Her Frontier Sweethearts by Regina Scott

Author:Regina Scott [Scott, Regina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: children, fake engagement, historical romance, romance clean and wholesome, frontier romance
Publisher: Edwards and Williams
Published: 2022-09-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Everyone was so kind. Several times that afternoon, Ciara felt tears pricking her eyes. From Catherine to Callie, they all wanted her to have the most beautiful wedding and to equip her well to start her marriage. From the look of things, the Wallin men were making similar offers to Kit.

One of the brothers went even further.

“I understand you’re interested in how I make biscuits,” Levi said, stopping beside her. He had the deep blue eyes and light golden hair of his sister, but the latter curled in wild abandon about his lean face, as if he had never entirely tamed the rascal he had been, despite his calling as a minister.

“Very interested,” Ciara said. “I hear they’re the best around. How do you do it?”

He leaned closer, and she would have sworn every lady stilled to hear his answer.

“First,” he said, eyes twinkling, “lay them in the baking pan with their sides touching. It keeps the edges from browning and helps them rise.”

“Clever,” Ciara said, feeling unaccountably breathless. “And second?”

“Get the oven hot,” he supplied. “Hotter than what you normally use to bake bread.” He straightened. “That’s it.”

“That’s it?” Nora asked beside her. “Why, I could do that.”

So could Ciara.

“It’s not hard,” Levi allowed. “Not nearly as hard as choosing the right spouse. I’m glad you and Kit found each other, Ciara.”

She felt like an imposter.

She was only glad that Grace fell asleep a short time later, giving her an excuse to leave the hall. She had barely reached the path down to the big cabin before Kit fell into step beside her.

“Everything all right?” he asked. He held out his arms, and she transferred Grace into his keeping. The little girl tucked her head into his shoulder with a sigh, thumb going to her mouth. For a brief moment, Ciara envied her.

She forced her gaze down to the rocky path, picking up her skirts to keep them from getting any dustier.

“They’re so happy for us,” she told him. “I simply couldn’t keep smiling another minute.”

“I know,” he said. “Drew offered me a raise, Simon a house.”

She cast him a glance. His head too was down, those broad shoulders sagging, as if the gifts were another burden he must bear.

“I told Catherine and Rina that I wasn’t willing to talk about the wedding until after I had the restaurant going,” she said. “That ought to buy us some time.”

“How did they take it?” he asked with a glance her way as they came out on the flat of the clearing. The only occupants were the cows in the pasture, and James’s two horses, Lance and Percy, contentedly munching in the fenced field.

If only she could find that contentment.

“The Wallin ladies were clearly disappointed,” she told him. The memory of the look in their eyes made her cringe. “We’ll have to make it up to them somehow.”

“How long do we have before we run out of excuses?” he asked as they approached the cabin.

“I could probably stretch out the time for weeks,” she allowed, climbing up on the porch.

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