for Bruce, “he’s through getting my books in order. And there’s no time like the present. Shall we get to it?”
“But, King, he’s only just arrived,” Mary protested, her sense of hospitality outraged.
“He didn’t come here for a social gathering, Mother,” he reminded her. “Billingsly?”
Bruce knew the whip in that deep voice, apparently. “I’m ready,” he lied, letting go of Teddi reluctantly. “I’ll see you later, honey, we’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Indeed we have,” Teddi said with a venomous smile, her dark eyes flashing.
King didn’t even look her way, and his back was arrow-straight as he led the shorter man out of the room.
“What was that all about?” Jenna asked, while Blakely and her mother discussed ranch business.
“I told you about him,” Teddi moaned. “The one who chased me until I couldn’t stay in New York at all for being hounded?”
“That’s him?” Jenna gasped. “Here?”
“Here, though heaven only knows how. He works for the firm that does King’s accounting, I suppose,” she said miserably. “Now that I think of it, he told me he knew King when he was running after me, but I never asked how. I should have realized...”
“That’s the man who came up to college looking for you,” Jenna burst out, remembering. “Holy mackerel!”
“He just wouldn’t take no for an answer. I thought that when I came up here at Easter I’d finally gotten rid of him,” she said with a wan smile. “Oh, Jenna, what am I going to do? King believes him, he really believes there’s something between us. I couldn’t even push the silly man away, I was too shocked at seeing him here, and heaven only knows what lies he’s been telling King about me! And King will believe every word,” she added miserably.
Jenna was beginning to add things up. The look on Teddi’s face when she and King had ridden in, the very tender light in her brother’s eyes, the slight swell of Teddi’s lower lip, the pine straw in her hair—it all began to make sense.
“Just what were you and King doing in the woods besides discussing international economics and the future of democracy?” Jenna asked, tongue in cheek.
Teddi blushed, and Jenna had the answer she wanted. She laughed delightedly.
“Now I know why King’s been so hard to live with,” she murmured. “Mother said he’d been horrible since Easter. Something happened then, too, didn’t it, after you threw that feed bucket at him? Oh, my friend—” her gray eyes lit up “—if you knew how I’ve dreamed of having you for a sister-in-law....”
“It isn’t like that,” Teddi protested, embarrassed. “And you mustn’t say anything. Oh, please, Jenna, you can’t!”
There was a long, heartfelt sigh. “All right,” came the grudging promise, “I’ll keep quiet. But you do care for him, don’t you?”
The dark eyes fell. “Yes,” she admitted quietly. If caring could be described as a passionate obsession that hadn’t waned in almost six years, then, yes, it was definitely caring.
“And King?” Jenna prodded.
She shrugged. “Who knows what he thinks? It doesn’t matter now, anyway. He’s always believed the worst of me, and now here’s Bruce to feed him some of the most delicious lies he’s ever tasted. He’ll be overjoyed.”
“Stop that,” Jenna said sternly. “If King feels something for you himself, what makes you think he’s going to believe Bruce? He’s intelligent enough to know pique and hurt masculine pride when he sees them. If Bruce is just out for revenge, he’ll see that, too.”
“Will he?” Teddi said and shrugged. “Let’s go and make some sandwiches. I imagine we’ll have hungry mouths to feed any minute.”
“Might as well, I suppose.” Jenna looked worriedly toward Blakely and her mother. “Oh, Mother, we’re going to make lunch!”
“Can I help?” Mary offered.
“No, dear, you talk to Blakely,” Jenna encouraged, with a pointed look at Blakely,
“But, King, he’s only just arrived,” Mary protested, her sense of hospitality outraged.
“He didn’t come here for a social gathering, Mother,” he reminded her. “Billingsly?”
Bruce knew the whip in that deep voice, apparently. “I’m ready,” he lied, letting go of Teddi reluctantly. “I’ll see you later, honey, we’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Indeed we have,” Teddi said with a venomous smile, her dark eyes flashing.
King didn’t even look her way, and his back was arrow-straight as he led the shorter man out of the room.
“What was that all about?” Jenna asked, while Blakely and her mother discussed ranch business.
“I told you about him,” Teddi moaned. “The one who chased me until I couldn’t stay in New York at all for being hounded?”
“That’s him?” Jenna gasped. “Here?”
“Here, though heaven only knows how. He works for the firm that does King’s accounting, I suppose,” she said miserably. “Now that I think of it, he told me he knew King when he was running after me, but I never asked how. I should have realized...”
“That’s the man who came up to college looking for you,” Jenna burst out, remembering. “Holy mackerel!”
“He just wouldn’t take no for an answer. I thought that when I came up here at Easter I’d finally gotten rid of him,” she said with a wan smile. “Oh, Jenna, what am I going to do? King believes him, he really believes there’s something between us. I couldn’t even push the silly man away, I was too shocked at seeing him here, and heaven only knows what lies he’s been telling King about me! And King will believe every word,” she added miserably.
Jenna was beginning to add things up. The look on Teddi’s face when she and King had ridden in, the very tender light in her brother’s eyes, the slight swell of Teddi’s lower lip, the pine straw in her hair—it all began to make sense.
“Just what were you and King doing in the woods besides discussing international economics and the future of democracy?” Jenna asked, tongue in cheek.
Teddi blushed, and Jenna had the answer she wanted. She laughed delightedly.
“Now I know why King’s been so hard to live with,” she murmured. “Mother said he’d been horrible since Easter. Something happened then, too, didn’t it, after you threw that feed bucket at him? Oh, my friend—” her gray eyes lit up “—if you knew how I’ve dreamed of having you for a sister-in-law....”
“It isn’t like that,” Teddi protested, embarrassed. “And you mustn’t say anything. Oh, please, Jenna, you can’t!”
There was a long, heartfelt sigh. “All right,” came the grudging promise, “I’ll keep quiet. But you do care for him, don’t you?”
The dark eyes fell. “Yes,” she admitted quietly. If caring could be described as a passionate obsession that hadn’t waned in almost six years, then, yes, it was definitely caring.
“And King?” Jenna prodded.
She shrugged. “Who knows what he thinks? It doesn’t matter now, anyway. He’s always believed the worst of me, and now here’s Bruce to feed him some of the most delicious lies he’s ever tasted. He’ll be overjoyed.”
“Stop that,” Jenna said sternly. “If King feels something for you himself, what makes you think he’s going to believe Bruce? He’s intelligent enough to know pique and hurt masculine pride when he sees them. If Bruce is just out for revenge, he’ll see that, too.”
“Will he?” Teddi said and shrugged. “Let’s go and make some sandwiches. I imagine we’ll have hungry mouths to feed any minute.”
“Might as well, I suppose.” Jenna looked worriedly toward Blakely and her mother. “Oh, Mother, we’re going to make lunch!”
“Can I help?” Mary offered.
“No, dear, you talk to Blakely,” Jenna encouraged, with a pointed look at Blakely,
Similar Books
