Joansy Jones: Sweet Historical Romance (Mail Order Brides of Hickory Stick Book 4) by Carroll Patricia PacJac

Author:Carroll, Patricia PacJac [Carroll, Patricia PacJac]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2014-12-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Joansy crept down the stairs and seated herself in the parlor. She’d not been invited to the meeting, but no one had said she couldn’t sit and listen. She saw Joe, Herman, Blake, Zane and Cyrus. Even Hank. Then she saw Burl. Seeing him, made her happy.

Of course, she was just happy to see he that he was able to come. The bandage around his head made her worry, but the big man seemed to be recovering. She stared at the other men she didn’t know and the ones she did, but her gaze always made its way back to Burl.

He stood. As he started speaking, she held her breath so she wouldn’t miss a word. She liked the way he spoke his mind. The strong timbre of his words. Strength and gentleness all wrapped into one. That was her Burl.

My Burl! Where had that come from? She wasn’t ready to choose a man to marry. Not as if she could just go up to a man and ask him to marry her. A cold draft sent shivers down her spine. What if Father came before she was married?

Fidgeting with her shawl, she wondered how long James could keep quiet about her whereabouts. He rarely stood up to their father. She sent a silent prayer that this time, James would remain resolute and not give in.

A dark foreboding stole her peace. The joy she’d felt only a short while before disappeared. She stared back into the dining room.

Hank smirked at her.

Shame heated her face. Why had she gone into that den of darkness? Hank was no gentleman. Embarrassment took her breath as she considered how many men the brute may have told that he kissed her.

Joansy turned her gaze from him and pretended to read a paper someone had brought from Denver. She rubbed her lips as if she could erase the memory of his taking advantage of her and dismissed the brief idea of getting a rock.

The outside door opened.

Holding her breath, Joansy turned.

A woman in a stunning blue dress entered followed by a handsome man. Though she didn’t possess the beauty of Julia, the stranger’s face shown with a beauty from inside that made her a person one wanted to meet.

Joansy brushed her skirt, suddenly conscious of her shabby clothes.

The man smiled at her. “I’m Jackson Connors, and this is my lovely wife, Sarah.”

The woman beside him blushed. “I’m happy to see another woman in our town. Are you staying?”

Joansy stood. “Joansy Jones. I plan to stay.”

Jackson stared into the dining room. “What’s the meeting about?”

“From what I gather, the miners might bring trouble to Hickory Stick.” She glanced at the men in the meeting as some of their voices were getting heated.

“I better go in. I have some news they might need.” Jackson left Sarah and strode into the room.

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