Cooper's Wife by Jillian Hart

Author:Jillian Hart [Jillian Hart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Book.Novel.eng, Genre.Western, Genre.Historical
Goodreads: 1429842
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1999-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

He was almost afraid to go home. He dreaded a scene like the last time he hired a housekeeper. Maybe Anna couldn’t handle outlaw Maisie and wild Katie any better than anyone else. What would happen then? If Anna didn’t want to stay, his little girls’ hearts would be crushed. They adored Anna.

Maybe hiring her was a bad idea. She was so reluctant about it. Maybe she was right.

The house looked quiet. No little outlaw climbing in the tree outside. No Katie dashing by riding Bob. Those weren’t good signs. Squinting against the sunlight in his eyes, he circled around the back of the house.

The sound of voices grew as he approached the back door. He recognized Laura’s laughter. Then Anna’s. “Girls, would you like some milk?”

Three chorused yesses rang with the sound of happiness. Cooper halted on the porch, with just the smallest view of the kitchen through the open door. He saw Anna at the work counter, a dish towel tied around her waist in a makeshift apron, carrying glasses to the table.

“Don’t push, Maisie.” Katie’s voice.

“I gotta have room for Mandy.” Maisie’s answer. “I needa fork, Anna.”

He heard the clatter of flatware. Curious, he leaned a little more so he could see the table. His chest tightened at the scene. He’d been so afraid.... Well, he was glad he’d done the right thing in hiring Anna.

“Do you girls remember the last time we picked huckleberries?” Laura leaned across the table and grabbed the sugar bowl.

“I do! Maisie kept eating everything in my bucket,” Katie accused.

Maisie giggled. “Then the bear came.”

“He was a old mean thing and he raised his big hairy arms like this—” Katie dropped her fork and waved her hands in the air.

“And he growled really, really loud,” Maisie added, punctuating the story with a roar of her own.

“I said, ‘Maisie, run,’ and we did.”

“Katie dropped the bucket so we didn’t get no berries after all,” Maisie added with a purple-juice-stained mouth.

Anna’s chuckle shivered through him, light and warm and sweet. “Cooper.”

He startled at her voice and realized it could lure him anywhere. Her gaze seared through him like flame to steel, melting the strongest of elements. He felt his body’s reaction to her and he didn’t like it, didn’t want it.

“Papa! Papa!” Maisie flew from the table and into his arms, excited to tell him all about her day with Anna.

“Papa, Anna made a pie. It’s the best ever. Come see.” Katie’s eyes gleamed.

Cooper knew that gleam. She was still matchmaking. Maisie’s hug felt sweet, but she hopped out of his arms before he could savor it. In a blur of pink, she scurried back to her place at the table.

“Come join us.” Anna’s voice. She stood, her pinkchecked dress rustling around her slender, shapely form. He wanted to feel her against him, hold her close in his arms.

“Cooper, are you smitten?” Laura’s eyes laughed at him.

“With you? Always.” He hoped the teasing would distract Laura’s innocent comment. No matter how he explained Anna’s presence and Katie’s letters, his know-it-all-sister refused to believe him.

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