The Bride Backfire by Kelly Eileen Hake

Author:Kelly Eileen Hake
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction/Romance Western
ISBN: 9781607421153
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2009-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

“I know I told that girl we wouldn’t wait dinner on her.” Ma sniffed and wielded her ladle. “Diggory, why don’t you go on ahead and say the blessing?”

“Because I’m going to check on the gal.” Pa stood up. “She close to fell over earlier, cleaning out that coop in her—”

The rest of his father’s words were lost as Adam vaulted off of his seat and out the door, hitting the ground running and not stopping until he reached the coop. No sign of Opal anywhere around.

He stooped a considerable way to get inside but didn’t see more than the outlines of empty roosting shelves after the brightness of outdoors. Adam squinted and made out a figure lying prone on the ground.

“Opal!” It came out as a howl as he hunkered down to help her. His chest constricted so tight, it was little wonder she’d had a hard time catching her breath in the confines of the coop.

Thunk. The lowest roost shook as Opal backed out from beneath it, a scrub brush in her hand and a frown on her face. She scooted back until she could kneel then reached up to rub what would probably be a sizeable lump on the back of her noggin.

“What?”

“You didn’t come to dinner.” And I thought you might be passed out in here. Now that he looked around, he saw that the coop hadn’t been this clean since they converted the lean-to from its original purpose as a tool shed. Possibly even before that. In fact, the only part of the whole place anything less than pristine was Opal herself.

She’d shucked her bonnet at some point—a practical decision since there wasn’t an overabundance of light in the place. Now the finest pieces of her hair wisped straight up around her face, decorated with the odd bit of straw. A smudge graced her left cheek. Her apron boasted more shades than a painter’s palette. Those skirts she shook out stayed rumpled despite her efforts, and her brows almost touched in the middle while she scowled at him for invading her domain. No bows and lace could ever compare.

He leaned in for a quick peck but found his way blocked by a scrub brush.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She scrambled to her feet.

How can any woman look that appealing and not expect to get herself kissed? He wanted a chance to sweep her away again.

“Seeing if you’re all right.” True. You weren’t passed out. Now I’d like a closer inspection. He took a half-step forward.

She practically backed out of the lean-to. “Just didn’t hear the bell from under there.” She waved the brush, bristles out, in the direction of the corner. “I’m fine.”

“Pa said you felt dizzy earlier.” Another half-step brought him the proximity he wanted.

She seemed to realize that backing up would be a mistake. For one thing, she’d fall out of the raised coop. “Only for a moment. It passed.” She spoke quickly, making him think his nearness made her nervous.

Good.

“Kind of him to be concerned, though.

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