One Saint in Tonica by Lynda J Cox

Author:Lynda J Cox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lynda J Cox
Published: 2022-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Sleep refused to come. No matter how many times she fluffed her pillows, or kicked a blanket off and then pulled it back over herself, or which foot she stuck out from under the bedding, she just couldn’t make herself sleep. Her mind would not stop replaying the evening–the way her heart sped up with the sight of Klint on the porch, even if he was in a heavy dressing robe, a nightshirt, with a quilt draped over his lap; how it felt as if a million butterflies fluttered in her belly with the light stroking of his thumb against the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist; the strange, new, unnamed and intense longing that filled her...

Varina huffed out a breath and flung the blankets off. For too long, perhaps, the night had been her day. It was a better excuse for not being able to sleep than fully analyzing these new sensations. She tugged a warm robe over her nightgown and padded into the front parlor. She could at least pry the lids on the shipping crates and start the process of organizing.

She lit a lamp in the parlor. The hammer was where Jon had left it earlier on top of another closed crate. A chuckle broke from her as she verified this box did not have a latch or hinges. She pried the lid off and raised the lamp to determine which books the box contained and couldn’t resist the urge to trail her fingers along the covers. The embossing dipped and rose under her fingertips. These had been her most treasured link to a world she could only dream of–until Klint.

She pulled several books from the crate and set them aside. More titles beckoned her and she reached into the depths.

A firm rapping on the door startled her and she dropped the book in her hand. It hit the floor with a dull thud. Who in the name of heaven would be knocking on her door at this hour of the night? A sudden dread seized her with the thought only Dr. Knight would be there and Klint has taken a turn for the worse. She rushed to the door and flung it open.

“Victoria.” She took in the sheriff’s attire, once more marveling at the courage it must take for a lady to not only attire herself in men’s trousers, but to be comfortable enough with that choice to also wear a heavy revolver.

“I was making rounds and I saw the lantern light. Is everything all right?” Victoria craned her head around, as if trying to see into the dark depths of the house.

Varina stepped back. “I just couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d work on unpacking the boxes in the parlor. Please come in. I’ll start a pot of coffee.”

The sheriff shook her head. “No, thank you. I just wanted to make sure everything was all right.”

She turned to leave. On an impulse, Varina grabbed her elbow. “Please, stay. I haven’t had a

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