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d796dd0
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She wondered why Caleb had been so uncomfortable when she'd eaten that first piece of candy. Wasn't that why he'd given it to her, to eat? With a shrug Lily took another chocolate from the box and popped it into her mouth, where she rolled it slowly from one cheek to the other. Then she let it rest in the center of her mouth, sucking gently so the flavor would last. Men were such strange, incomprehensible creatures, giving a lady a present ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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2b3eab0
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Stay there," he rasped, "or I swear to God, you'll still have the imprint of my hand on your ass when you're ninety!" Joellen"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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e996ec9
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Where are you taking me?" "To town. I'm going to wire your daddy and get you a hotel room." Her blue eyes filled with silvery stars. "You want to wire Daddy so you can ask for my hand," she crooned. "You're going to marry me." "I was thinking more in terms of murder," Steven replied. Joellen's cheeks reddened. "Well, you have to marry me, Steven Fairfax--you've compromised my good name!" "I'm going to compromise your bottom if you don't sto..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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c4aec7d
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Did you see the fight yesterday, when Lem Johnson didn't want to cross the river?" Joellen nodded. "I was hiding in the supply wagon, and I watched the whole thing. You were masterful." "If you saw what happened, you know nobody defies my orders and gets away with it. And I don't let people tell lies about me, either." Joellen swallowed, but she still looked besotted. Steven was about to cure her of that. He sat down on the bench, clasped J..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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a4dde23
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I'll have you know I've spent the last three days in bed," he informed her, straightening his fashionable waistcoat, "with ice packs on my--with ice packs on." Emma lowered her eyes and bit down hard on her lower lip for a moment, so he wouldn't see her trying not to smile. "I'm sorry you were injured, Fulton," she said, when she could trust herself, "but you shouldn't have behaved so badly." She went on filing books away, with Fulton movin..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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6f8fe05
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There were times when Caleb thought he'd go insane if he had to put another platoon of privates through their paces on the parade grounds. But now there was Lily, and she'd changed everything. As soon as he'd brought her around to his way of thinking and she was safely ensconced in a proper house, Caleb decided, he would go back to Pennsylvania and make an attempt at setting things right. Maybe he would even leave the army and take his prop..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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91d0a58
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The driver tried to help Emma down, but he found himself elbowed aside by a tight-jawed Steven. "Where the hell have you been?" Emma's husband demanded, grasping her shoulders in his hands. Emma met his eyes steadily. "What do you care?" she countered. His hands came to rest on her cheeks. "I care," he answered. Emma pulled away from him and started to walk into the house, but he caught hold of her hand and pulled her back. "We're going to ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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a81bcda
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There's a baby inside you right now," he said, leaning forward to trace her collarbone with kisses as Emma gave in and let her hips move of their own accord. "And as soon as you're over having this one, I'm going to put another in you, Emma. And then another. I'm going to have you morning, noon, and night--" "Ooooh," Emma groaned helplessly, as he cut off his own words by closing his mouth over one of her nipples."
