Named: A Standalone HurtComfort Romance (Claimed & Tamed) by M. L. Marian

Author:M. L. Marian [Marian, M. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2022-09-29T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter twelve

Dove

A blue blur streams past the parlor window, snagging my attention. Although I love learning to write my letters, there are only so many times I can repeat them before my wrist aches or my mind tires of all the loops and swirls. Pen and paper forgotten for the moment, I welcome the interruption, hugging my knees to my chest and watching as the little blue bird fans its tail for balance while trilling a tune. It's only there for a short time, though, before it flies away.

Learning is a different sort of work, I'm finding out. Mental instead of physical, but no less demanding in its own way. Jedidiah is so patient with me, though, and never boxes my ears when I make a mistake. Instead, he prefers to dole out kisses as rewards, and I can't say that I mind that too terribly.

My cheeks heat as I remember his family walking in on a "reward" two days ago. Eyeing the two of us in our slightly compromising embrace, Warren smirked and took a deep breath, only to sputter it out when a book flew through the air and caught him in the stomach.

"Warren," Jed had threatened with a smile, tucking my face into his chest. His parents entered mere moments later. They didn't stay long, though, just enough to introduce themselves and drop off a trunk full of dresses that only needed a quick adjustment.

I'm wearing one of them now, a beautiful blue gingham dress even more fancy than the good dress that I wore when Mr. Pennington came over. No one's ever given me so many gifts before, and especially without expecting anything in return. My husband has the kind of parents I never had the chance to have. Not with my mother passing, and definitely not with Clarence Crowley.

I sneak a glance to where Jed sits on the sofa and prepares my next lesson. After only three days of him teaching me, I already know the first seven letters, both capital and lowercase, and can correctly match the sound to the letters most of the time. And once I learn to read, too, I'm going to read my mother's black book.

But for now, I roll his name through my mind, mentally sounding it out. On a burst of inspiration, I pick my pen up and turn to a fresh page. What letters make up his name? Jedidiah is too long, but I think I can do Jed.

Juh-juh-jed.

I think I know that first sound, but I need to be sure. Picking up the picture book he's been teaching me from, I flip through the first few pages until I find the one of a diamond. I know it doesn't begin with a D because I made that mistake earlier. It's actually a...

I stare harder at the word, looking at the first letter.

Gemstone! That's what it was, and it starts exactly like Jed does.

The E is a little trickier because it sometimes makes other sounds, like with egg and eagle, but the D is always the same.

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