Rocky Mountain Dreams & Family on the Range Danica Favorite (warren buffett book recommendations .txt) 📖

That kiss had been exquisite. Incredible.

The absolute biggest mistake of his life.

Chapter Thirteen

Mary couldn’t stop trembling.

Lou had pulled away and was busy toweling dry the rest of his face and neck. “How much is left to shave?” he asked.

“I completed the task.” Her lips burned, but she didn’t dare touch them in front of him. Would he see how she shook, how unsettled she felt? She stepped back and bumped against the window.

“Mary... I shouldn’t have done that.” He faced her and the look of chagrin on his features nearly crumpled her. Was it so bad to have kissed her, then? “We have too much going on to dabble in romantic affections. Why, this place could be sold in a week, and then we’ll probably never see each other again.” He kept talking, his words swirling through her mind with an odd energy. Each time his lips moved she felt something inside her grow more brittle and finally, when she could stand no more of his pointless ramblings, she stepped away from the window and fixed him a very pointed look.

“You kissed me,” she said briskly, thankful her voice did not betray her shakiness. “Do not pull a ’we’ into this.”

“But you liked it.”

At that, her cheeks caught fire. A boldness in his bright blue eyes made her think he wasn’t as chagrined as she’d previously thought. “My feelings on the subject are not important.”

“Oh, but they are. Tell me, Mary, did you like it?”

She wanted to be anywhere but here. If only she could escape, but with her back to the window, there was nowhere to go besides past Lou, and with that curious look on his face, there was no telling what he might do. She squirmed beneath his scrutiny.

“It was...” She paused and then settled on a word. “Enlightening.”

His arms crossed his chest as he grinned. “How so?”

“Like s-stumbling on the right recipe for piecrust,” she stuttered. The conceited man was still smirking, broad enough to give her a hankering to toss an egg at his face. She wanted to tell him so, but restraint held her lips closed. Instead, she settled for a dark scowl.

He busted into a loud laugh, the kind she hadn’t heard from him in too long.

“I’m glad, Mary, real glad you liked it. It worried me a bit that you might be scared and all.” Despite the smile, his gaze searched her.

Affronted, she felt her scowl deepening. “I am no longer the young woman brought to you on the threshold of collapse.”

“Very true.” His gaze dropped to her lips.

She felt that look to the marrow of her bones. Swallowing hard, she fixed her gaze on him. “As a matter of fact, I am looking into opportunities at this very moment. There are several available stores in Burns and I believe I can rent one and run a business.”

“What kind of venture are you thinking of?” Lou tossed his towel to the chair. It slipped to the floor.

She bent to pick up at the towel the same time he did.

“I reckon she could do just ’bout anything” came a voice from the doorway.

Hurriedly, Lou straightened, the towel in his hand, and as he did, a folded paper fluttered to the floor. Perhaps from his shirt pocket? She plucked the note off the floor while Lou and James spoke of the trip tomorrow.

The paper between her fingers looked suspiciously official. Could there be more news on who’d shot Lou? Perhaps the perpetrator had been caught. Should she open it? Nibbling her lower lip, she peeked at the men.

They spoke in hushed voices, bodies facing away from her. She turned her back to them and pretended to organize the shaving utensils while an internal war ensued. Unlike Gracie, she didn’t go around eavesdropping or telling people what she thought.

She was careful. Considerate... Her nose wrinkled. Boring.

Yes, Gracie was fun and alive and she, Mary, led a very careful, very structured life, with no room for surprises. Not until she’d brought Josie home.

The letter mocked her, its flap open just enough for her to see the typewritten note inside. Biting her lower lip, she cast the men one more look before positioning her body at an angle best designed to hide her sneakiness.

Her heart knocked about wildly in her chest. Quickly she unfolded the paper and scanned its contents. As she did, her pulse ratcheted until she could no longer quite contain her breathing.

How dare he? Throat tight and pained, she very neatly folded the paper, creasing the lines just so. Her fingers shook as she pressed on the paper.

“That right, Mary?”

Startled, she sucked in a lungful and pivoted, the letter clutched in her right hand, which she dropped to her side. “I missed what you said.”

“James says you should start a restaurant. I agree. Your baking is superb,” said Lou. The rat. The coward.

Betrayer.

All those names, and more, hopscotched through her mind and stuck there. A pounding took up residence in her skull, along with the words of the letter. He’d known. This entire time, he’d known and not said one word. Speechless, she could only stand there as her skin set aflame with anger.

“Well, now—” James scratched his head “—I do believe she’s angry.”

“About what?” Lou scoffed.

“Iffn’ I knew, I’d say so, but women get me all gandered up. I can’t tell left from right.”

Lou’s cheeks bunched. “Nah, Mary only gets angry once a year.”

Her eyes stung.

“Hoooeeee, I’m hightailin’ it out of here.” James gave her a once-over, then his mustache twitched. “Just came by to say things are all set for you leaving tomorrow. I’ll take you to the train in the morning and the bureau is getting you some hotel rooms for one night only. Time enough to find Josie’s mom and then skedaddle.” He edged backward.

Mary fought tears, refusing to show her weakness. James disappeared from the doorway and Lou turned to her, forehead crinkled in a charmingly deceptive way.

“What’s going on? A delayed reaction to the