.
Yes! “No,” Allison said, shaking her head. She couldn’t accept help from Mrs. Lewis because then Wes would know she’d lied about being able to sew. She closed her eyes. Why had she lied about such a silly thing as knowing how to sew? She wasn’t his wife. She didn’t have to impress him with her womanly skills.
Yes she did. Why, she’d never know. Perhaps it was pride or a longing to show him that he had underestimated her in the worst way. But no matter what it was, she’d wanted to prove to
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