Desert Angel by Pamela K. Forrest

Author:Pamela K. Forrest
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-05-09T04:36:01+00:00

THIRTEEN

Too restless to sew, March sat in Jim’s study flipping through a book. He worked on some papers, seeming content to ignore her for now. The circles and lines on the stiff paper seemed to tease her, taunting her with the hidden mystery that she couldn’t decipher.

Frustration combined with her agitation until she felt ready to shatter into countless tiny pieces. She knew that sometime before they went to bed, Jim would expect an explanation for everything that had happened that day That would be intolerable enough, but this waiting for him to ask was unbearable. On the trip home from town, while she waited in dreadful anticipation, he had been strangely quiet. He hadn’t mentioned Fred Hamner or asked her to confirm or deny the many things Fred had said.

By the time they had reached the ranch, March’s edginess had been conveyed to Jamie, and the baby had become cranky and irritable. He had cried for hours and, making matters even worse, her milk hadn’t flowed easily, fore- ing the baby to nurse viciously and leaving her with sore nipples.

She had planned to stay in her room after feeding Jamie, but her restlessness had forced her to come downstairs or chance waking him. And as much as she loved him, right now a crying baby would be one straw too many in the haystack of misery surrounding her.

All told, it had been a miserable day, and now she sat with a book in her lap that she couldn’t read, and waited for Jim to begin.

Jim watched her fidget in her chair and knew that she was unaware that her repeated sighing had attracted his attention. “March?”

Looking up from the senseless pages, she felt her breath catch. This was it, she thought with dread. Now he would learn the entire truth, and she would learn her fate. Suddenly unnaturally calm, she waited for him to continue.

“That book doesn’t seem to be holding your attention tonight.” Jim had watched for nearly an hour, and had seen her restlessly turning page after page.

Closing the book, March traced the lettering on the front, then held it against her chest for protection.

“Do you want to talk about today?” he asked gently.

“No, there’s not much to talk about. You heard it all.” She lifted her chin. “Most of it’s true, but you knew that before we went to town. I can’t really even blame Fred. I was stupid to think that someone like him would want to marry someone like me.”

“The only stupid thing I can see about it is that someone like you would want to marry someone like him.”

Her startled expression brought a gentle smile to his face. “You are a warm, intelligent, beautiful lady. He is a spoiled, loud-mouth little boy, who doesn’t know the first thing about how to treat a woman.”

March rose from her chair and paced the room, from door to window and then back again, the book clutched against her chest. “I am not intelligent,” she muttered with disgust.

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