thoughts.
“I am sorry,” he said softly and winced at the pain and anger as her gaze locked on his.
“You’re a bastard,” she whispered. “I hope that blonde finds out what kind of man you are before you break her heart, too.”
Unable to argue the truth of her words, Paul shut the door and hated himself for what he was going to do to Lilly.
***
A rag rug pressed into Lilly’s cheek, and her line of sight showed a rather large dust bunny under the bed. Lilly woke on the floor for the fourth morning in a row. Staring at the open beam ceiling, she considered just keeping her pillow down here. Using the edge of the brass frame to haul herself up, she glared at the bed with a sour expression. Lying, drooling, and shedding on her bed, slouched Sampson...snoring. The hunk of fur totally ignored her except when it was bedtime. Then he’d spend the rest of the night sneaking into the bed and slowly pushing her onto the hard wooden floor. She tried keeping him outside, but Sampson howled like a banshee all night long at her bedroom window.
The stupid dog refused every command she gave him, snubbed her when she called, and was constantly trying to steal food from the table. He farted, he smelled, and he barked at the creek all the time. At first, she’d been scared someone was there, but now she realized the dog was a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
Glaring at Sampson, she gave him a token push as she went to start water boiling for her coffee. She might as well have been pushing a furry rock. Paul’s prediction about his size was coming true. Sampson now stood waist-high next to her.
Memories of her time spent kissing Paul beneath the oak tree warmed her body and hardened her nipples. The unwelcome image of Estrella tried to intrude on her happy thoughts, but she stamped it back down. It wasn’t as if she had never been courted by a man that another woman wanted. This was just the first time she had wanted him back. A territorial urge came over her and she firmed her resolve to make sure Estrella was out of the picture.
An hour later, Lilly carefully arranged the center part in her hair while twisting the mass of curls into a golden bun. A new coral-red gingham dress and white lace apron complemented her alabaster skin. Tonight she was going over to Paul’s house to help the boys with their homework, and she wanted to look nice. Small gold screw-on earrings glittered in the early morning light as she dabbed her perfume behind her ears. A delicious shiver went through her as she imagined Paul’s mouth there instead.
Humming an old French song, she poked at the logs in the wood stove. The heat was welcome on a cold morning like this. Cup of coffee in hand, she gazed out the window at the walnut trees. The first kiss of yellow faded in around the smooth edges of the leaves.
Movement caught her eye as the Krisp’s carriage rumbled down the wheel ruts to her cabin. Mrs. Krisp was alone on the driver’s seat, and every bump of the wheels caused her to wince.
Another earthenware mug joined hers on the counter and she searched for the sugar bowl. She was placing a blue pitcher of cream on the silver tray when Mrs. Krisp knocked at the front door.
Removing the heavy bar, Lilly opened the door with a happy smile that wilted off her face. Mrs. Krisp looked horrible. She was pale, almost a yellow color, with dark circles beneath her eyes.
Mrs. Krisp turned her face away, looking at the purple-and-blue morning glory climbing the railing of the porch. “Good morning, Miss Brooks.”
She gathered herself and gestured for Mrs. Krisp to come in. “Good morning, Mrs. Krisp. Forgive me for asking, but are you ill?”
Mrs. Krisp shook her head, her movements stiff and stilted. “No, I...I fell on some barbed wire. The edges cut my back up rather badly.”
Lilly darted a glance at the smaller woman’s back, hidden beneath a smoke-grey dress and dark shawl. “That’s horrible! Did the doctor take care of
“I am sorry,” he said softly and winced at the pain and anger as her gaze locked on his.
“You’re a bastard,” she whispered. “I hope that blonde finds out what kind of man you are before you break her heart, too.”
Unable to argue the truth of her words, Paul shut the door and hated himself for what he was going to do to Lilly.
***
A rag rug pressed into Lilly’s cheek, and her line of sight showed a rather large dust bunny under the bed. Lilly woke on the floor for the fourth morning in a row. Staring at the open beam ceiling, she considered just keeping her pillow down here. Using the edge of the brass frame to haul herself up, she glared at the bed with a sour expression. Lying, drooling, and shedding on her bed, slouched Sampson...snoring. The hunk of fur totally ignored her except when it was bedtime. Then he’d spend the rest of the night sneaking into the bed and slowly pushing her onto the hard wooden floor. She tried keeping him outside, but Sampson howled like a banshee all night long at her bedroom window.
The stupid dog refused every command she gave him, snubbed her when she called, and was constantly trying to steal food from the table. He farted, he smelled, and he barked at the creek all the time. At first, she’d been scared someone was there, but now she realized the dog was a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
Glaring at Sampson, she gave him a token push as she went to start water boiling for her coffee. She might as well have been pushing a furry rock. Paul’s prediction about his size was coming true. Sampson now stood waist-high next to her.
Memories of her time spent kissing Paul beneath the oak tree warmed her body and hardened her nipples. The unwelcome image of Estrella tried to intrude on her happy thoughts, but she stamped it back down. It wasn’t as if she had never been courted by a man that another woman wanted. This was just the first time she had wanted him back. A territorial urge came over her and she firmed her resolve to make sure Estrella was out of the picture.
An hour later, Lilly carefully arranged the center part in her hair while twisting the mass of curls into a golden bun. A new coral-red gingham dress and white lace apron complemented her alabaster skin. Tonight she was going over to Paul’s house to help the boys with their homework, and she wanted to look nice. Small gold screw-on earrings glittered in the early morning light as she dabbed her perfume behind her ears. A delicious shiver went through her as she imagined Paul’s mouth there instead.
Humming an old French song, she poked at the logs in the wood stove. The heat was welcome on a cold morning like this. Cup of coffee in hand, she gazed out the window at the walnut trees. The first kiss of yellow faded in around the smooth edges of the leaves.
Movement caught her eye as the Krisp’s carriage rumbled down the wheel ruts to her cabin. Mrs. Krisp was alone on the driver’s seat, and every bump of the wheels caused her to wince.
Another earthenware mug joined hers on the counter and she searched for the sugar bowl. She was placing a blue pitcher of cream on the silver tray when Mrs. Krisp knocked at the front door.
Removing the heavy bar, Lilly opened the door with a happy smile that wilted off her face. Mrs. Krisp looked horrible. She was pale, almost a yellow color, with dark circles beneath her eyes.
Mrs. Krisp turned her face away, looking at the purple-and-blue morning glory climbing the railing of the porch. “Good morning, Miss Brooks.”
She gathered herself and gestured for Mrs. Krisp to come in. “Good morning, Mrs. Krisp. Forgive me for asking, but are you ill?”
Mrs. Krisp shook her head, her movements stiff and stilted. “No, I...I fell on some barbed wire. The edges cut my back up rather badly.”
Lilly darted a glance at the smaller woman’s back, hidden beneath a smoke-grey dress and dark shawl. “That’s horrible! Did the doctor take care of
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