A Windswept Promise by Brandi Boddie

Author:Brandi Boddie
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Charisma House
Published: 2014-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

Sophie saw Dusty riding his stallion up to the house, wearing that grin like a harebrained fool. Did he pay a courting visit to Margaret as she originally assumed? He wasn’t so happy that morning when he left.

“Miss Sophie.” He tipped his hat in playful formality and kept right on for the barn. She considered leaving the laundry in the basket beneath the clothesline and going after him. That’s what he wanted her to do. No, she’d stay right there and finish gathering the dry clothes before joining her family in the house to prepare supper.

He returned several minutes later, a jaunty stride in his step. “Did you get all the signatures you wanted today?”

She pressed her hands against the wrinkles in the homespun floral calico she changed into to complete the last chores before Sunday. “Two pages’ worth.” A page and a half, not counting Chad’s signature, but she wouldn’t quibble over small details. “How was your day?” She fished for a way to get the subject of the Zephyr Ranch into the conversation.

“Oh, just fine. Ran into a friend of yours while I was in town.”

She glanced toward the house to make sure the front door was closed and that no one could hear. She scraped her nails along the outside of a clothespin. “Dare I ask which friend?”

He sat on the grass near the basket. “Take a guess if you’re brave enough.”

“Margaret Rheins.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?” He produced another grin. She was beginning to think him the inspiration for the Cheshire Cat in that illustrated book of Rosemarie’s.

“If not Margaret, then who?”

“I’ll give you a hint. He’s always dressed for a funeral.”

Chad’s dark-suited image came immediately to the forefront of her mind. “Shame on you, Dusty. That wasn’t very nice.”

He snatched a blade of grass and chewed on it. “But you know who I’m talking about now.”

“I won’t dignify that comment with an answer.” Sophie pulled a tablecloth off the line.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t show out, as you like to say. He came up to me and asked what I called myself.”

“What?”

“He wasn’t satisfied that I simply went by Dusty Sterling. He called me a cowboy, and I don’t much mind that one bit.”

“Quit teasing and get to the point. I don’t like when you try to make me antsy.”

The blade of grass hovered at the corner of his mouth. “He wanted to know if I was your courter or your wooer or his rival. I think that about sums it up.”

Sophie let the last tablecloth fan in the breeze. Talk of the new ranch was going to have to wait. This meeting between Dusty and her beau took precedence. Scandal would break if Dusty led Chad to believe that he was also pursuing her.

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