Devils on Horseback: Lee, Book 4 Read Online Free PDF Page B

shirt in hand with needle poised in the air. The thread was a slim connection between the needle and the fabric, glinting in the lamplight. A basket was beside her on the floor, with various shirts and trousers stacked in a neat pile. She gestured to the chair across from her.
    “Please sit.”
    Lee took a second to review the layout of the house. Along with two closed doors and a large open room, it appeared to be a simple plan with only one entrance that also served as the exit. He pulled the chair to the side of the table so his back was to the wall, then sat down.
    She raised one eyebrow at his behavior, but said nothing about it. “What brings you out here, Mr. Blackwood?”
    He realized she wasn’t going to make this easy, but then again, his behavior earlier didn’t exactly speak of a polite welcome either.
    “Gabby asked me to come,” he blurted. Was there ever a time he could actually speak without making an ass of himself? “I mean, she told me about your situation and thought I should come out here and see if I could help.” He shrugged. “I told her I didn’t think I was the man for the job, but she and Jake do. Not much I can do on a farm, but I’m here.”
    She pushed the needle through the fabric a few more times before she spoke. “That’s a flattering offer, Mr. Blackwood.”
    Was she being serious or did he detect sarcasm? He didn’t know her well enough to tell.
    “Did Gabby tell you what kind of help I needed?” she continued.
    “Farm work, chores and such.” Lee hadn’t asked Gabby for more details and probably should have. Now he regretted that.
    “It’s a bit more than that. We’ve got to bring in the crop.” She nodded in the direction of the window. “About one hundred acres worth. Without it, Sophie and I won’t last the winter.”
    The very idea that this woman and her child’s life depended on his ability to bring in a hundred-acre wheat crop made him break out in a cold sweat. He didn’t want to be responsible for them, and he damn sure wasn’t able to bring in that much damn wheat by himself.
    Her husky voice stopped him before he could even move. “Before you run for the door, let me say something first.” She set the shirt down on the table and folded her hands in front of her. “You would not be alone doing this. I have always helped Henry with the harvest. This farm is all I’ve got to give Sophie, and I intend on doing everything I can do to keep it running for her. I know this is a lot to ask of a stranger, but I will give you a room to sleep in while you’re here, feed you whenever you’re hungry and new clothes to take with you when you go.”
    Lee glanced at the shirt, realizing she wasn’t mending it, but rather altering it. She’d already begun making him the clothes he’d take with him before he even said yes. Never mind all his worldly belongings were in the saddlebags outside, or that he’d already moved out of the mill. He wasn’t sure he could do what she needed him to. No, he knew he couldn’t do it.
    “I appreciate the offer, Miz Blanchard. I’m not sure I can do much in a wheat field. I don’t even have two hands.”
    “I’ve got two and between us, we’ve got three. There isn’t anything you can’t do if you’ve a mind to, Mr. Blackwood. I learned that at an early age running the streets of New O— Well, let’s just say I’m not a quitter.” Her gaze was steady and penetrating. “I won’t beg though, so if you want to be on your way, then so be it.”
    He took in her earnest expression, the pride obvious in her tone and posture, and the fact she was alone, fighting for her daughter. Whether or not she’d ever worn a uniform, Genevieve Blanchard was a soldier. He respected that more than anything.
    “I guess you’ve got yourself a farmhand then.”
    When Genevieve smiled, Lee recognized he’d just set himself up to live in a house with a woman whose voice incited erotic fantasies and whose smile lit up a