A Daring Proposal Read Online Free PDF Page A

McBride died six months ago.
    Shaking his head, calling himself every kind of fool, he took his foot from the brake. It didn’t matter if things were wonderful or terrible. Chaney would never turn to him for help. Still, he remembered the tension in her voice during that call before they had danced. The uneasy feeling that something was wrong prickled along his neck as he pulled onto his uncle’s property.
    Parking outside the barn closest to the house, Jed stepped out of the car. Closing the door, he leaned against it. He tipped his head back and looked up. Man, he’d forgotten how man y stars you could see out here.
    He remained motionless in the silence for several minutes. Mixed in with all the bad memories of his years here, he remembered a peace. Even right after his parents died. When things had been so bad he wanted to cry, though everyone knew boys didn’t cry, even then he could find somewhere to be quiet. Eventually, calm would settle over him.
    The porch light came on and the screen door squeaked open. Jed turned his head and saw his uncle standing in the doorway.
    “You gonna stand out there star gazin’ all night or come i n and keep an old man company?”
    Jed felt a lop-sided grin tug at his lips. That was the closest he would get to an invitation from his uncle. He decided it wasn’t half bad. “Got any whiskey?”
    “Brand new bottle, haven’t broken the seal yet. I was hoping you’d get home soon so I wouldn’t have to drink alone.”
    Home ? He’d lived here from the time he was twelve until Chaney’s father had run him off. Jed had never considered it home. Maybe things had changed.
    “Let me get my bags.”
    Jed pushed off from the car. Opening the trunk he pulled out a suitcase and hanging bag. He had planned to get to town the day before and rent a room. Construction and vacation traffic had slowed his cross-country drive drastically. He arrived at the church, with barely time to change into the tuxedo Steve rented for him. Jed had been shocked when told that Dale expected him to stay at the house. Later, Jed had called the few hotels in town and found no vacancies. That was why he found himself here now. With the bag slung over his shoulder and suitcase in hand, he strode toward the porch.
    “Now is this the good stuff or the cheap whiskey Steve and I used to sneak from the kitchen cupboard?” His uncle’s laughter eased away more of the day’s frustration.
    “You boys didn’t really think I didn’t know, did you? Why do you think it took so long to get drunk on that stuff? I watered it down.”
    It was Jed’s turn to laugh. “But we watered it down so you wouldn’t know.”
    “Of course you did. All boys do. By the time you two actually drank anything it was probably about ten proof.”
    “Still burned like hell going down,” Jed told him when they stopped laughing.
    “But that didn’t stop you from drinking it.”
    “No, that would have been the smart thing to do. Smart wasn’t my forte back then.”
    They sat down at the table and Dale poured them shots. After they’d both thrown one back he poured another. “And now?”
    “Now I try and consider all the consequences before I do something.” Yeah, like you did before you dared Chaney to marry you ? His hand gripped the shot glass tightly with the reminder of his stupidity. He noticed the hint of a smile on his uncle’s face. He wondered if Dale somehow knew about the proposal and was getting ready to call him on the lie.
    “Don’t let it worry you, Jed. None of us is born smart. Some have a longer row to hoe than others,” Dale said, surprising Jed.
    “Don’t make excuses for me.”
    His uncle smiled. “You should know by now, I don’t make or take excuses from anybody. I’m just speaking the truth. Truth is you did some right stupid things when you were younger. Most of us have. Unfortunately, you were one of the ones to get caught.”
    Jed downed his second shot and let the fire burn down his throat. It