|
e4cf871
|
It wasn't so much the large cauldron of hot water steaming over a slow fire that came as a surprise--people did laundry and made soap that way all the time--but the fact that Luke was sitting in it, like a cartoon missionary in a cannibal camp, wearing his hat and nothing else. He smiled through the rising vapor, but she saw the knowledge of Jonah's illness in his eyes, and it touched her in a way words of sympathy could never have done. "Y..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
f3f8d86
|
Luke stood up, assessed the water tank next to the tub, and shook his head in good-natured amazement. "What a contraption. Makes a man wonder what they'll invent next, doesn't it?" "I wouldn't know," Charity answered, exasperated and bone weary. "I'm not a man." He laughed. "No, indeed, Mrs. Shardlow, you are pure woman and that is a fact."
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
6d1c61a
|
kibble, coffee and a few other staples, and headed,
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
3f7e3c2
|
on their wedding day?
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
377df03
|
Muggles was back.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
6e36b07
|
Love is like a fire, he decided. You could try to control it, but it wasn't always possible. Sometimes the flames burned you and sometimes they just warmed you from the inside out.
|
|
uncontrollable
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
df7ba93
|
chigger bites. On the other side of the ranch house, which was, she admitted
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
4559dc6
|
He wished he knew how to make tea, wished he even had some to try with. That was what Miss June-bug wanted when she was feeling low, a good cup of tea, and it always seemed to brace her right up.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
a82585b
|
She said a silent prayer of gratitude and went to the stove, making as little noise as possible, stirring the embers with a poker and then shoving in several sticks of the precious seasoned wood. When the stove was putting out noticeable heat again, she made her way to the hearth and repeated the process, feeling a certain primitive joy as the flames leaped up around the fresh logs, crackling cheerfully and spilling warmth over her bare fee..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
d3821ad
|
He had a tenderness in him, and a streak of poetry, and she knew he loved the land for far more than its ability to sustain him.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
6086c37
|
She wanted to ask about the McCaffreys' children, but the question seemed too personal. Westerners were private sorts, in Evangeline's judgment, with more than their share of secrets. "It scares me a little," she confessed. "The idea of being so alone, I mean." June-bug favored her with another smile. "Bein' alone ain't necessarily bad, you know. A person can come to understand herself real well that way. Some folks pass their whole lives w..
|
|
westerners
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
7c54969
|
You were the one who brightened up the dull days, Gram, Hadleigh thought now. You, with your love and your laughter and with that magical smile of yours.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
7f24a52
|
den a lot of times myself," she confessed."
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
34d7afe
|
You have other choices, Lily," he muttered, "besides grubbing in the dirt for a living." Lily stepped back, knowing she would drown in sensation if she didn't get some perspective on things. She was entirely innocent when it came to the things men and women did together, but she sensed that Caleb was hinting at something scandalous. "Is this an indecent proposal?" she countered. He smiled down at her. "I guess that's a matter of opinion," h..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
aa938d2
|
than she was, but for the next three days--or was it four?--the kids' meals would be her responsibility. "Let's go out for pizza!" Matt suggested exuberantly. He was standing on the raised hearth of the double fireplace that served both the kitchen and dining room, and Sharon"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
73c65fc
|
This place," Sophie said, looking around at the ranch-house kitchen the next morning, "needs a woman's touch. Or maybe a crack decorating crew from HGTV or DIY."
