 | BLUEBONNET FIELDS Wildflowers of Texas Series Book 7 Historical Western Romance Texas, 1890 Kenna Ainsley has no use for love. It only brings betrayal and disappointment. She finds solace in her work as a Harvey Girl, and the independence that brings. But one day a stranger sits down at her table. He’s a Deputy Sheriff, and before she can blink, he’s dragging her back to Galveston on an erroneous charge that she’s a runaway wife. Kenna plots her escape. But even as she tries to free herself, her heart is working against her. She’s falling for the handsome Deputy Sheriff, which sends her fleeing to the one place she swore she would never go. Deputy Sheriff Levi Brandt has plans, and Kenna is at the center of them. After one look at her, he knows there’s no way in hell she’s gonna end up hitched to anyone else but him. But he’s gonna have to do some heavy lifting to get her to trust him. Lucky for her, he welcomes the weight. No matter how far she runs, he’ll find her. Always. PURCHASE BLUEBONNET FIELDS |
BLUEBONNET FIELDS
At the noon hour the next day, while leaning against a tree trunk and eating more canned fruit and jerky, the lawman approached her.
He smiled politely.
She annoyingly noticed the dimples in his cheeks. She didn’t return his greeting.
“Feeling better yet?” he ventured to ask.
She gave him a look.
He chuckled lightly, then took a bite of his jerky. “Still planning an escape?”
“If I were, do you think I’d tell you?”
With a shrug, he took another bite.
An idea struck her. If he was wondering about her running off, then he might watch her more closely. She needed to disabuse him of that notion. “I have no possible way to travel safely. Going on foot would be suicide.”
As she bit into a slice of peach, he studied her carefully.
She let him take her measure.
When he turned back to his food, she asked, “I guess you believe me?”
“I do. You seem like an intelligent woman and not given to rash decisions.”
Triumph surged within her. “I appreciate the confidence.”
He finished off his jerky, then said, “It’s why I’m reasonably certain you didn’t marry Cuthbert.”
Shocked, she let go of her fork, and the metal clanged against the tin. “You believe me?”
He gave her a look. “I said reasonably certain.”
“Still. If you have some doubts, why are you taking me to Galveston against my will?”
He lifted one eyebrow at her.
Her ire increased. “For the money?” She abhorred greedy people.
With a grin playing at his lips, he said, “It matters, yes. It took me some time to find you, plus the cost of the journey. Had to rent the mule.” He shrugged. “But the main reason is I was pretty sure if I didn’t find you, another bastard might. You don’t like me, and I can’t blame you, but of the men I know who are probably on your trail, I’m the nicest of the bunch.”
She had no way to dispute him, and since he hadn’t physically hurt her, he was proving his claim. “Still…instead of dragging me to Galveston, you should be telling a judge or some other official that Edgar is a liar.”
The Deputy Sheriff laughed lightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his pants. “Ma’am, I had no opinion when I started out. Once I laid eyes on you at Harvey House in Slaton, that’s when I had second thoughts about the accusation made against you.”
As she took in his reply, she speared another peach with her fork. What did he mean by that? What did he see in her that was giving him doubts? Instead of asking, she bit into the fruit.
There was silence as she chewed, and she felt his eyes on her. What was he looking at?
He broke the quiet with, “A woman like you wouldn’t accept a man like Cuthbert.”
She whipped her gaze to his. What did that mean? But she kept her mouth clamped shut. She wasn’t fishing for compliments or his opinion on her character. It really didn’t matter to her what he thought.
But the lawman only grinned wider, as if he understood better than she why she was swallowing her curiosity.
And then he winked at her.
And walked away.
At the noon hour the next day, while leaning against a tree trunk and eating more canned fruit and jerky, the lawman approached her.
He smiled politely.
She annoyingly noticed the dimples in his cheeks. She didn’t return his greeting.
“Feeling better yet?” he ventured to ask.
She gave him a look.
He chuckled lightly, then took a bite of his jerky. “Still planning an escape?”
“If I were, do you think I’d tell you?”
With a shrug, he took another bite.
An idea struck her. If he was wondering about her running off, then he might watch her more closely. She needed to disabuse him of that notion. “I have no possible way to travel safely. Going on foot would be suicide.”
As she bit into a slice of peach, he studied her carefully.
She let him take her measure.
When he turned back to his food, she asked, “I guess you believe me?”
“I do. You seem like an intelligent woman and not given to rash decisions.”
Triumph surged within her. “I appreciate the confidence.”
He finished off his jerky, then said, “It’s why I’m reasonably certain you didn’t marry Cuthbert.”
Shocked, she let go of her fork, and the metal clanged against the tin. “You believe me?”
He gave her a look. “I said reasonably certain.”
“Still. If you have some doubts, why are you taking me to Galveston against my will?”
He lifted one eyebrow at her.
Her ire increased. “For the money?” She abhorred greedy people.
With a grin playing at his lips, he said, “It matters, yes. It took me some time to find you, plus the cost of the journey. Had to rent the mule.” He shrugged. “But the main reason is I was pretty sure if I didn’t find you, another bastard might. You don’t like me, and I can’t blame you, but of the men I know who are probably on your trail, I’m the nicest of the bunch.”
She had no way to dispute him, and since he hadn’t physically hurt her, he was proving his claim. “Still…instead of dragging me to Galveston, you should be telling a judge or some other official that Edgar is a liar.”
The Deputy Sheriff laughed lightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his pants. “Ma’am, I had no opinion when I started out. Once I laid eyes on you at Harvey House in Slaton, that’s when I had second thoughts about the accusation made against you.”
As she took in his reply, she speared another peach with her fork. What did he mean by that? What did he see in her that was giving him doubts? Instead of asking, she bit into the fruit.
There was silence as she chewed, and she felt his eyes on her. What was he looking at?
He broke the quiet with, “A woman like you wouldn’t accept a man like Cuthbert.”
She whipped her gaze to his. What did that mean? But she kept her mouth clamped shut. She wasn’t fishing for compliments or his opinion on her character. It really didn’t matter to her what he thought.
But the lawman only grinned wider, as if he understood better than she why she was swallowing her curiosity.
And then he winked at her.
And walked away.
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