Read Online The Scent of Jasmine by Jude Deveraux - Free Book Online Page B

cheeks, he could tell that she’d been crying.
    It looked as though, while he was away, her bravery had given out. He opened the bag and silently began to pull out the contents. First there was a loaf of bread still warm from the oven, then a thick gooseberry pie in a ceramic dish. Under it was a huge wooden bowl filled nearly to the top with beef stew with big chunks of meat, potatoes, and carrots, all swimming in a fragrant gravy. On the bottom was a single wooden spoon.
    Alex dipped the spoon into the stew, and held it by Cay’s nose. It took a moment before she moved, but she seemed to come out from under the hood nose first, her eyes still closed.
    He drew the spoon back and she followed it.
    “Ooooh,” she said as she opened her eyes and reached for the spoon—but Alex pulled it back. Cay just sat there, looking at him in astonishment.
    “Give me that!” She made a lunge, grabbed the spoon from him, and ate the stew. As she chewed, she closed her eyes in ecstasy. “Heaven. Pure Heaven.”
    Alex reached to take the spoon from her, but she drew it away.
    “Get your own.”
    “I did get my own and that’s it. We have to share it.”
    “Share a spoon?” She was aghast.
    His long arm reached behind her and took the spoon while tossing her the loaf of bread. “Use that, and now who’s the ungrateful one? I guess you think I should have risked getting caught just to steal two spoons.”
    Cay tore off a chunk of bread and dipped it in the bowl. It soaked up gravy, but it was difficult to get the meat; it kept falling off.
    Alex watched her make several unsuccessful attempts at getting meat, then held out the spoon he’d used.
    When she realized it was share or go hungry, she snatched it from him. “You have the manners of a barbarian.”
    “And you have the appetite of a lumberjack. Give that back to me or I won’t tell you how I got this. I was nearly killed.”
    “Did anyone follow you?” Cay asked, spoon halfway to her mouth.
    He took the utensil from her. “I tell you I was nearly killed and your only concern is if you might get caught?”
    Cay started to defend herself, but she saw that his eyes were teasing. “If someone followed you, I’d have to share the spoon with more people. You’re bad enough.”
    “I guess a convicted murderer sleeping next to you is as much as you can take.”
    Cay didn’t like his joke. It was too real—and too frightening. “I think you should tell me your side of what happened in Charleston.” She used her most sympathetic tone to encourage him to talk, but he barely looked at her.
    “Hmph!” he said as he again took the spoon from her.
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means that it’s none of your business.”
    “I think that if I can risk my life for you, and if you—”
    “Was that a bear?” he asked, a piece of bread halfway to his mouth.
    Cay half rolled, half leaped, to move closer to him as she gave a little squeal of alarm.
    “Naw, just the wind,” he said and continued to eat.
    She realized he’d made it up about the bear just to get her to stop talking about the murder. “I don’t think you’re a very nice person.”
    “All of Charleston would agree with you on that one.”
    “A whole town that’s a good judge of character.” She had meant the words to sound light, but she could see by his face that she hadn’t succeeded. They ate in silence for a while, then she said, “Did you love her very much?”
    “Aye, I did.”
    Encouraged by his words, she went further. “How did you meet?”
    “At a race.” They’d finished the stew and Alex reached behind him for the pie—which Cay hadn’t seen.
    “Gooseberry? My favorite.”
    “And what food wouldn’t be your favorite right now?” His eyes had lost their sad, faraway look, and she was glad.
    “Beef jerky, dried apples, and creek water with little bits of moss floating in it.”
    With a chuckle, he used his big knife to cut the pie into quarters. “We’ll save some for