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Linda Lael Miller |
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c1cb154
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Dratted women," the colonel muttered, tossing down his napkin and bolting out of his chair. "They don't know how to listen. They don't know how to obey. If the army were made up of them, we'd all be British subjects." Caleb"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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9fc1911
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Emma shifted her gaze to Steven, sitting just ahead of her at a table, Garrick Wright beside him. As though sensing her perusal, Steven shifted in his chair to look back at her, and to her utter amazement, he winked. She pursed her lips, amazed that he could take so serious a proceeding so lightly. He mimicked her dour expression, then turned to face the front of the courtroom again. The
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Linda Lael Miller |
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dd594f7
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When they reached Fairhaven, Jubal rushed out to collect her. "I knew you shouldn't have gone to that ole trial, Miss Emma," fussed Jubal. "I tried to tell Mr. Steven that. You's makin' a baby, you can't go gallivantin' all over the parish--" Emma might have smiled if her husband hadn't been accused of a murder he didn't commit. As it was, she just let Jubal prattle. She"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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dabaed1
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I hope it won't rain," Lily said, feeling very shy all of a sudden. Caleb turned and smiled at her. "Whatever happens, Lily," he said, "I'll take care of you." Soon"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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2fb3821
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Why the devil do you dress like that," he rasped, "when you're easily the most beautiful woman in the territory?" Emma's cheeks pulsed. She started to protest, then stopped herself in confusion. Had Steven's question been a compliment or an insult? "What's wrong with this dress?" she asked evenly, when she'd had a few moments to compose herself. "It's plain enough for a missionary's wife," Steven replied. Although the words bit, Emma saw ki..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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8ba1ac1
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She awakened with a start to find Macon standing at the foot of the bed, watching her with a grin stretched across his face. His finger and thumb still lingered on her big toe. Stunned, she scooted toward the headboard, as if it could lend her some protection, her eyes wide. Steven's .45 was in the drawer of the nightstand on his side of the bed. She inched in that direction. "What are you doing here?" she croaked. Macon dragged his eyes ov..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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5c51cc2
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When she twisted around to face Steven, he was grinning at her. "What?" she demanded. "Never mind." She realized she'd displayed her derriere, after a fashion, and the blood flowed to her face again. "Skunk," she said. "You're crazy about me," Steven retorted with an impish grin. "Get into the water," Emma said impatiently. "I'm due back at the library and I haven't had anything to eat." Steven got to his feet painfully and started untying ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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af778be
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Where are you staying tonight?" Caleb asked reasonably. Lily had no idea; her mind had been so full of Caleb that she hadn't thought about that. Nor had she collected her savings from the bank in Tylerville or bought the equipment she would need to wash clothes. Although the schoolmaster's cottage was a cozy little place, it would require some preparation before she could move in. "You could spend the night with me," he suggested when Lily ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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b9e264b
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What is that?" Emma asked, as Lucy's sobs began to subside a little. "Laudanum," Steven answered. He got Lucy to her feet and helped her as far as the doorway, where a maid was waiting to collect her mistress. "Does she take a lot of that?" Emma asked, looking at the bottle distastefully. Steven sighed and set it aside. "She's been using it ever since I've known her," he said, screwing the lid back onto the bottle. "Obviously, being married..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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caf8af6
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He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, one hand resting lightly on her naked hip. "It's time this old house saw some joy again, don't you think?" Emma nodded. "Your father and Macon's mother--were they happy?" Steven shrugged. "All I really remember about my father is that he always gave me rock candy when he visited, and that he adored my mother. It doesn't seem likely that he'd have kept a mistress if he loved the woman he married." "W..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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aa6bc23
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She snuggled closer to him, her head resting on his shoulder, and continued her idle exploration of his chest, adding the occasional foray to his taut belly. "Are you scared?" she finally dared to ask. "I'd be a damned fool if I weren't," Steven responded, and a little groan escaped him as her fingertips strayed downward. He caught hold of her hand. "You little vixen--wasn't the first time enough for you?" She"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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a945f3c
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I want you to stay here," Steven told her as he stood at the bureau, arranging his tie. He'd already bathed, and he was wearing a fresh suit. Emma sat up in bed, a protest on her lips, but the look in Steven's eyes silenced her. She lay down again, her arms folded. "I'm not sick," she said petulantly, and before she could go on, a wave of nausea swept over her and sent her scrambling for the basin. Steven held her hair as she vomited, and h..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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bee5ffd
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Emma looked up at him and kissed him lightly on the chin. "We'll make up for all the unhappiness," she vowed rashly. "We'll fill Fairhaven with noise and babies." He held her close. "Judging by what happened this morning, it seems possible that the first one is already on the way." Emma nodded. "Do you want a boy or a girl?" "I want a baby," he said, grinning. "I don't give a damn whether it's a son or a daughter." "I'd like a boy, one who ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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bdfe813
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Emma awakened Steven rudely by arching her back and letting out a howl of startled discomfort. He sat bolt upright in bed, shoved one hand through his hair in agitation, and babbled that he was willing to pay five thousand dollars for the piece of land he wanted, and not a cent more. In spite of her pain, Emma laughed at his incoherency. "I'm in labor, Mr. Fairfax," she told him, as her stomach contorted visibly beneath her nightgown and he..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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9da849c
