His Forever Valentine Read Online Free PDF Page A

injury.
    “Can ya stand?” Tom asked.
    “I don’t know, but I’ll give it a go.”
    “Come dear,” Mrs. Riley said to Rose. “Let’s go look at fabric for your wedding dress while they get him fixed up.”
    The deputy’s head shot up at the statement. “Weddin’? Is somebody gettin’ married?”
    “My Matthew and Miss Smith, here!” Mrs. Quinn said proudly. “Just as soon as they’re able.”
    Matthew watched as Tom’s mouth began to flop open again, before he snapped it shut. He cleared his throat, and looked again at Miss Smith. “Congratulations.”
    She gave him a half-hearted smile. It was her only response.
    Hmmm, Matthew mused as he looked from one to the other.
    Mrs. Riley gave Rose a small shove in the direction of the door. “Come dear, Betsy- Mrs. Quinn I mean- has some lovely ivory brocade, just come in yesterday.”
    “Don’t start without me, Leona!” Mrs. Quinn chimed after them. “Show her the shoes first!”
    Matthew buried his face in one hand as Tom set the bucket down. “Oh, we’d better put this in the storeroom,” Mrs. Quinn said as she snatched it up. “We don’t want any more accidents.” She eyed her son. “Now hurry and change your clothes, Matthew. We’ll pick out some fabric, then we can all sit down for coffee and cake.”
    M atthew groaned. He’d not had a chance to give any reasonable protest to the affair.  He was about to let his mother have it with both barrels, when he’d stepped in the bucket.
    “That is one pretty gal,” the deputy commented after his mother left the room. “You’re a right lucky man, Mr. Quinn.”
    Matthew looked up at him. “I don’t know if I agree with you on that. I only just found out about her this afternoon.”
    “What? You mean you just met her?”
    “That’s what I mean.” He tried to stand, stumbled, and fell back into the chair.
    “You might want to give yourself a minute. I guess that foot of yours ain’t ready to take weight. Maybe Doc Brown should look at it?”
    Matthew eyed him and nodded.
    “Can I ask you somethin’, Mr. Quinn?”
    Matthew sighed. “Go ahead.”
    “What sort of man marries a woman he just met?”
    “He doesn’t.”
    Tom pushed his hat off his forehead. “I was kinda hopin’ you’d say that. I know I couldn’t do it.”
    “Don’t worry, I won’t. My mother and that Mrs. Riley must have cooked this up. I heard Spencer and his brother both got married recently. My mother must have thought it would work for me , too.”
    “Sure is a lot of marryin’ that goes on i n this town.” Tom commented as his eyes gravitated to the door. “At least she’s pretty.”
    Matthew followed his gaze, and looked back to him, an idea forming. “She certainly is.”
    “She don’t look mean either. Some women got that mean look in their eye, like a rogue horse. We got us a lady in Clear Creek like that. Mrs. Dunnigan. She can turn a man stone cold with a single glance.”
    “You ah … you married, Mr. Turner? Matthew asked.
    “No, sir. Never so much as courted a girl. Course there was these English ladies come to town some years back, but they all up and married quick-like. Heck, they weren’t in town but a few months before each one was spoken for.”
    “Why didn’t you court one of them?”
    Tom looked down at him. “On account I was only fifteen.”
    “Fifteen?”
    “I told ya it was some years back.  Ain’t too many females come to town since them English ladies. The only reason they did, was cause they were Duncan Cooke’s cousins. He’s this English Duke fella. Any how, I guess in England when you’re a man with female relations, you gotta be the one to see they get married.”
    “Tough job.” Matthew comme nted dryly as he prodded his injured foot and wondered if what he said was true. “I think it’s my ankle, that’s the problem…” he mused.
    “You gonna court that gal?”
    Matthew looked up. “Doubtful.”
    “You just gonna up and marry her?”
    Matthew sat back