Night Hawk'S Bride (Tyler) (Harlequin Historical Series, No 558) Read Online Free PDF

saw a spray of blue fabric ruffling in the wind—the hem of a woman’s fine dress. Sunlight gleamed on a lock of wavy dark hair, and his blood fired.
    The colonel’s daughter.
    He gritted his teeth, but the images of the night returned in a fiery rush—her porcelain face in the lantern light, the summer-breeze scent of her skin and the feel of her next to him like something lost finally found.
    She was the colonel’s daughter, he reminded himself and forced the images from his mind.
    The sergeant at Miss Lafayette’s side reined in the thick-legged army horse a good distance from where Meka sat on his haunches warily watching the newcomers.
    â€œNight Hawk.” Humphrey James climbed down from the buggy and offered his hand to the woman. “We’ve come to look at your horses. Miss Lafayette would like to purchase a mount. Something gentle and easy to handle. An older mare, I should think.”
    â€œSergeant, I’m capable of speaking for myself.” In a graceful sweep of blue silk, Marie Lafayette stepped out of the shadowed buggy and into the dappled sunlight. “Night Hawk. I asked around the settlement thismorning and everyone agreed that you had the best horses.”
    She spun in a half circle, her full skirts and dark locks swirling as she quickly scanned the pastures and corrals of grazing horses. “Looks to me that they were right.”
    â€œThey were wrong. I have no mares to sell you.”
    â€œWhat? You have plenty of horses.” She flipped one silken lock behind her ear, and a look of wonder flashed across her gentle features as she noticed the corral. “You have a new baby.”
    â€œShe was born this morning.” He couldn’t keep the pride out of his voice, or the way his gaze kept straying to the colonel’s daughter.
    â€œShe’s beautiful.” Marie knelt outside the wooden corral where dam and foal were alone. “How old is she?”
    â€œFour hours.”
    â€œLook how well she walks. And her legs are so long.”
    She curled her delicate hands around the wooden rails. “I’ve never seen such knobby knees.”
    â€œThat only means she’ll grow up to run fast and far.” He itched to step closer. Just close enough to smell the sweet scent of Marie’s skin and the wildflowers in her hair.
    The foal wobbled away from her dam’s side and stretched her skinny neck toward the fence and Marie’s fingers.
    A part of him ached to be the foal, stretching toward the beautiful lady dressed in a rich blue dress like a tropical bird on this plain and simple land. NightHawk’s chest felt as if it had filled with sand. Too many longings filled him. Yearnings for home and family, for a woman to love.
    The foal lipped Marie’s fingers, then leaned a sun-warmed cheek against her palm.
    His heart simply stopped beating.
    â€œWhat’s her name?”
    â€œI haven’t gotten around to that yet. What do you think?”
    Marie’s spine tingled at his question. She couldn’t imagine having the right to name this fragile and amazing creature. The adorable filly’s lips were velvet soft against Marie’s skin.
    Then the wind caught the hem of her crinolines and ruffled a lace edge. The foal hopped backward a few steps and braced herself on her knobby knees. Those long legs were at off angles, but still she managed to hold her balance.
    â€œIt’s all right, little one.” Marie tucked the offending lace edge beneath her blue skirts. “See?”
    She felt Night Hawk’s gaze on her like a touch to her cheek. Felt his scrutiny as the filly ambled closer, braver now that the lace had vanished. The wind picked up Marie’s skirts again and the foal leaped so fast she was a blur as she flew to her mother’s side. Her long wobbly legs promised a lifetime of speed.
    â€œWind.” Marie decided. “I would name her Wind.”
    â€œGood choice.”
    He