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You squeeze on my hands," Jubal ordered when Emma shrieked with pain. "You squeeze real hard, so's to push the bones together." "I never seen one come so fast," prattled Esther, who generally tended the kitchen. "Oh, God," Steven fretted, pacing at the foot of the bed. Emma felt another contraction closing in on her and clasped Jubal's hands hard, determined not to scream again. "She's gonna tear," Esther warned. At this point, there was a ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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96dd5b2
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After that everything was a blur for Emma. She remembered little beyond blinding pain, hazy, shifting faces, and finally, relief and the furious squall of an infant. "My baby," she whispered, lying back. "My baby's here." "It's a fine girl," Dr. Mayfield said. When had he arrived? Emma decided she didn't care, and smiled wearily. "Steven?" "He's not feeling too well right now," the doctor explained. "Crumpled to the floor when I had to cut ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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efd7c65
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You'd like some soothin', wouldn't you, Mr. Fairfax?" she asked in a sympathetic voice. A raw chuckle left his throat as he thought of Emma forcing this poor little minx into a calico dress and an old lady's snood. "I sure would, Callie," he answered honestly, "but I'm afraid there's only one woman I want." A mischievous grin curved Callie's mouth. "Miss Emma?" "The same," Steven admitted with a sigh, "but don't you tell her. I want this to..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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5697102
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Steven didn't see Emma again for a full week, and while he told himself it was for the best, he ached to see her every moment of that time. He spent his days pacing the room with Callie Visco under his left arm for support, and his nights cleaning the .45 and listening for Emma's footsteps in the hallway. He supposed she was either embarrassed to face him or meting out punishment for the hard time he'd given her. He sure as hell hoped she h..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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28fd06e
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You done trifled with that girl, ain't you?" Steven swallowed a bite of sausage before answering. "In a manner of speaking," he confessed, remembering the warm softness of Emma's breasts, and the way their peaks had hardened for him like sweet candy. Daisy's hardworking hands were resting on her generous hips. "There gonna be a baby?" Steven shook his head. Things hadn't gone quite that far; no, Emma's babies would probably look like that b..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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7ea7361
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Thanks for everything, Daisy," he said, and as he passed the big woman, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. "You're the best cook north of New Orleans." She beamed at the compliment, then made herself glower. "You just get on out of here and stop takin' up my time, you fancy-talkin' man!" Steven"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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8f1d7b7
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Sooner or later, given enough whiskey, hard work, and women, he'd have been able to put Emma Chalmers out of his mind. Now everything had changed. He couldn't leave her to that fool of a hypocrite she planned to marry; if he did, the blue fire in her eyes would falter and die one day in the not too distant future. Outside
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Linda Lael Miller |
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74518d6
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Steven sighed. "Emma." She was tapping one foot. "What?" "I'm going to need more help." Emma gnawed on her lower lip before answering. "What do you mean?" "I can't wash my back, or my hair." Squeezing her eyes shut, Emma extended her hands and groped her way to the big, clawfooted bathtub. She smacked the edge sharply with her knee, and her eyes flew open. Steven was looking up at her with mischief in his gaze. He'd covered his private part..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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b04757a
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Steven unplugged the tub with a motion of his toe. "You'd better turn your back, Emma, because I'm about to stand up if I can manage it." Emma complied quickly, praying Steven would be able to execute the feat on his own, that he wouldn't fall and crack his skull open. She held her breath. "Can't do it," he said on a frustrated sigh, and there was a splash as he settled back into the water, which was steadily draining down the pipes. "You'l..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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04599dc
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How are things out on the Circle L?" Big John shrugged shoulders the size of a grizzly bear's. "We're shorthanded, as always, and Joellen's a handful. I sure wish Chloe would break down and marry me, so that girl could have a mother." Emma smiled to think of Chloe as Joellen's stepmother. The girl's career as a brat would end in short order. "You know how Chloe is, Big John." He nodded ruefully and tucked the slip of paper Emma had written ..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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e0bbc1a
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Has anybody ever told you what a hardheaded little spitfire you are?" "Yes," Emma replied primly, "and it's never done them a mite of good." Steven"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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b969d53
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The expression in Steven's eyes showed both understanding and amusement, and he watched with undisguised interest as Emma hastily covered her still-pulsing bosom. "I know," he sighed, with a crooked, teasing grin. "You're not that kind of girl." Emma knew her face was crimson with embarrassment and umbrage, and only then, when it was too late, did she think to do her buttoning with her back turned. "I most certainly am not!" "You liked it,"..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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29836b5
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Gently, and without thinking, Emma reached out to touch his forehead. His hand rose and closed around her wrist, and his fingers were at once strong and gentle. "Come here," he said gruffly. He was like the mystical, superhuman creatures Emma had read about, captivating their victims with their eyes. She put the sandwich plate on the bedside stand and allowed him to pull her nearer, so that she sat on the edge of the bed. Her breasts rose a..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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4761258
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He's never made you feel like a woman," he said, with insultingly accurate perception. "You're as luscious as a ripe peach, and the fool's left you on the vine. To my way of thinking, that makes him an oddity, like the mummified Indian I saw once."
