Broken Vows, Mended Hearts: A Bouquet of Thistles\Paying the Piper\Battle-Torn Bride by Ranstrom Gail & Stone Lyn & O'Brien Anne

Author:Ranstrom, Gail & Stone, Lyn & O'Brien, Anne [O'Brien, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2012-01-17T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Morning was just beginning to cast sunbeams through the windows when Chloe turned the muffins out onto a dish towel to cool. She’d been up for hours. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even think straight. For a moment last night, she had forgotten her troubles and gotten lost in Mr. Rush’s stories. He’d become so real to her, and so very appealing. She found that she liked the man, and worse, that she wanted his kisses and reveled in his touch. How would she ever explain a man like Mr. Rush to her stepfather? Impossible. In fact, the entire situation was impossible.

She opened the door of the warming oven built into the wall beside the fireplace. The bacon and griddle cakes were still warm but they’d be drying out soon. There must be something more for her to do so she wouldn’t have to think. Oh, because when she thought…

A noise from the bedroom alerted her that Mr. Rush had risen. As she turned to put the teapot on the table, he appeared in his doorway, a dark stubble covering his jaw and his hair tousled from his pillow. His blue work shirt was open, revealing his bare chest, and the sight of it made her heart leap. She tried not to stare, but he was so enthralling that she couldn’t help herself.

He seemed surprised to see her and oblivious to her reaction. “Miss Faraday, you are up early.”

It was impossible to think straight when faced with that chest. She blinked and turned back to the fireplace. “I couldn’t sleep,” she murmured.

“About last night—I regret my behavior. It won’t happen again.”

Oddly, she wasn’t certain how she felt about that. She put the griddlecakes and bacon on the table. If she looked at him, would he see her disappointment? “I accept an equal measure of responsibility, sir. I was hardly…unwilling.”

In the end, his silence coaxed her gaze up to meet his. He was watching her with something akin to amazement. “I am relieved to hear that,” he said with a small smile. “I feared I had misread you.”

Her cheeks burned and he began buttoning his shirt. She turned away, pretending to fetch jam and butter from the larder. “But it must never happen again. I may not like it, but I am engaged to be married come Saturday morning.”

She heard his chair scrape back as he sat. “Have you decided to go through with the marriage, then?”

She didn’t answer. She honestly didn’t know what she was going to do. Everything had been so clear back in Litchfield, and now she couldn’t sort her feelings out. Duty urged her home to honor her commitment. Oh, but her heart was still mutinous!

She sighed as she sat and looked down at her plate. The only thing that was certain now was that Steppapa would punish her no matter what she did. She would wear black and blue instead of white on her wedding day. And maybe marriage would be a kinder fate than her stepfather.

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