Ozark Wedding by Helen Gray

Author:Helen Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Irene’s breath caught as she flew through the air and landed with an undignified thump on the ground. She tried to breathe—and couldn’t.

Then Gavin was kneeling beside her. His arm slid behind her shoulders and tipped her forward. “Are you okay?”

Irene struggled for breath and managed to open her eyes. She stared at him for what seemed endless moments before she managed to draw a gulp of air and tried to answer. When she failed to form words, she waved a palm and forced a slight nod of her head. “I’m...’kay,” she finally croaked.

He eased her to a sitting position and released an audible breath of relief. “I’m sorry I—”

She pressed a hand to his. “Not...your fault. I was...having fun,” she finished in a rush. The cold air enveloped them, but neither moved.

“Why are you here?” she finally asked, self-conscious at being this close to him. She could still hardly breathe or speak, but it was no longer from the tumble.

“I found that—” he pointed behind them “—in the field and brought it to you.”

Irene spotted her missing blue blouse hanging across the clothesline and smiled. “I thought I had lost it. Thank you.”

Light danced in the deep pools of his eyes when she looked back at him. He gave her hand a light squeeze. “I’m glad I found it.”

Irene knew she should get up, but her body and brain refused to obey her common sense. She remained motionless, her gaze fused to his.

Gavin nudged her chin up, bringing their faces to within mere inches of one another, so close that his warm breath brushed her lips.

“You look okay...better than okay.” His soft voice made her insides quiver. Her chest rose and fell in an erratic rhythm, but she could not look away. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue.

He brushed his knuckles against her cheek, his gaze focused on her mouth.

As a rush of dizzy pleasure overcame her, Irene reached up and stroked the hair that lined his forehead. Her fingers trailed to his temple—and froze at the sound of a car coming up the road. It pulled in at the house.

Irene scrambled to her feet, relieved at the interruption but disappointed at not experiencing what Gavin’s kiss would be like.

She crossed the backyard and rounded the corner of the house. When she recognized the car, she looked back at Gavin. “It’s the marshal.”

He retrieved her blouse from the clothesline and brought it to her. “Should I leave?”

She shook her head. “Whatever he has to say might be of interest to you.”

Leon Gentry strode toward the porch, but then he spotted them coming around the house and came to a halt. “Hello, Irene. Gavin.”

“What can I do for you?” Irene asked.

The marshal frowned. “Nothing directly. I’m just making the rounds, warning people to keep a close eye on their property. We’ve had several reports of petty thievery in the area.”

His words sparked a memory. “What kind of things are being taken?”

“Chickens. Animal feed. Small supplies.

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