golden-highlighted, brown-eyed gaze to see if she could see him, her internal squatter, but only she stared back. A huge sigh signaled her satisfaction.
Her heavily lashed eyes narrowed in concentration as she scrutinized features she’d looked at with indifference all her life, not realizing how delightful they were. The upward tilt of her plump, naturally red lips drew second glances from many appreciative males. But the naïveté in her eyes had them sighing—too bad. Her healthy white teeth were another plus to her appearance, and the contagious sparkle that lit her brown orbs when she was happy brought a liveliness to her expression that was missing in so many of the young women around her.
Alas, she only saw the pale face of a prim, orderly schoolteacher who carefully twisted her hair into a braid most mornings and then coiled the braid into a swirl to crown her head, the rich red-gold highlights lost as her long waves were forced into the tight weave of an old woman’s hairstyle. If it weren’t for the small curls escaping their prison and softly framing her heart-shaped dainty face, a person would miss the beauty entirely. As it was, without a trace of makeup or any artificial treatments, Carrie relied on Mother Nature’s bounty for her looks, and Mother Nature had gifted her—generously.
Giving up on finding a hint of the chap locked inside her, Carrie turned her back to the mirror and shed her clothing, careful to fold each article and place it on the counter. Next she took the pins from her hair, separated the braided tresses, shook her head back and forth and flipped it forward. Her hair swept the floor in front of her as she ran her fingers through to her scalp and massaged. A shudder of pure bliss rippled through her. Finally, she gathered the strands and tied them in a ponytail on the top of her head.
Lowering her body into the steamy water, she settled herself by wiggling and stretching to best fit the tub’s form. A huge sigh of relief escaped—and so did a gush of tears.
* * *
Through her, Rhett experienced fear and sorrow for the first time in a very long while. Her tears tore him apart and broke through protective walls he’d erected as a child.
He wanted to see her again. To know her, not just her warm, generous spirit but her outer form also. From what he’d noted so far, she pleased him. So he waited—waited for her to turn back to the mirror, but she disappointed him. He’d seen all of her he would for that night.
Chapter Three
“Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s six o’clock and I can’t wait another minute. Come on, woman. Wake up!”
“My goodness, what is wrong with you? My alarm is set for seven-fifteen. School doesn’t start until nine o’clock and… Oh, all right. I can see I won’t get another moment’s peace with you howling away inside me. Go away and let me get ready. Be a good chap, please.”
“Yeah, yeah, but hurry, so we’ll have time to do a quick stop at the hospital before your classes start.”
“I told you that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s too far to walk there and back in time.”
“Damnation, woman, take a taxi if that’s all that’s bothering you.”
“I don’t have money for taxis all the time. We don’t all live luxurious lives—many of us have to watch our pennies.”
“Sh…oot!” Frustration seethed throughout her system, and her kind heart couldn’t ignore it.
“Fine, we’ll do a quick stop. I’ll tell the Poppets I need to get to work a bit earlier, which isn’t a fib because I really should.”
“Who are the Poppets?”
“It’s my pet name for the grandparents. Years ago I had a friend who lived down the lane. She was a tiny child and her mum called her Poppet all the time. As I became older and grew a lot taller than my grandparents, I began to think of them in that way. Just don’t ever tell them I call them by such a foolish nickname. It would tickle Gran, but I’m afraid Grandfather might not
Her heavily lashed eyes narrowed in concentration as she scrutinized features she’d looked at with indifference all her life, not realizing how delightful they were. The upward tilt of her plump, naturally red lips drew second glances from many appreciative males. But the naïveté in her eyes had them sighing—too bad. Her healthy white teeth were another plus to her appearance, and the contagious sparkle that lit her brown orbs when she was happy brought a liveliness to her expression that was missing in so many of the young women around her.
Alas, she only saw the pale face of a prim, orderly schoolteacher who carefully twisted her hair into a braid most mornings and then coiled the braid into a swirl to crown her head, the rich red-gold highlights lost as her long waves were forced into the tight weave of an old woman’s hairstyle. If it weren’t for the small curls escaping their prison and softly framing her heart-shaped dainty face, a person would miss the beauty entirely. As it was, without a trace of makeup or any artificial treatments, Carrie relied on Mother Nature’s bounty for her looks, and Mother Nature had gifted her—generously.
Giving up on finding a hint of the chap locked inside her, Carrie turned her back to the mirror and shed her clothing, careful to fold each article and place it on the counter. Next she took the pins from her hair, separated the braided tresses, shook her head back and forth and flipped it forward. Her hair swept the floor in front of her as she ran her fingers through to her scalp and massaged. A shudder of pure bliss rippled through her. Finally, she gathered the strands and tied them in a ponytail on the top of her head.
Lowering her body into the steamy water, she settled herself by wiggling and stretching to best fit the tub’s form. A huge sigh of relief escaped—and so did a gush of tears.
* * *
Through her, Rhett experienced fear and sorrow for the first time in a very long while. Her tears tore him apart and broke through protective walls he’d erected as a child.
He wanted to see her again. To know her, not just her warm, generous spirit but her outer form also. From what he’d noted so far, she pleased him. So he waited—waited for her to turn back to the mirror, but she disappointed him. He’d seen all of her he would for that night.
Chapter Three
“Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s six o’clock and I can’t wait another minute. Come on, woman. Wake up!”
“My goodness, what is wrong with you? My alarm is set for seven-fifteen. School doesn’t start until nine o’clock and… Oh, all right. I can see I won’t get another moment’s peace with you howling away inside me. Go away and let me get ready. Be a good chap, please.”
“Yeah, yeah, but hurry, so we’ll have time to do a quick stop at the hospital before your classes start.”
“I told you that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s too far to walk there and back in time.”
“Damnation, woman, take a taxi if that’s all that’s bothering you.”
“I don’t have money for taxis all the time. We don’t all live luxurious lives—many of us have to watch our pennies.”
“Sh…oot!” Frustration seethed throughout her system, and her kind heart couldn’t ignore it.
“Fine, we’ll do a quick stop. I’ll tell the Poppets I need to get to work a bit earlier, which isn’t a fib because I really should.”
“Who are the Poppets?”
“It’s my pet name for the grandparents. Years ago I had a friend who lived down the lane. She was a tiny child and her mum called her Poppet all the time. As I became older and grew a lot taller than my grandparents, I began to think of them in that way. Just don’t ever tell them I call them by such a foolish nickname. It would tickle Gran, but I’m afraid Grandfather might not
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