Wagon Train Wedding by Rhonda Gibson

Author:Rhonda Gibson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-06-02T12:03:46+00:00

Chapter Eleven

After three days of Flynn avoiding her, Cora had had enough. She asked Martha to watch Noah and then sat down on the back of the wagon and waited for him to come in for supper. While she waited, her thoughts went to Annie and how much she had changed since the woman had reached out for help.

Annie now got up at the crack of dawn, put a hot breakfast before Harold and Doc, broke up camp and walked with Cora to learn more of what to do on the trail. Annie was lucky that she didn’t have any children; Cora loved Noah with all her heart, but he added work that she knew Annie wasn’t ready for yet.

Flynn walked into camp and looked about. “No supper tonight?” he asked after not seeing his usual plate.

Cora smiled pleasantly. “Have I let you go without supper yet?”

Wariness filled his voice as he seemed to sense a trap. “No, but there is always a first time for everything.”

She shook her head. “Well, tonight isn’t the night for no supper.” Cora walked to the stewpot and dished him up his meal. She added a hot buttered biscuit to his plate and handed it to him. Then she did the same for herself.

Flynn sat down and poured coffee from the pot. He handed her a cup and then picked up his plate once more. Without saying another word, he proceeded to eat.

Cora set her cup on the ground and asked, “Are you going to tell me what I’ve done that has displeased you?”

He swallowed before answering, even managing to look surprised, if not a little guilty. “You haven’t done anything.”

“All right. Then why are you avoiding me? And ignoring Noah?” She waited, watching him struggle with what to say.

After several long minutes of silence, Flynn seemed to reach a decision. He sighed heavily. “Look, I don’t want the boy to get too attached to me. It messes with children’s minds when people they love and count on up and disappear. You and I agreed we’d go our separate ways after we reach Oregon. I just didn’t realize how fond I would become of the little tyke and he of me. It tears me up inside just to think about it.”

“You don’t want to hurt Noah?” Torn by conflicting emotions, Cora wished she could hide the pain his words inflicted. On the one hand, she felt extreme joy that Flynn loved Noah. But on the other hand, her heart ached because her own feelings for him apparently were not reciprocated. She had thought she might mean more to him, but it appeared she had been wrong.

“No, I don’t want to hurt Noah.” He looked down at his plate. “Nor do I wish to hurt you.”

Cora didn’t know what to say, believe or feel. Had he heard the anguish in her voice? Seen it on her face? Was he now trying to make her feel better? She forced herself to settle down and hear him out.

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