Hallie's Destiny (The Donovans of the Delta) Read Online Free PDF Page B

sun, their side petals puffed out like little babies’ cheeks.
    Hallie took the bouquet and pressed her face to the lavender blossoms. When she looked back at Josh, he saw a bright moisture in her eyes that hinted at tears. “You did this just for me?”
    “For you. I wanted you to have rainbows in your heart.”
    “How sweet. You remembered.”
    “Yes, I remembered . . . everything.” He loved the blush that pinked her cheeks. He hadn’t seen a woman blush in many years, maybe even since high school days. He felt refreshed, as if he’d found a cool fountain of water in the middle of a desert. “The flowers are my way of saying I’m sorry.”
    “For the kiss?”
    “No. For the death of your bouquet and for the shattering of a peaceful evening. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
    “Thank you.”
    The shimmering silence was between them again, the air pulsing with expectations. Unconsciously, Josh stepped closer, so close he could feel Hallie’s body heat, smell her fragrance. Honeysuckle. The sweet, heady smell of his youth. He took a deep breath, inhaling her fragrance, absorbing Hallie. He was reminded of carefree summer days along the river, of walking along the limestone bluffs, of daring to plunge into the cold, deep Tennessee. She took him back to the days when dreams were real and the future was a bright promise.
    He had meant to deliver the bouquet and go, but he couldn’t. Hallie made him feel nostalgic.
    “The meadow where the bluebonnets grow is beautiful, Hallie. It’s a shame to let it go to waste.”
    “Is that an invitation?”
    “Yes. For a picnic. I haven’t been on a picnic in years.”
    “What a wonderful idea. Let me put the bluebonnets in water.” She turned toward her tent, then called over her shoulder. “Do you have food?”
    “Nothing but cereal. The fish don’t seem to be biting for me, and I hadn’t planned on a picnic.” He watched the backend of Hallie disappear into her tent. It was a sobering sight. She emerged carrying a small empty fruit jar.
    “Why don’t we hop into my heap and go to the store for supplies?” As she talked, she filled the jar with water from her thermos and set the bouquet on a small fold-up metal table beside her camping chair then headed toward her jazzy car.
    Wolfgang wanted to sit in the front seat beside Hallie, but she persuaded him to let Josh take his place.
    “He likes to copilot,” she explained. Gravel spewed up behind her as she wheeled the big Cadillac out of the campsite and raced along the unpaved road.
    “Copilot is an apt description.” As they rounded a curve Josh grabbed the dashboard to keep from being thrown into her lap. “Who taught you to drive like this? Your brothers?”
    She laughed. “Goodness no. Paul, who is a minister, thinks my driving borders on being a mortal sin, and Tanner, the football star turned serious husband and father, thinks it’s going to land me in jail. Theo, who is a doctor, says he’ll patch all my bones, and Charles and Glover and Jacob just laugh.”
    “That’s a big family.”
    “A big wonderful family. I didn’t even mention my twin sister, Hannah, my parents, Matthew and Anna, and all my nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles and cousins. Every time we get together, it’s just like Christmas.” She shot him a glance. “Tell me about your family.”
    “There’s not much to tell. One brother. A father at home.” And every time we get together, it’s just like a funeral, he thought.
    “I can’t imagine having only one brother. But I suppose the two of you are very close and have lots of fun together.”
    “I’m afraid the Butler family saga wasn’t written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.”
    “I’m sorry.” Her right hand reached out and touched his arm. “I’m a good listener, you know.”
    “Thanks, but not today.” He kept his voice light. “The sun is shining and I hear a meadow of bluebonnets calling our names.”
    “I do, too.” Hallie turned slightly