Ella Wood Novellas: Boxed Set by Michelle Isenhoff

Author:Michelle Isenhoff [Isenhoff, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

5

Jack brooded into the fireplace of his own cabin. The revelation about Thad had caught him by surprise, but it sounded exactly like something Thad would do to turn a girl’s head, especially when he’d known Jovie had such a head start with her. But that weekend of Emily’s birthday party had been the first time Thad had ever laid eyes on Emily. He must have had the whole event planned out before they even met.

Why?

Jack’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Of course, it could be that Thad simply wanted to one-up his friend. Stealing a girl out from under Jovie’s nose would qualify as Thad’s idea of a good joke. But Thad’s pursuit of Emily had continued well beyond a reasonable amount of time if that had, in fact, been his motivation. Either he had truly fallen for Emily, or his reasons for manipulating her affections had been less than innocent to begin with.

What did Jack really know about Thaddeus Black? He hailed from Savannah, Georgia, and was one year ahead of him at school. He had a great sense of fun about him, often joining Jack at Mulligan’s when Jovie stayed home to study. He kept his marks up at school. He had regular features and a charming disposition. Jack could see why Emily had been attracted to him. But what were his intentions toward Emily?

Jovie sat beside him and handed him a cup of coffee. “You haven’t said much. You lose more money?”

“What?” As Jack emerged from his dark thoughts, he realized the muscles of his face were tensed in a scowl. He ran a hand over them to massage them back into place. “No. Pocket change.”

Jack turned and considered Jovie. He was a good man—steady, loyal, honest, hardworking. Most women would consider his strong build and dark looks attractive. And he had loved Emily for as long as Jack could remember. It would solve several problems if Emily simply fell for him, too. From the sounds of it, their trip to Baltimore had gotten a little heated, at least for a moment. Perhaps his worries were moot.

“Jovie, has my sister written to you lately?”

It was Jovie’s turn to glower. “Not since Baltimore.” He shook his head in frustration. “I shouldn’t have pressured her. I should have held myself in check, but the moment felt so right.” He dropped his chin to his chest. “I’ve scared her off, Jack.”

Jack understood the temptation of a woman only too well. Hadn’t he taken the same risk with Amy? Fortunately, her response had been far different. His heart rate increased just thinking about those stolen moments in the barn. They hadn’t mentioned their engagement to anyone. Not to Mr. Franklin, not even to Jovie. For now it was their secret, a precious light Jack could hold on to in a dark place. There’d be time enough for sharing later.

“Are you still writing to her?” Jack asked.

Jovie nodded.

“Don’t stop. She’ll come around.”

She had to. In the meantime, Jack would find out everything he could about Thaddeus Black and his intentions toward his sister.

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