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Linda Lael Miller |
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2098129
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She was surprised when the major squatted down to help, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "What's your name?" he asked. Lily flung the last of the silverware onto the tray with a clatter. "It'll be mud if I don't get back to the kitchen and pick up my orders," she snapped. The major took the heavy tray and stood with a sort of rolling grace while Lily scrambled inelegantly back to her feet. Just as she reached out to take the tray back someon..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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41381fb
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She knelt and began gathering up the dirty cups, plates, and silverware she'd dropped with the tray. The movements of her hands were quick and jerky, but she went still when she saw a pair of scuffed black boots come to a stop directly in front of her, and her temper swelled anew. These rascals had been harassing her with their exuberant mischief all morning, and she was through turning the other cheek. She rose slowly to her feet and sighe..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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ad55af0
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When she stepped out into the cool spring evening Major Halliday was waiting for her. He tilted his hat. "Evening, Miss Chalmers," he said. Lily glowered at him. "What do you want?" The major smiled that insolent, melting smile of his. He had bathed, Lily noticed, and his uniform was fresh. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'd like to walk you home. It's dark, after all, and a town full of soldiers is no place for a woman alone." Lily..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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4a9e2d8
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Good night, Major," she said. Just when she would have turned and run inside he caught hold of her hand. "Tell me why your brother let you come all this way by yourself." The words had the tone of an order, however politely they were framed, and Lily tried, without success, to withdraw her fingers from his grip. "I am almost nineteen years old," she responded briskly. "I didn't ask Rupert's permission." Guiltily, she thought of how she'd le..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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166bbe2
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What's the matter, chile? The debil chasin' after you?" Emma paused to take a deep breath and recover her dignity. "Yes," she said. "Do you know where Chloe put Mr. Fair--Steven's pistol?" "She done locked it up in her desk drawer with the derringer. Why? You gonna give it back to him?" Emma nodded, then proceeded toward the hallway. "I most certainly am." "Why you wanna do that?" Daisy fussed, following her out of the kitchen and into Chlo..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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7daa35e
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I thought the tribes around here were friendly," she said, her eyes widening as she looked up at Caleb. His broad shoulders moved in a shrug. "If there's one thing I've learned about the red man, it's that he's unpredictable." Lily bit her lower lip, thinking of all the nights ahead, when she would be alone on her little farm with no one to protect her. Caleb favored her with an indulgent smile. "You don't need to worry, Lily. You're safe a..
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Linda Lael Miller |
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bdc1c08
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Mind you don't fall in love with him, Emma. I've got Fairfax pegged for a good man, but I suspect you're right in thinking he's in some kind of trouble. I won't have you caught in the middle of somebody else's fight." Emma"
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Linda Lael Miller |
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c36fe37
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Emma must have looked ferocious at that point, for Callie shrank back in surprise, then scurried toward the front stairway like a field mouse with a cat on its tail. After
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Linda Lael Miller |