Read Online Tracie Peterson by Forever Yours-1 - Free Book Online
Authors: Forever Yours-1
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discomfort.
Nicholas popped his head through the bedroom door with a grin as broad as the barn door opening. “You need help with the buttons, Mrs. Dawson?”
Daughtry looked up and shook her head. “You can’t appreciate what we women have to go through in order to look just right for our men.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes. “You always look just right to me, even when you’re wearing those boys’ jeans you seem to favor.”
“Sometimes I wish I could wear jeans to church,” Daughtry said with a giggle. “Especially when the wind whips up and comes blasting across the open range.”
“Well, I’d better never find you wearing those things off the property. It wouldn’t be decent to have all the townsmen following you around with their tongues hanging out.”
“You sound just like my father,” she replied without thinking. The words were no sooner out than she realized her mistake.
Coming to her, Nicholas pulled Daughtry into his arms. “Why are you so afraid to tell me about him? Did he hurt you?”
Daughtry shook her head.
“I promise to understand. Whatever it is—whatever he did to you. . . .” His words trailed into silence.
“He was a wonderful father,” Daughtry said, still trembling beneath Nicholas’s touch. She would say nothing more, though, and in frustration Nicholas released her.
“I’ll get the wagon,” he said and stalked out of the room.
Daughtry knew she’d hurt him by refusing to deal honestly with him. She comforted herself by remembering that Nicholas refused to share any real details of his own past with her. They were both hurting and hiding, she decided. They might as well do it together.
Daughtry was glad that Nicholas wasn’t a man given to holding a grudge. By the time they headed into town he was laughing and joking about first one thing, then another.
After church they enjoyed a leisurely ride home, and Nicholas shared his plans to buy Daughtry a horse. Good horse flesh was something to get excited about, and Daughtry squealed her delight at the news and threw her arms around Nicholas’s neck.
“You really mean it?” she asked, hugging him so tight that he had to stop the horses in order to control her.
“Yes. Yes,” he said, laughing at her enthusiasm. “Who would’ve thought that a little ol’ horse would have gotten me so much attention?”
“It’s just that I’ve really missed riding,” Daughtry said happily. “Back home, I used to ride every day. I had the most wonderful gelding named Poco. He was about fifteen hands high and had the most beautiful gray coat.” She stopped talking because Nicholas was looking at her strangely.
Daughtry jumped back and hung her head. She’d done it again. She couldn’t keep from bringing up her family and the home life she’d once loved. “He was a good horse,” she finally said, when Nicholas wouldn’t speak.
Nicholas remained silent and, when Daughtry said nothing more, he snapped the reins and sent the horse down the path to home.
Daughtry tried not to think about her family that night as she curled into her husband’s arms. The day had brought on too many memories, and more than once she’d nearly told Nicholas everything just to be rid of the burden.
“Nicholas?” she whispered against his ear.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.” Her voice sounded like a child’s trying to get on the good side of an adult.
For a minute, Nicholas said nothing. He tightened his grip on her and sighed. “I don’t think you can love me and not trust me,” he finally replied.
Daughtry stiffened in his arms. “What would you know about it? You don’t love me. At least you’ve never said that you do.”
Nick chuckled at her little girl-like voice. “Never said I didn’t, either.”
Daughtry tried to ease away, but Nicholas would have no part of it. “Daughtry,” he whispered her name and it sounded like a song. “Don’t leave me.”
Daughtry wanted to cry out that she’d never leave, but in the
Nicholas popped his head through the bedroom door with a grin as broad as the barn door opening. “You need help with the buttons, Mrs. Dawson?”
Daughtry looked up and shook her head. “You can’t appreciate what we women have to go through in order to look just right for our men.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes. “You always look just right to me, even when you’re wearing those boys’ jeans you seem to favor.”
“Sometimes I wish I could wear jeans to church,” Daughtry said with a giggle. “Especially when the wind whips up and comes blasting across the open range.”
“Well, I’d better never find you wearing those things off the property. It wouldn’t be decent to have all the townsmen following you around with their tongues hanging out.”
“You sound just like my father,” she replied without thinking. The words were no sooner out than she realized her mistake.
Coming to her, Nicholas pulled Daughtry into his arms. “Why are you so afraid to tell me about him? Did he hurt you?”
Daughtry shook her head.
“I promise to understand. Whatever it is—whatever he did to you. . . .” His words trailed into silence.
“He was a wonderful father,” Daughtry said, still trembling beneath Nicholas’s touch. She would say nothing more, though, and in frustration Nicholas released her.
“I’ll get the wagon,” he said and stalked out of the room.
Daughtry knew she’d hurt him by refusing to deal honestly with him. She comforted herself by remembering that Nicholas refused to share any real details of his own past with her. They were both hurting and hiding, she decided. They might as well do it together.
Daughtry was glad that Nicholas wasn’t a man given to holding a grudge. By the time they headed into town he was laughing and joking about first one thing, then another.
After church they enjoyed a leisurely ride home, and Nicholas shared his plans to buy Daughtry a horse. Good horse flesh was something to get excited about, and Daughtry squealed her delight at the news and threw her arms around Nicholas’s neck.
“You really mean it?” she asked, hugging him so tight that he had to stop the horses in order to control her.
“Yes. Yes,” he said, laughing at her enthusiasm. “Who would’ve thought that a little ol’ horse would have gotten me so much attention?”
“It’s just that I’ve really missed riding,” Daughtry said happily. “Back home, I used to ride every day. I had the most wonderful gelding named Poco. He was about fifteen hands high and had the most beautiful gray coat.” She stopped talking because Nicholas was looking at her strangely.
Daughtry jumped back and hung her head. She’d done it again. She couldn’t keep from bringing up her family and the home life she’d once loved. “He was a good horse,” she finally said, when Nicholas wouldn’t speak.
Nicholas remained silent and, when Daughtry said nothing more, he snapped the reins and sent the horse down the path to home.
Daughtry tried not to think about her family that night as she curled into her husband’s arms. The day had brought on too many memories, and more than once she’d nearly told Nicholas everything just to be rid of the burden.
“Nicholas?” she whispered against his ear.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.” Her voice sounded like a child’s trying to get on the good side of an adult.
For a minute, Nicholas said nothing. He tightened his grip on her and sighed. “I don’t think you can love me and not trust me,” he finally replied.
Daughtry stiffened in his arms. “What would you know about it? You don’t love me. At least you’ve never said that you do.”
Nick chuckled at her little girl-like voice. “Never said I didn’t, either.”
Daughtry tried to ease away, but Nicholas would have no part of it. “Daughtry,” he whispered her name and it sounded like a song. “Don’t leave me.”
Daughtry wanted to cry out that she’d never leave, but in the
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