The Path To Her Heart by Linda Ford

Author:Linda Ford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2009-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Boothe felt her quaking. He squeezed her scrunched fists. She put on a good front, but this whole engagement thing put her in an awkward position. He wished there was another way, but he could think of none. He had to keep Vera and Luke from taking Jessie.

He owed Emma immensely for her cooperation with this idea. Right after the court date, he would thank her profusely and end this farce. He squeezed her hands tighter, telling himself they could both walk away unscathed by this whole business. He ignored the little twist in his heart. This slight shift in his feelings toward her was his own fault. Plain and simple, you couldn’t kiss a woman without having some sort of reaction. And if his reaction surprised him—well, he would be careful not to kiss her again.

She strained forward, and he realized Jessie was about to speak his piece.

Jessie beamed enough to rival all the stars in heaven as he said his few words and smiled at them for approval. Boothe nodded, so proud of this scrap of humanity he’d produced he couldn’t contain it. He grinned at Emma, saw an answering gleam in her eyes. She truly cared about his son. He turned away as a twinge intruded into his conscience. She wouldn’t want to give up Jessie any more than Jessie would want to give her up.

His smile slipped sideways at the thought, but it was only for a short time. They’d all recover.

The other children did their parts, and then each received an orange and a small bundle of candy tied up in brown store paper.

Jessie raced to join them and held out his gifts. “An orange. Auntie Vera used to give me one.”

Boothe’s mouth watered at the forgotten pleasure. His heart twisted to think he could not provide such luxuries for his son. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it, nor enjoy watching Jessie’s pleasure at Emma’s praise of his performance for well-wishers immediately swarmed them, pumping his hand and surrounding Emma. Some hugged her, others patted her like they all wanted to touch her. He reached for her hand, pulled her to his side, his arm around her shoulders to hold the eager fans at bay. He began to edge toward the door and escape.

A man blocked their path. He pushed his hat to his chest and darted a glance toward Emma. “Nurse Spencer.” His voice was barely audible but the word nurse shouted through Boothe’s mind. It shivered over his memories and scraped across his resentment. He’d vowed to avoid all contact with anyone in the medical profession. He promised himself they could practice on someone else’s family. He could never bring himself to forgive the whole works of them for killing Alyse.

Yet he couldn’t equate his feelings about medical people with his feelings for Emma. Which were? he silently mocked. Gratitude, of course, for her help without which he’d surely lose his son.

The man’s words brought Boothe’s attention back to the scene before him.

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