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
2fd6cb1
|
He kissed the soft expanse of her neck. "Don't be ashamed, tigress," he whispered. "There's never been anything more beautiful than a woman willingly surrendering her body to a man." There"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
bd4fb30
|
Lily was left feeling disgruntled and confused. She didn't like Caleb Halliday. He was rude, arrogant, and insufferable. His intentions toward her were not at all honorable. So why had she agreed to have anything further to do with him? Lily sighed. Because she was starved for a little magic, that was why. Because one wonderful night was not too much to ask out of a lifetime of hard work.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
ad5591f
|
If I were any man but myself," he said, "I would turn you over my knee and blister your backside!" Tossing"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
e47282d
|
You're in love with him," Sandra said in a delighted whisper. Lily thought of her half-section of land, of the corn crops and fruit trees that would one day grow there. She forced herself to remember that Caleb wanted to keep her, not marry her. And, of course, there was the fact that he was a soldier. "No!" she protested, guarding her dreams. Sandra folded her hands in her lap. Her amethyst eyes sparkled with mischief. "I don't believe you..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
5c2dc02
|
Caleb's mind filled with an unbidden image of her in the parlor of the grand house in Fox Chapel, wearing silks and satins and graciously greeting his guests of an evening. He'd be the envy of every man north of the Mason-Dixon line. He shook off the idea. He was looking for another mistress, not a wife.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
2eff2f3
|
Lily lifted one corner of the chocolate box and peeked inside. "Do you suppose Mrs. McAllister would notice if I ate just one piece before supper?" she whispered. "Eat the whole box if you want," Caleb replied, oddly touched. Lily cautiously chose a chocolate from the box and popped it into her mouth. Caleb watched as she rolled it around on her tongue, savoring it, and his blood turned hot as kerosene in his veins. "Would you like one?" sh..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
4d10fea
|
They'll be back in time for the officers' ball, of course," she remarked, mostly to join in the conversation. Caleb gave her a look of good-natured warning. "It won't matter whether they are or not. You're saving every dance for me, Miss Chalmers." Lily's cheeks warmed at the intimacy of his tone. One would have thought that Mrs. Tibbet wasn't even there, the way he talked. "I imagine I can dance with whomever I like," she said, to put Cale..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
86ded1f
|
No matter what Sandra says," he told her, "I want you to remember this." Lily stared up at him. "What?" she asked as he pulled her close. She could feel the brass buttons on his paneled shirt pressing against her bosom. Instead of answering, Caleb bent his head and kissed her, his mouth gentle at first, then fierce. She struggled for a moment before giving herself up to the hurricane of sensation his lips and tongue created within her. She ..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
02b088e
|
I'm not a loose woman," she said firmly, without preamble, "and I won't be your mistress, no matter how many boxes of chocolates you give me." Caleb rested one hand on the gnarled trunk of the tree she leaned against and bent toward her. "That's the last thing I think, Miss Chalmers," he informed her. "That you're a loose woman, I mean." "Is it?" She blushed again. Fetchingly, he thought. "You've kissed me twice today, Major Halliday. And t..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
ec3bde6
|
My good man," he said to Charlie in a serious tone of voice, "this young woman is a fugitive." Charlie looked horrified. "You mean she done broke the law?" Rupert favored Lily with a brief, triumphant glance, and she tensed. Whatever Rupert said, Charlie would believe him. That was how it was with men. "Not exactly." Lily let out her breath at Rupert's answer. "What do you mean, 'not exactly'?" Charlie demanded. Rupert squared his shoulders..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
24ee042
|
He touched her chin with the tip of one index finger. "I'm leaving tomorrow, Lily." Maybe he was imagining it, but he thought he felt her quiver. "Leaving?" she asked in a small voice. "I'm going back to Fort Deveraux." He could see she was mentally gauging the distance between Tylerville and the fort, and that eased some of his anxiety about leaving her. "You'll probably forget all about me," she said. Caleb chuckled ruefully. "I couldn't ..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
681b970
|
Who lived here?" Steven asked, slowing his pace now that they'd reached level ground. Emma reached back to be sure her braid wasn't coming undone. "Just some homesteaders. I don't know what their names were." Steven released her hand and gave the remains of the house a thorough assessment, as though it might be important to remember what he saw. "It must have been nice, living out here--just a man and his wife, and maybe a couple of kids." ..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
d2be7cd
|
I resent your insinuation that Fulton is a coward," she said. "He's a very fine man." Suddenly, Steven stopped right in the middle of the trail. Emma, who had just built up a good head of steam, collided with him--hard. For a long moment, Steven held her to him without even using his arms. No, it was the look in his eyes that gripped her, that made her feel as if something warm was spilling over within her. "If he's such a fine man," he rea..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
7028435
|
