A Deputy's Bride by Blythe Carver

Author:Blythe Carver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BCP

17

Randy liked the sound of her breath leaving her body that way. She was the gentlest creature he’d ever met. Compared to Marybeth, she was, anyway. Randy hated that he was comparing the two ladies.

At that moment, the very woman in question came breezing through the door, making a beeline for the two of them. He felt a little sick to his stomach and resisted the urge to slide down in his seat in an attempt to make himself smaller. It wouldn’t have mattered. She’d already seen them.

“Well, hello there. You don’t mind if I join you for a bit, now, do you?” She slid into a third chair at the table without waiting for a response. Randy looked at Henri, whose eyes were on Marybeth. She had a slightly uncomfortable look on her face, but she was masking it with a polite smile.

“Hello, Marybeth,” she said. “How are you today?”

“I’m doing well, thank you, Henrietta. And you?”

Randy noticed that even though Marybeth was apparently speaking to Henri, she was looking at him. Smiling at him in that possessive way she had.

“I’m doing well, thank you.” Henri, seeing that the woman wasn’t bothering to look at her, gave Randy such an odd look of amusement, he almost burst out laughing. What resulted was an initial deep chuckle that turned into a violent cough. He turned away from the ladies toward the window, putting his fist up to his mouth to cover it while getting out his laugh/cough.

When he turned back, it was Marybeth who had a strange look on her face, but it wasn’t funny like Henri’s had been. He was pleased to see the newcomer did have a genuine smile, though, and it was aimed at him. She’d made him laugh.

Randy was already aware of his attraction to the girl. Being able to share amusement at Marybeth’s uncouth behavior was new for him. He didn’t generally poke fun at the woman, but her obvious jealousy was almost too much even for him to bear. Maybe Freddie was right. Maybe it was unhealthy. The way Marybeth latched onto him in such a possessive way…

Still, he wasn’t about to take the woman to task right there in the restaurant. The last thing he wanted to do was humiliate her in public. A few side glances between himself and Freddie or Henri was one thing. Letting everyone in Deepwater know he didn’t want her fawning all over him like a lovesick maiden was another.

But how could he keep the situation from spiraling right then and there? He’d been preparing himself for a nice, peaceful lunch with a beautiful woman. This was not what he’d envisioned. Before Henri had come to town, Marybeth had been satisfied to shower him with gifts and compliments but hadn’t been following him around or intruding when he was taking a meal – alone or with a friend. She had never stopped him outside the bakery or forced him to talk to her when he was busy.

Randy thought back on the years Marybeth had been treating him the way she was.

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