Charlene Sands Read Online Free PDF Page B

think about ever since he first caught sight of her walking down the streets of Crystal Creek. But Kate a mother for Meggie?
    Cole shook his head. Doubts crept into his mind asto whether the untamed, free-spirited Kate would make a good wife and mother. With being hell-bent on opening the saloon, what kind of mother would she make? Cole had promised Jeb he’d do right by his daughter. If Cole ever decided to marry, it’d have to be with someone who could teach Meggie proper. Someone like Patricia.
    Why hadn’t Patricia’s image popped into his head at the thought of marriage? Why hadn’t Cole taken her subtle hints and pledged himself to her? She’d be good for Meggie. She could teach her womanly skills, all the things a young, refined girl should know. Patricia would make a suitable wife and a good mother. Cole wanted a real family. He wanted a wife to come home to after a day of work and he wanted a house filled with children. He wanted his heart to thump like mad when his wife walked into his arms at night. But it wasn’t Patricia entering his thoughts. It was Kate.
    At one point, she was all Cole had wanted in a girl, but he hadn’t realized it until it was too late. She’d already left Crystal Creek by the time he’d gotten it into his thick skull how much Kate meant to him.
    But she was a woman now, and he was the sheriff—a man who should set a shining example for the townsfolk. People looked up to Cole. What kind of match could they make with him being the sheriff and her stirring up trouble, trying her damnedest to open a saloon?
    Cole shook his head. There was no place in his life for Kate Malone. As much as he hated to admitthat…after everything they shared in the past, Cole knew he was right in his thinking. He’d obtained a copy of the town ordinance she’d requested, promising to bring it over to her today. Maybe then, after reading the ordinance, she’d realize the futility in trying to open up the Silver Saddle again. And if she decided to take it to a vote, the town council would unanimously turn her down.
    Cole would hate to see it come to that. Knowing Kate and the way the town had always treated her and her mother, Cole didn’t want her to experience the unpleasant recollection again. If only she’d give up on the notion and either gain employment somewhere else in this town, or move on.
    A sharp bolt of pain thundered in his chest at the prospect of her leaving. Yet, having her stay could only cause him a load of trouble.
    Cole donned his tan vest, holstered his gun and slammed out the front door, heading straight for his office. Kate was expecting him this morning to give her a copy of the ordinance. He might as well get it over with.
    A splash of water hit Kate’s face. She swiped it away quickly, dipping the cloth into the bucket again and rinsing away another layer of dust from the kitchen counter. The cabinets were clean now, as were the table and cookstove. She’d swept the floor and brought in several rugs she’d bought at the general store to disperse around the house.
    All in all, the house she’d let from the Browns was shaping up nicely. With a quick glance around the kitchen, Kate realized her work in here was done. She untied her apron, and with a clean burlap towel, she dabbed at the moisture on her brow.
    Kate was pinning up strands of hair that had come loose from her bun, when she heard a knock at the door.
    Cole.
    It had to be him. She’d been expecting him all morning.
    “I hope you have the town ordinance with you,” she said quietly to herself as she headed for the front door, straightening her work dress. She knew she must look a mess, but there was really no help for it. Besides, her days of trying to impress Cole Bradshaw were long over.
    When she swung open the door, she was surprised to find a young woman standing there wearing a tentative smile and holding a basket of baked goods. “H-hello,” the woman said shyly.
    Kate searched her mind. This woman