The trees harbored a clearing where a multitude of white daisies with centers as yellow as pirate's doubloons rippled in the breeze. Looking at them, Emma forgot her troubles. "There must be one for every angel in heaven," she breathed. Steven, who had been spreading the picnic blanket on the ground, came to stand behind her. His hands rested lightly on her shoulders, and he bent to plant the lightest of kisses on her nape. "Today they all ..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
26ec4dd
|
Emma knew what was going to happen if she didn't break away, and she used every shred of her willpower to turn from Steven and run through the daisies, her arms outspread. She'd gone only a few yards when she stumbled over something and went sprawling. She was laughing when she rolled over and started to sit up, and her plump breasts strained against her bodice. Before she could begin the arduous process of untangling herself from her skirt..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
cebbb13
|
Steven laid Emma gently on the carpet of daisies to take the little flagon from her hand. She watched, half bewitched, as he removed the stopper and touched it ever so lightly to the pulse point at the base of her throat. The lush woodsy scent rose to her nostrils, and Emma closed her eyes to savor this new pleasure. Steven stretched out beside Emma and kissed the place he had just perfumed, one hand resting brazenly on her bare breast. She..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
a2bac64
|
He caught her cheeks in his hands and kissed her roughly, for they were both savages in those moments, and his tongue swept her mouth and her lips before he moaned, "My beautiful, blue-eyed tigress--" Emma"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
c857858
|
Steven raised himself on an elbow, plucked a daisy, and put it through Emma's loose braid. He continued until a trail of white flowers paraded from her scalp to the place beneath her breast where her hair made a coppery fan. His
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
78e8bce
|
I'll never forget this night," he said quietly. Lily held the cup in both hands and took an unladylike gulp before remembering her manners. She dropped one hand and sipped. "Neither will I," she confessed when her thirst had been satisfied. A certain sadness possessed her. "I wish it never had to end." Caleb tilted his head back to look at the starry sky for a moment before meeting her gaze directly. "It doesn't have to end, Lily. We could ..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
87f48a6
|
Caleb--" He kissed her forehead lightly. "Shhh." His hands came to rest on her bare shoulders, the thumbs making soft motions against her collarbone. Lily could feel the hard wall of his torso and his thighs against her, and she sensed the steely strength of him. "You're--you're going to compromise me," she fretted, but she couldn't bring herself to step out of his embrace. "Umm-hmmm." Caleb bent his head to nibble at the sensitive flesh be..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
3ad9d0c
|
Something is happening, all right. But it's perfectly natural, Lily. Stop worrying and let me show you what it means to be a woman." Her"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
0cef36e
|
I hate you, Caleb Halliday," she vowed. He kissed her lightly, and she caught the spicy female scent of her own body. "Of course you do, darling," he said, propelling her toward the Tibbets' front gate. "And what happened tonight is never going to happen again!" "Wrong," Caleb said confidently. "It's going to happen thousands of times, in thousands of different places." Before"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
4df1816
|
He was a scoundrel, and he deserved whatever happened to him. But for just one shining, magical night Lily would pretend he was a prince.
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
614c099
|
If I wanted a plaything, Miss Emma," he said hoarsely, "I'd go over to the Stardust and lay my money on the bar." Emma scrambled to her feet and began pulling on her petticoats, her back turned to Steven. "Daisy always says men don't buy the cow when they can get the milk for free," she confided, and a little sob followed the words out of her throat. Steven gripped her arm and turned her to face him. He was wearing his trousers but nothing ..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
2defabd
|
Steven didn't speak again, didn't try to erase what she was feeling. Instead, he found a comb in her handbag, knelt behind her, and gently began working the tangles out of her hair. "Maybe the women of Whitneyville are right about me," she muttered in genuine despair, and daisy petals fell like rain around her as Steven continued to comb her hair. "They might be right about some things," Steven answered gently. "But they're dead wrong about..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
8e9ed4e
|
If you marry the wrong man," Steven warned, in a voice all the more ominous because of its quietness, "you'll regret it into your old age. You'll never pass a day--or a night--without remembering how it was when we made love in a field of daisies, and wishing to God it could be that way with him. But it won't be, Emma--no matter how hard you wish." She"
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
0dcf813
|
I have a very happy announcement to make," he said, and the blood drained from Emma's face. "Miss Emma Chalmers and I will be married before the summer's out." Emma sucked in her breath and closed her eyes as a murmur of speculation moved through the crowd. This was followed by a burst of somewhat hesitant applause, and while the women held back, fanning themselves, the men pushed forward to shake Fulton's hand. Emma felt as though she migh..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |
|
78b8e38
|
Let me go, Steven." "Mr. Fairfax," he corrected, to her utter amazement. "What?" "I told you before," he said, pulling her back into his arms when she would have fled. "In public, I want to be addressed as Mr. Fairfax. You may call me Steven in private." It took all Emma's resolve not to stomp on his instep. "That is both arrogant and old-fashioned!" she hissed. Steven shrugged. "Then I'm old-fashioned. We'll argue about the arrogant part l..
|
|
|
Linda Lael Miller |