he muttered. Duke was good at raising his hackles, but nothing was going to ruin this day. The engagement ring was waiting in his pocket. His eagerness to propose was nothing compared to the way he felt about Sally.
This time it was his turn. Earlier, he’d fallen all over himself in an attempt to court Abbey Sutherland. What he hadn’tknown was that Sawyer O’Halloran had stolen her heart without giving any of the others a chance.
Then there was Lanni Caldwell. John had never seriously considered her wife material, believing she’d only be in town for the summer. Duke might’ve been more interested in striking up a relationship with her, but once again they’d been beaten out by one of the O’Hallorans.
John liked Mariah Douglas well enough, but it was plain as the nose on your face that she had eyes only for Christian. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was tangle with her. Daddy Douglas just might sic that attorney on him.
He’d had a shot with Bethany, the schoolteacher. In the beginning he was quite drawn to her. He knew she didn’t share his enthusiasm, but he’d figured that, given time, their friendship might grow into something more.
Then Sally McDonald had arrived.
Sally, with her pretty blue eyes and her gentle smile. He’d taken one look at her and his heart had stopped beating. In that moment, he’d recognized beyond any doubt that she was the one for him. After John had met Sally, he didn’t resent Sawyer for stealing Abbey away from him and the others. It seemed unimportant that Lanni was marrying Charles, or that Bethany Ross wasn’t as keen on him as he’d been on her. Sally was the one for him.
“If you want my opinion…”
John glared at Duke. “I didn’t ask for it, did I?”
“No,” Duke said, “but I’m going to give it to you anyway.”
John sighed loudly. “All right. If it’s so important, tell me what you think.”
“I can understand why you’d want to marry Sally—” Duke began.
“But you’re thinking about her for yourself!” This explained why Duke was poking into something that was none of his concern.
“No way,” Duke said, raising both hands. “I’m off women. Too many of ’em are like that lawyer, looking for any excuse to chew a man’s butt.”
“Tracy Santiago wasn’t like that.” John grinned broadly at the memory of their clashes. To be fair, he wasn’t interested in her for himself, but he kinda liked the way she’d cut Duke down to size. “She was doing her job, that’s all.”
“Listen, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not discuss that she-devil. She’s gone, at least for now, and all I can say is good riddance. The woman was nothing but a nuisance.”
John swallowed a laugh. He’d never seen Duke get this riled up over a woman. It seemed to his inexperienced eye that his friend protested too much. He figured that, this time, Duke had met his match. Too bad Tracy lived in Washington State and Duke in Alaska.
“About Sally…” The other pilot broached the topic again.
John could see there was no escaping his friend’s unwanted counsel. “All right,” he said, giving in. Duke was going to state his opinion whether John wanted to hear it or not. He might as well listen—or pretend to.
“Don’t get me wrong here,” Duke said, shoving his hands into his pockets as though he found this difficult. “I like Sally. Who wouldn’t? She’s a real sweetheart.”
“Exactly.”
“The thing that concerns me is…she’s young.”
“Not that much younger than Bethany. Or Lanni.”
“True, only Sally’s led a more sheltered life than either of them.”
John couldn’t argue with that. Sally had been raised in a British Columbia town with a population of less than a thousand. From what he understood, her family was a close-knit one. She’d attended a small, private high school and a church-affiliated college. When finances became too tight forher to continue her education, she’d gotten a job working in an
This time it was his turn. Earlier, he’d fallen all over himself in an attempt to court Abbey Sutherland. What he hadn’tknown was that Sawyer O’Halloran had stolen her heart without giving any of the others a chance.
Then there was Lanni Caldwell. John had never seriously considered her wife material, believing she’d only be in town for the summer. Duke might’ve been more interested in striking up a relationship with her, but once again they’d been beaten out by one of the O’Hallorans.
John liked Mariah Douglas well enough, but it was plain as the nose on your face that she had eyes only for Christian. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was tangle with her. Daddy Douglas just might sic that attorney on him.
He’d had a shot with Bethany, the schoolteacher. In the beginning he was quite drawn to her. He knew she didn’t share his enthusiasm, but he’d figured that, given time, their friendship might grow into something more.
Then Sally McDonald had arrived.
Sally, with her pretty blue eyes and her gentle smile. He’d taken one look at her and his heart had stopped beating. In that moment, he’d recognized beyond any doubt that she was the one for him. After John had met Sally, he didn’t resent Sawyer for stealing Abbey away from him and the others. It seemed unimportant that Lanni was marrying Charles, or that Bethany Ross wasn’t as keen on him as he’d been on her. Sally was the one for him.
“If you want my opinion…”
John glared at Duke. “I didn’t ask for it, did I?”
“No,” Duke said, “but I’m going to give it to you anyway.”
John sighed loudly. “All right. If it’s so important, tell me what you think.”
“I can understand why you’d want to marry Sally—” Duke began.
“But you’re thinking about her for yourself!” This explained why Duke was poking into something that was none of his concern.
“No way,” Duke said, raising both hands. “I’m off women. Too many of ’em are like that lawyer, looking for any excuse to chew a man’s butt.”
“Tracy Santiago wasn’t like that.” John grinned broadly at the memory of their clashes. To be fair, he wasn’t interested in her for himself, but he kinda liked the way she’d cut Duke down to size. “She was doing her job, that’s all.”
“Listen, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not discuss that she-devil. She’s gone, at least for now, and all I can say is good riddance. The woman was nothing but a nuisance.”
John swallowed a laugh. He’d never seen Duke get this riled up over a woman. It seemed to his inexperienced eye that his friend protested too much. He figured that, this time, Duke had met his match. Too bad Tracy lived in Washington State and Duke in Alaska.
“About Sally…” The other pilot broached the topic again.
John could see there was no escaping his friend’s unwanted counsel. “All right,” he said, giving in. Duke was going to state his opinion whether John wanted to hear it or not. He might as well listen—or pretend to.
“Don’t get me wrong here,” Duke said, shoving his hands into his pockets as though he found this difficult. “I like Sally. Who wouldn’t? She’s a real sweetheart.”
“Exactly.”
“The thing that concerns me is…she’s young.”
“Not that much younger than Bethany. Or Lanni.”
“True, only Sally’s led a more sheltered life than either of them.”
John couldn’t argue with that. Sally had been raised in a British Columbia town with a population of less than a thousand. From what he understood, her family was a close-knit one. She’d attended a small, private high school and a church-affiliated college. When finances became too tight forher to continue her education, she’d gotten a job working in an
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