Read Online To Tell the Truth by Janet Dailey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janet Dailey
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with the other, then gave them back to her and vaulted over himself. Now that she was committed to adding pear blossoms to her flowers, Andrea decided to pick just the perfect fanning spray to use as a backdrop for the roses.
With Adam following indulgently behind her, she followed the path between the white yard fence and the rows of trees, searching the limbs for the right branch. Several yards farther, she spotted the one she wanted.
"Do you see that small branch where the blossoms fan out, Adam?" She pointed toward it. "Can you reach it?"
"I think so." Taking the shears from her, he stretched his long arms, clasping the branch and snipping it from the tree. "There you are."
"Thank you." She took the spray from him and placed it in the basket with the rest of the flowers.
"Now that I've assured myself that you aren't going to vandalize the orchard, do you suppose we could go to the house?" Adam grinned. "I came to go over the timber leases with John and, I hope, to persuade Mrs. Davidson or someone to invite me to lunch."
"I think that can be arranged," Andrea replied lightly.
Their route along the fence had taken them toward the front of the house. As they turned to cross the fence, they were level with the entrance. This time, Adam agilely vaulted the rails ahead of her, turning as she stepped on to the first board. She reached out to hand him the basket of flowers so her hands could be free to climb the fence. Instead of taking the basket, Adam's hands closed around her waist and lifted her right over the fence.
At the same instant, she realized that a car had stopped in the driveway and doors were being opened and closed. As she made her laughing gasp of protest, Andrea glanced toward the driveway. She stared at the man stepping from the car, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and the buttons partially unbuttoned to reveal the tanned column of his throat.
It couldn't be! Her mind was playing tricks on her. But the image remained and the man was stating back at her, cold, angry shock in his expression.
It was Tell.
Her gaze swung to the two women climbing out of the opposite side of the car. Andrea wondered what he was doing with Mrs. Collins and her daughter. Was he the fiancé that John had mentioned? Oh, God, she couldn't bear that!
Then she watched his gaze flicker from her face to the man who had swung her to the ground. Not even that morning when he had condemned her so bitterly had she seen his handsome face look as forbidding and coldly arrogant as it did when his black gaze slashed back at her; his nostrils flaring in contempt and disgust.
Andrea knew what Tell was thinking at the moment. He was concluding that she and Adam…Her stomach turned with a sickening rush as what little color she possessed receded from her face.
"Good lord, Andrea! What's wrong?" Adam demanded earnestly, his hands clutching her shoulders.
"It's…" She almost said it was Tell, but at that moment Adam had shook her gently, snapping her head from Tell's pinning gaze. "It's Mrs. Collins. They've arrived."
He glanced over his shoulder. Mrs. Collins and her daughter were walking to the front door, neither of them having noticed Andrea and Adam. Tell was following them. Then Adam returned his attention to her.
"There's no reason to be so upset because they're early," he reproved with a gentle smile. "You know Mrs. Davison is a genius in the kitchen. With a wave of her magic wand, she'll make the food stretch from three to six."
"Yes, of course," Andrea agreed shakily. He had released her shoulder and she ran a trembling, perspiring palm down the side of her denim jeans.
"There's another reason, isn't there?" He tilted his sandy head to the side.
"What?" She clutched the basket handle tighter, wondering how much he had read into her stunned reaction. Adam was not only a hardworking overseer, but he was intelligent, too.
"It's your clothes, isn't it?" He tucked her hand under his arm arid turned her toward the house. "You
With Adam following indulgently behind her, she followed the path between the white yard fence and the rows of trees, searching the limbs for the right branch. Several yards farther, she spotted the one she wanted.
"Do you see that small branch where the blossoms fan out, Adam?" She pointed toward it. "Can you reach it?"
"I think so." Taking the shears from her, he stretched his long arms, clasping the branch and snipping it from the tree. "There you are."
"Thank you." She took the spray from him and placed it in the basket with the rest of the flowers.
"Now that I've assured myself that you aren't going to vandalize the orchard, do you suppose we could go to the house?" Adam grinned. "I came to go over the timber leases with John and, I hope, to persuade Mrs. Davidson or someone to invite me to lunch."
"I think that can be arranged," Andrea replied lightly.
Their route along the fence had taken them toward the front of the house. As they turned to cross the fence, they were level with the entrance. This time, Adam agilely vaulted the rails ahead of her, turning as she stepped on to the first board. She reached out to hand him the basket of flowers so her hands could be free to climb the fence. Instead of taking the basket, Adam's hands closed around her waist and lifted her right over the fence.
At the same instant, she realized that a car had stopped in the driveway and doors were being opened and closed. As she made her laughing gasp of protest, Andrea glanced toward the driveway. She stared at the man stepping from the car, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and the buttons partially unbuttoned to reveal the tanned column of his throat.
It couldn't be! Her mind was playing tricks on her. But the image remained and the man was stating back at her, cold, angry shock in his expression.
It was Tell.
Her gaze swung to the two women climbing out of the opposite side of the car. Andrea wondered what he was doing with Mrs. Collins and her daughter. Was he the fiancé that John had mentioned? Oh, God, she couldn't bear that!
Then she watched his gaze flicker from her face to the man who had swung her to the ground. Not even that morning when he had condemned her so bitterly had she seen his handsome face look as forbidding and coldly arrogant as it did when his black gaze slashed back at her; his nostrils flaring in contempt and disgust.
Andrea knew what Tell was thinking at the moment. He was concluding that she and Adam…Her stomach turned with a sickening rush as what little color she possessed receded from her face.
"Good lord, Andrea! What's wrong?" Adam demanded earnestly, his hands clutching her shoulders.
"It's…" She almost said it was Tell, but at that moment Adam had shook her gently, snapping her head from Tell's pinning gaze. "It's Mrs. Collins. They've arrived."
He glanced over his shoulder. Mrs. Collins and her daughter were walking to the front door, neither of them having noticed Andrea and Adam. Tell was following them. Then Adam returned his attention to her.
"There's no reason to be so upset because they're early," he reproved with a gentle smile. "You know Mrs. Davison is a genius in the kitchen. With a wave of her magic wand, she'll make the food stretch from three to six."
"Yes, of course," Andrea agreed shakily. He had released her shoulder and she ran a trembling, perspiring palm down the side of her denim jeans.
"There's another reason, isn't there?" He tilted his sandy head to the side.
"What?" She clutched the basket handle tighter, wondering how much he had read into her stunned reaction. Adam was not only a hardworking overseer, but he was intelligent, too.
"It's your clothes, isn't it?" He tucked her hand under his arm arid turned her toward the house. "You
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