Love in Independence (Holiday Mail Order Brides) by Morgan Kit

Author:Morgan, Kit [Morgan, Kit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Angel Creek Press
Published: 2014-06-22T05:00:00+00:00

Nine

Winnie held her breath, the children still in her arms, and followed Luke and the boy into the house. What did he mean by saying such things? Sure, she knew he was teasing; but what she didn’t expect was the way his words hit her like a rock. They stung, and made her feel like packing up her things and leaving. What was she doing here? Whatever had possessed her to stay in this madcap scheme? She was an idiot to think Luke Adams would fall in love with her! He didn’t want a wife; heck, he wouldn’t want her as an assistant once the Fourth of July celebration was over. For one, she had the church office already organized. What would he need her for?

“Mrs. Edmondson?” Luke called as they entered.

Gabe went ahead of them, down a hall to the back of the house. Winnie was distracted from her thoughts by the ominous silence. She’d expected chaos, not a tomb. But, as luck would have it, chaos came in many forms. “Oh!” she cried and stopped up short, almost dropping one of the toddlers.

They were now in the kitchen. Everything was covered in flour. Three young children were sitting in the middle of the floor, dipping their hands into a sugar jar. Luke stood, hands on his hips, and glared at them. “Looks like someone’s not going to get any of the candy I brought.”

The three gaped at him with sugar-and-flour-covered faces. “Pastoh Wuke!” a little girl said as she pushed herself up from the floor, her eyes glued to the sack in his hand. “Candy?”

He sighed. “Elizabeth Edmonson, just look at you.”

Winnie, her arms tired, set the toddlers down. Elizabeth wasn’t much older; she guessed the girl was no more than three. “Look at this mess.”

Luke turned to her. “Meet the children; Elizabeth, Lily, and Eldon. The two you were carrying are the twins, Cole and Charity.”

Winnie watched as the twins toddled over to their siblings, and sat in the mess on the floor. “Is this all of them?”

“Except for Ella. She’s upstairs in the bedroom with Ma,” offered Gabe.

“Looks like we have our work cut out for us,” Luke said as he put a hand on Winnie’s shoulder.

She felt warmed by his touch, and had a sudden vision of being married to him, with a house full of children such as the ones before her. She swallowed hard, closed her eyes against the thought, and took a deep breath. “We’d best get started then.”

He gave her shoulder a light pat. “You take care of this down here; I’ll go check on Mrs. Edmonson and the baby. Coming, Gabe?”

Gabe nodded. “I still need to go to town. Now ya know why.”

“I can see that. Let’s take care of your mother first, and then you can go.”

The boy nodded, his face red, and led Luke from the kitchen to see his mother. Winnie released the breath she’d been holding and again took in the scene before her, trying to figure out where to start.

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