Lonesome Bride Read Online Free PDF

was him or Drake Hammond, and Jed Peters still seemed the lesser of two evils.
    Not matter how difficult it would be, she vowed to keep her temper. I'll be as sweet and innocent as a newborn lamb, she thought vehemently. She would pass his stupid tests, and any others he threw at her.
    Working efficiently, Caite soon had spread a blanket with an assortment of delicious looking food. As she carefully arranged the plates and put the last touches on the slices of meat and pie, she once more forced herself to breathe deeply. In, out. In, out. There. She was calm now. Plastering a cheery smile on her face, she called for Jed. “The food is ready!"
    "Good thing, too,” Jed boomed with false heartiness, striding over. “I'm starving."
    "Well, there certainly's plenty more where this came from,” Caite noted, peeping into the basket. The sight of all that food had nearly restored her good humor, and she favored Jed with a broad grin. “You must've been expecting quite a woman."
    For a moment, Jed stared at her, brows knitted.
    "Is something wrong, Jed?” Caite asked, at a loss as to what could have upset him now. Truth be told, she was becoming a trifle weary with his moodiness. “Is there something else you would like?"
    "No, everything looks fine,” he said gruffly. “Let's just eat."
    They munched in silence for a while. Caitleen tucked in heartily, polishing off a slice of roast beef and two legs in the time it took Jed to finish his first piece of chicken. As he watched, Caite began her third drumstick, chewing away and alternating bites with some of the good sourdough biscuits. Despite wiping her mouth between every bite, her appetite was more lumberjack than lady.
    Catching Jed's stare of amazement, Caitleen stopped chewing and swallowed heavily. “Is there something on my face?"
    Jed looked chagrined she had caught him staring. Shaking his head roughly, he began gnawing his own drumstick with fervor. Caite continued to look at him quizzically. Jed swallowed his own mouthful and waved his chicken bone at the remains of her meal.
    "You eat more than I would've expected, that's all."
    Caite looked at the desiccated remains in front of her and smiled ruefully. “I suppose I must seem a frightful hog. You see, I haven't had the pleasure of eating so well in quite some time."
    "Why not?"
    "I told you that after my mother died,” Caite began, “my Da began gambling away everything we owned. His holdings were the first to go, of course, but it was not long before what my mother had brought to their marriage was lost as well. I suppose I could justify his behavior by saying he was distraught with grief over losing the woman he loved, and I suppose that is true. However, nothing excuses the way he frittered away everything we had, every memory of my mother."
    She paused for a long moment. “In recent years, his gambling has worsened considerably. We have nearly nothing left except the house. We had to let nearly all the servants go, and, of course, the household budget was severely curtailed. I think I've lived on beef stew for months. This food is heavenly, but I do apologize for making a glutton of myself."
    "It sounds like you deserve to make a glutton of yourself,” Jed replied. He shoved the tin of apple pie toward her. “Here, have yourself a slice."
    Caite laughed, holding her stomach in protest and waving away the proffered pie. “Good mercy, no! I could not possibly!"
    "You know you want to.” Jed grinned, pushing the pie even closer to her. “It's just calling your name, Caitleen O'Neal. Can't you hear the little voices saying ‘Eat me! Eat me!’”
    Caite giggled, grabbed a knife and began slicing the sumptuous looking dessert. “Well, maybe just a tiny slice."
    Two pieces for each of them later, Caite burped contentedly and sighed. In a slow drawl that imitated him, she said, “I reckon that was the best meal I've eaten in a mighty long time."
    "Maybe I'll fatten you up yet,” Jed replied, grinning.