An Ever After Summer by Debra Clopton

Author:Debra Clopton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2013-07-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Ellie would have flung her arms around Mathew’s neck if she could move.

And if the sky would stop spinning.

“Are you all right?” he asked, blood covered but glorious looking to Ellie. “What in the world are you doing?” He looked a little unstable as he reached down, grimacing and tugging the rope from around her aching hand. When she was free, he held his hand out to her. “Can you stand?”

She reached for his offered hand. “Thank you,” she managed as they both staggered while she gained her feet. “You were out cold and bleeding like a waterfall,” she said, staring into his dazed eyes. “I was trying to get Prudy to help me get you out of the sunlight.”

“You were doing a fine job of it too.” A grin tipped his lips as he swayed. She feared he wasn’t going to stay upright long.

“Funny,” Ellie said, woozy herself, wrapping an arm around his waist. Pulling his arm across her shoulders, she forgot the pain of her bumps and bruises the instant she realized she was snuggled up against him.

“Walk, cowboy. We need to get you into the house before you pass out again.”

“Why, thank you, little lady,” he said, sounding odd, his speech slurred and his feet fumbling beneath him.

If she hadn’t known better, she’d say the man was drunk. He was trying to help, trying to support some of his weight as they swayed and weaved their way to the house with Prudy trailing them.

Something wasn’t right.

They managed to make it up the step onto the porch and then through the doorway. From the back room she could hear Sophie crying. The wails so distraught that Ellie knew she’d been crying for a while.

From the yard, Prudy joined in the melee, hee-hawing her unhappiness at being left outside.

Ellie concentrated on getting Mathew to the bedroom, praying he wouldn’t collapse before they made it to the bed.

Poor Sophie was standing up in her crib when they entered, her face stained with tears. Thankfully she calmed down when she saw them. “Mama,” she hiccupped as she watched them stagger past her toward the big bed. Ellie’s heart melted even as she struggled to get the baby’s pa settled.

“Here we go, ease on down here,” Ellie commanded gently, her hand splayed out across his flat stomach as she eased him to sit on the side of the bed. He swayed as he sat. Their faces were so close she could feel his breath on her skin. His eyes, dazed and a little crazy looking, held hers. Grinning lazily, he touched her cheek.

“You sure do look pretty,” he murmured, and before she knew what was happening he pressed his lips to hers.

Ellie’s breath caught at the tenderness of his touch. Wonder and bliss, her first kiss! The longing for love filled her as she joined in, timidly at first and then with gusto. Suddenly Mathew’s lips stilled and to Ellie’s disbelief he pitched backward—passing straight out, he hit the mattress like a rock!

His eyes closed, his breathing even .

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