Bridal Veil by Hake Cathy Marie

Author:Hake, Cathy Marie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-04-12T04:00:00+00:00

Eleven

“Aw, c’mon, Kate,” Pack moaned.

Kate folded her arms akimbo. “You tell her, or I will.”

“I don’t want to know!” Laurel blurted out. After Packard’s threat earlier, she couldn’t imagine having him embarrass her in front of Gabe.

“I do,” Ulysses said.

A chorus of “Me, too’s!” sounded.

Pack and Pax exchanged a look. Laurel felt heat creeping from her bosom to her hairline. When slow, rascally smiles quirked their mouths, she wanted to dive under the table.

Pax cleared his throat. “We. . .uh. . .used your art paper, like you said we could.”

“They used pictures, not blank pages,” Kate snapped.

“Just little ones—like a picture postcard,” Pack hastily added. “You know the old saying—a picture is worth a thousand words. So I just wrote, ‘This is where we are. Having a good time.’ ”

Laurel slumped and let out a shaky sigh.

“You what?” Gabe thundered.

Pax shrugged. “She’s got hundreds of pictures. She won’t miss a few.”

Brows knit and face dark, Gabe widened his stance. “Your sister has a gift. You respect it.”

“Gabe, thank you for liking my work—but it’s okay. Really.” Laurel patted his arm. “I should have thought to include pictures. Mama and Daddy will love to get a peek at what we’re seeing. I don’t begrudge my brothers a few little pictures.”

Pax nodded. “Chances share.”

Laurel flashed Gabe a smile. “Since it’s your mother’s birthday, why don’t you choose a picture and mail it to her?”

He didn’t even blink. “How much for the one you did of the poppies?”

“It’s a gift!”

“I’m giving it, so I’m buying it.”

“The man could teach stubborn to a mule,” Johnna declared.

“Well?” Gabe prodded.

“Eggs,” April said. “They have to be expensive up here, and we’re almost out.”

“Yes.” Laurel gave him an exultant smile. “A dozen eggs. Can you get them?”

“You sell yourself short.”

“You’ve never tasted April’s sticky buns. She needs eggs to make them.”

“Whoa.” Peter wound his arm around April’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “You’d make sticky buns?”

“I will if Gabe pays for Laurel’s poppy picture with eggs.”

Peter looked at Gabe. “I’d take it as a personal favor if you’d agree.”

Laurel popped up. “I’ll go get that picture.”

Gabe halted her by wrapping his hand around her wrist. “Only,” he said as he looked at everyone, “if Laurel gets first pick of the sticky buns.”

Paxton slapped him on the back. “Being around us is rubbing off. We just might make a Chance outta you.”

“You’re going to scare him off,” Laurel said.

Gabe crooked a brow. “Not a chance.”

❧

Balancing the keg across his thighs, Gabe rode back to camp. This was the second time he’d brought back a load of eggs. Packing them in straw this time was a whole lot lighter; last time, cornmeal buffered the precious eggs.

While at Wawona, he’d run into the Kibbies, who lived in the far northwestern portion of the park. They were some of the few legal residents of the land. Mr. Kibbie saw Laurel’s picture of the poppies and fell in love with it. Unwilling to part with it, Gabe asked Laurel to make another.

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