Desert Sunrise (Love in the Sierras Book 2) by Belle Sawyer

Author:Belle, Sawyer [Belle, Sawyer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sawyer Belle
Published: 2015-03-30T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Val’s labored breaths thrust into the wooden floorboards with every bend of his elbows. His shoulder finally began to twinge and he worked through it, pushing his body. Up, down. Up, down through a set of a hundred push-ups. When he finally jumped to his feet, his forehead was damp with perspiration.

He studied his bare chest in the oval mirror above the wash stand and was pleased to see he had almost regained his former bulk. His biceps curled and he appraised their size. They were no longer the shape of grapefruits, but looked more like small melons and he smiled to himself. He needed all of that strength in the next day’s rodeo.

The spring festival was underway on the rodeo grounds of Virginia City as night fell, and he was anxious to take part. There would be revelers, games and a sampling of the town’s best foods and brews, live music and dancing, and he hoped to find a certain blond among the throng.

He worked a comb through his dark hair and smiled as he sucked on his bottom lip, still tender from the beauty’s bite. Lord, but he was infected with her. Going a week between kisses had been pure torture. The day Dalton visited him to relay that the dressmaker was no longer under surveillance it had taken all of his willpower not to high-tail it up to her place on the instant.

The second her eyes met his in the shop that afternoon, he knew she had suffered a similar torment during their days apart. Jess was passionate, and could hide nothing from her eyes. She was fighting it, he knew, and he also knew why, but he was determined to show her he wasn’t the monster he reminded her of.

He slipped his arms into the deep brown shirt sleeves and buttoned the pearl buttons to his neck. Next, his black vest slid on and came together. He checked the time on his pocket watch before dropping it into the slit in his vest and pulling on his black great coat. With his black hat in hand, he gave himself a once-over in the mirror and grinned.

“Valentine Kelly, you’ve outdone yourself again,” he told his reflection before leaving the space and making his way down the stairs.

The house was empty, but for Ellie, Sandy and Sadie. Ellie had suspended dinner, knowing most of her boarders would be eating up at the festival. When Val met the trio at the foot of the stairs, they looked as though they weren’t joining the festivities. He frowned.

“Aren’t you all going up to the grounds?” he asked.

“Oh, we are,” Ellie answered. “Just a little later. I’m waiting on Collette. This is the last fitting before she can finish the dress. It shouldn’t be a long appointment and then we’ll head up the road.”

“Collette’s coming here?” he asked, cringing at the happy note in his voice. “When do you expect her?”

“She’s actually a bit late, so I expect any minute now.”

With

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