A Chance In Time Read Online Free PDF Page A

alright.”
    “ You may not be saying that
when you realize how much I’m capable of wolfing down.”
    She smiled at his joke and joined him
at the table. He sat in front of her, which she privately enjoyed
since it gave her liberty to look at him without being obvious. Now
that his sunburn had healed and he had shaved, she could see his
face clearly. He was a handsome man with his dark blond hair with
bangs that fell over his forehead. He pushed them back, but they
usually ended up falling forward again. He had kind eyes, a nice
nose, and full lips. His shoulders were broad and his body strong.
Yes, she did enjoy looking at him.
    She touched her bun. What did she look
like? She knew she’d let herself go since her husband died. Did she
let herself go too far? Randy used to like her hair when it was
down. Maybe she should do that again.
    He picked up a biscuit and put butter
on it. “Do you make your own butter?”
    She nodded and took her hand off her
hair.
    “ Isn’t it a lot of work?
Don’t get me wrong. This stuff tastes better than anything I bought
from the store, but it can’t be easy. Don’t you have to churn this
stuff?”
    He had an odd way of talking, but she
liked it. Smiling, she replied, “I don’t notice how much work it
is. I did when I first came here. But I don’t anymore. I guess I
got used to it.”
    “ That’s only natural.” He
took a bite and swallowed. “This is really good. I’m glad I have
enough of an appetite to enjoy it.”
    “ Thank you. I’m glad you’re
well enough to enjoy it too.” She picked up her biscuit and decided
to butter it as well.
    “ Today I want to teach you
how to repair a roof.”
    “ Why?”
    “ Because you might need to
know how to do it in the future.”
    She glanced at her uneaten biscuit.
Suddenly, she had lost her appetite. That meant he planned to
leave, didn’t it? Of course, he’d leave. He had a life somewhere.
Fiddling with the napkin in her lap, she asked, “May I ask what
your life is like? I mean, before you came here?”
    He frowned for a moment then shrugged.
“There’s not much to tell. I worked hard. I rarely slept in. I was
just there. Just getting by.”
    That was such a vague answer that she
didn’t know what to make of it.
    “ It’s peaceful out here,”
he continued before he put the rest of the biscuit in his mouth and
chewed.
    “ Yes, it is. I enjoy
it.”
    “ I do too. I feel as if
everything is right with the world. I would like to build a fence
for the horses, if that’s alright with you.”
    “ My husband never got
around to that. I would like it. The horses need a place to
roam.”
    “ I’ll do that after I
replace the roof. I forgot to ask. Do you have enough supplies to
make a roof?”
    “ I’m not sure. I’ll take
you down to the cellar and show you everything. Then you can decide
what you can and can’t do. I know my husband wasn’t the greatest
builder around, and some of the things around here need
fixing.”
    He smiled at her. “I like to help.
This way, I get to pay you back for all you’ve done for me. You
know, saving my life and all.”
    She returned his smile. “I like the
fact that you’re here.”
    Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
Did she just say that? It was such a bold thing to do. And yet,
losing a husband after being married for only a year had taught her
that she couldn’t spend her life waiting. She had to make the most
of the moment, and though she understood she couldn’t come right
out and ask him to stay with her, she could be subtle, she could
let him know he was more than welcome if he wished to leave
everything he’d known behind to be with her.
    Forcing her attention back to the
food, she finally bit into the biscuit.
    “ I like being here too,” he
softly confessed, not making eye contact with her.
    Her heart leapt. There was hope then.
She was sure of it. Maybe he was considering it. She certainly
hoped so. He was, by far, the most wonderful man she’d ever