Texas Tiger TH3 by Patricia Rice

Author:Patricia Rice
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: AmerFrntr/Western/Cowboy, Historical
ISBN: 9781614172734
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2012-06-18T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

"Mama Sukey tells me Ben's been courting. Is it serious?"

Daniel hobbled up behind the other couple and spoke as if they were gossiping at a house party. Georgina tried to pull her wrapper tighter, but the pair in front of them didn't notice her dishabille.

"It's serious. He's cleaning up the old overseer's house for her. She's a quadroon from down New Orleans way, pretty as Ben is ugly."

"Why doesn't he move into the big house? Seems to me that would impress her a whole lot more."

Daniel's hand strayed to brush proprietarily along Georgina's hip as she walked. She gave him a quick glance, but his attention seemed to be solely on the conversation as they ambled toward the farmhouse ahead.

Both Tyler and Evie laughed, but Tyler was the one who replied. "You're a newlywed, you figure that one out. The big house is bursting at the seams with my relatives, Evie's relations, and Ben's. Even the terrible duo came in for the summer, and Kyle and Carmen came up with them to see Natchez. You never saw so many people in one place in your life."

Georgina watched as Evie sent a concerned glance over her shoulder at Daniel as if expecting some reaction from him at the mention of these names. Daniel only smiled and pulled her a little closer. Evie turned around, satisfied, but Georgina smelled a rat.

"Who are the terrible duo and Kyle and Carmen?" she asked innocently.

"Evie's cousins," Daniel replied.

"Daniel's partners in crime," Evie answered at the same time.

"The banes of my life," Tyler intoned when the other two laughed. "Evie took in her cousins when they were orphaned. I thought I would get rid of them as they got older; instead, the numbers seem to be growing. When Carmen married Kyle, I thought we were rid of at least one, but instead we have the two of them popping up all the time. And now they have a kid of their own to drag around. Evie's father is ostensibly supposed to be the kid's guardian, but I spend more time prying him out of taverns than he spends looking after them."

"He can't see well enough to paint anymore. He has to do something," Evie responded defensively. "And he doesn't drink. He just talks. You're exaggerating, Tyler Monteigne."

"Exaggerating is Daniel's job." Tyler glanced over his shoulder at them. "I read that book you sent Evie, Danny Boy. I don't ever want to hear you say another word about my fast-talking again. Just because you put it down on paper instead of saying it out loud don't make us any different. And I'm going to get even, just see if I don't."

Daniel grinned. "I call it the way I see it. You're just mad because I let Pecos get the best of you."

"A damned riverboat gambler he made me." Tyler turned his complaint to Georgina. "Now tell me, do I look a riverboat gambler to you?"

Now that he mentioned it, Georgina thought the answer ought to be yes, but she wasn't feeling any too certain of herself at the moment.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.