For Love of Liberty (Silver Lining Ranch Series Book 1) by Julie Lessman

Author:Julie Lessman [Lessman, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I am not afraid of heights. I am not afraid of heights. Liberty halted halfway to fortify with more air, fingers pinched as white as her face, no doubt, from her death grip on the ladder.

“You don’t have to do this, Libs.” Finn’s voice was soft, obviously for her ears alone as he crouched at the top. Apparently he was recalling his awful challenge to her his senior year to climb a tree during recess, paralyzing her until Miss Willoughby demanded he help her back down.

“Yes, I do,” she whispered, more for herself than for him, the tender look in Finn’s eyes doing nothing for her concentration. “I need to conquer my fear of heights once and for all.”

And my fear of Finn McShane? A reedy breath seeped through her clenched teeth as she slowly crawled up, rung by tortuous rung.

Do broncs buck?

“Well, we best get busy with these two brooms, Pastor Poppy,” Mrs. Poppy said. “If these youngsters can climb into that loft to do manual labor, I suppose the least you and I can do is start sweeping out this barn.” She continued to chatter away down below, but Liberty could barely hear for the pounding of blood in her ears—both from her annoying fear of heights and the fact that Finn reached down to hook her waist, drawing her into the loft.

“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he whispered in her ear, both his arm and the warmth of his breath lingering far too long for comfort.

She swallowed hard. No, not the climb …

The moment her feet touched solid flooring, she lurched away, almost losing her balance. In another hitch of her breath, he braced her tightly once more, the press of his body to hers doing far more damage than her fear. “It’s okay, Libs,” he said softly, rubbing her back with a gentleness that all but melted her on the spot. “Fear of heights is perfectly normal for most people, but I promise I would never let you fall ...”

Fall? She battled a gulp as he slowly released her, his heated gaze causing her heart to wobble more than her legs. Oh, sweet mother of mercy—I think I already have!

Finn hung the lantern on a nail and rolled his sleeves. “All righty, Miss O’Shea, let’s push hay while the lantern shines,” he quipped.

Hand to her chest to calm the traitorous thump of her heart, Liberty watched as he attacked a stack of bales taller than him, biceps bulging as he hefted several onto the floor. Following his lead, she bent to push one across the rough-hewn floor with an unexpected grunt, grateful she’d remembered to wear her work dress. “Oh my goodness,” she huffed, taking a moment to catch her breath, “you weren’t lying, Finn—these bales weigh a ton!”

He stopped mid-stride to jag a thick, dark brow. “I never lie, Miss O’Shea,” he said in a husky tone, the two bales he carried obviously no hardship for a muscled body taut from clearing trees and chopping wood.

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