High Country Bride by Jillian Hart

Author:Jillian Hart [Hart, Jillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2008-09-18T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Joanna was like a godsend in his life. Aiden led the way out of the minister’s office and into the sweltering sunshine, glad for the drum of footfalls following him. He wasn’t alone, because Joanna had mentioned his meeting to Thad. Thad had come, dutiful Thad, and he was going to take over the reins.

Aiden knuckled back his hat to take a long look at the sky. Storm clouds were gathering in the west, blocking out the lowering sun. He judged it to be near four o’clock, maybe a few minutes later. Those thunderheads might hold some rain, he figured, but it would take until dark before they would see any. It would blow on northeasterly, was his guess, and the hay drying in his field would be safe.

“I wish I could come along,” he told Thad.

“Me, too, but something tells me Finn might take one look at you and lose his temper.” Thad glanced over his shoulder, waiting for the minister to join him. “We’ll stop and get Hadly’s son to help out. There are only four saloons in town. Finn is likely to be in one of them. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him if I can.”

“That’s a load of worry off my chest.” Aiden had hardly slept last night, torn between standing his ground and riding to town to search for him. He feared what choices his youngest brother was making—his baby brother. “You’ll send word if you find him?”

“I will.” Thad’s seriousness eased a fraction. “No one could have done as much as you, Aiden. Finn has to know that somewhere deep down. This will right itself in the end, I know it. Now, go find that woman of yours—”

“She’s not my woman.”

“Sure, fine.” Thad didn’t look as if he believed it. “You go have a nice evening. Maybe she’ll bake you another one of those pies. Best dessert I’ve ever tasted.”

“You and me both.” Aiden loosened Clyde’s reins from the post. Dust scudded in whirlwinds down the street. He figured he had a chance of making it to the mercantile before Joanna did. “There’s something you ought to know. I suppose you could call it news.”

“That’s no surprise, considering. Glad you’re getting around to telling me.” He gathered Sunny’s reins and mounted up with a squeak of the saddle. “Are you going to marry that woman?”

“I asked her.” Aiden slipped his foot into the stirrup and swung into his own saddle. “How did you know?”

“I figure that’s why you wanted us to meet Joanna.”

Aiden didn’t correct him. His throat clenched up tight. He’d brought Kate home to meet his family right before he’d got down on his knees and given her his ring. He couldn’t seem to find the strength to say it was different this time. This wasn’t love. This wasn’t foolishness. It was practicality. He wanted to say he was doing the right thing for Joanna, but his proposal wasn’t that selfless. He would be getting something out of the deal. Not his heart, that was for certain, but maybe his soul.

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