Barbara McCauley - Seduction Of The Reluctant Bride

Food had always been her business. She’d eaten at restaurants in more than twenty states and four countries, tested recipes from the finest chefs in the world, but she couldn’t ever remember a better meal than the one she was having then. She was definitely going to have to finagle some recipes out of Savannah.

It was a bit overwhelming: the bowls coming round, plates getting passed, arms reaching over arms to grab for another piece of chicken or scoop of mashed potatoes. Dinner at her parents’ house had always been formal. The attire, the dishes and silverware, the proper wine. Conversation was polite, no one ever shouted or talked when someone else was speaking. Here, with two babies, two toddlers, one teenager and eight adults, there was so much chatter and laughing that Faith felt giddy.

But there was much more to her giddy feeling than the Stone family, Faith admitted to herself. The man sitting in the chair beside her, flirting outrageously with the women and arguing incessantly with the men, seemed to be the cause of her light-headedness.

She knew she should be angry at him. Not only because he’d refused to take her into the mountains, but because he didn’t take her seriously. He’d even called her stupid, which was truly unforgivable.

Still, when he’d put his hat on her earlier she’d been overcome by a strange sense of intimacy, as if he’d given her his high school pin, or his letterman’s jacket. She’d even felt a sense of loss when she’d handed it back to him. And since they’d sat down to dinner, every time he’d accidentally brushed up against her or their hands had touched while passing a bowl, she’d felt as if a spark of electricity were passing through her.

She knew it was silly, of course. Even foolish. Which only deepened her annoyance. She was twenty-six years old, an almost engaged woman, not a school girl. And she was here in Cactus Flat for Elijah Jane, not for herself.

“Faith, has Sam told you about the time Jake and him dumped Texas Tom’s HellFire Pepper Sauce in Digger’s ketchup bottles at the Hungry Bear?” Jared asked, grinning.

Faith swiveled to look at Sam, who was frowning at Jared. Jake frowned, as well. “I don’t believe I’ve heard that story.”

“They must have been about fourteen at the time,” Jared continued, enjoying himself at Jake and Sam’s expense. “They watched through Digger’s big glass window all day, expecting all the customers to breathe fire and blow smoke out their ears. But nothing happened. No fire, no smoke. No screams of agony. Later in the day they came back in, confused but hungry from watching all those people eat, and Digger fixed them two big burgers, on the house, dripping with his secret sauce. It took them both a couple of bites before it hit, but when it did—” Jared said, grinning “—it was like an explosion.”

“A nuclear explosion.” Sam reached for his water glass as if he were reliving the horror. “Seems that Digger had seen us spike his ketchup, so he exchanged the bottles, then set us up. Wars could be ended with whatever it was he put in those burgers.”

Jake nodded in agreement. “I thought I’d have a permanent hole in the top of my head. Which was only the beginning of our torture. We paid for that one...two days straight in the john.”

“Jake!” Savannah’s tone was strict, but her eyes were laughing. “That’s no talk for the dinner table.”

The stories continued: Digger’s famed baseball bat pursuit of the deputy shenff; his abduction of Moses Swain’s pig who’d repeatedly destroyed Digger’s tomato plants behind the café and Digger’s subsequent special on pork chops; his constant meddling in everyone’s business that he called “free advice.” Everyone laughed so hard Dylan spit water and Jessica got the hiccups.

“Enough,” Annie said, wiping at the tears in her eyes with one hand while she held her side with the other. “I swear, I’ll have this baby right here and damn if that wouldn’t be Digger’s fault.”

“There wasn’t a wedding that took place—” Jessica said, wiping mashed potatoes off her son’s chin “—a baby born, or business deal in Cactus Flat that Digger didn’t somehow take credit for. Even you, Faith. He’s probably looking down at us, taking credit for you being here right now.”

The sudden change in Faith’s demeanor was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Sam caught it nonetheless. The slight angling of her chin, her stiff smile. Why in the world would Jessica’s harmless comment bother the woman?

“Now, Sam here,” Jake said, pushing his plate away as he eyed a pecan pie sitting on the sideboard, “he was Digger’s greatest challenge. Sam’s marital status to Digger was like a red flag to a bull.”

“Not to mention every woman within a five-hundred mile radius,” Savannah added, making room on the table for pie and cookies.

“Once all you ladies were taken, I resigned myself to a life of celibacy.” Sam’s look was forlorn, his wink at Savannah wicked. There were groans around the table, with Jake nearly choking.

“Why, even Faith here is taken,” Sam said. “Practically engaged to Howard from Boston. Isn’t that right, Faith?”

She threw him a sharp glance. “Harold.”

“Right.” Pleased with himself and the mischief he was causing, Sam accepted the slice of pecan pie that Savannah handed him. “He’s extremely understanding, she tells me.”

Her glance turned to a glare. “As a matter of fact, he is.”

“A rare quality in a man,” Annie said.

Jared, who’d been nibbling on a cookie his daughter had offered him from her high chair, feigned hurt. “I’m understanding,” he complained. “Aren’t I, guys?”

The men all nodded and mumbled praise amongst themselves. Jessica rolled her eyes and smiled at Faith. “I’m not sure if I should offer congratulations or condolences. Have you set a date yet?”

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.