Second Chance Brides Read Online Free PDF Page A

tried to fasten it again. He’d have thought someone had greased that little booger. He blew out a breath and flipped the irritating button with his finger. Who would notice his shirt partially undone with everything else that had happened?
    He slapped on his hat, then realized it didn’t fit right, what with his head bandaged and all. He adjusted the sling around his neck and marched out of the doctor’s office, ready to help with the cleanup. The line at the doc’s office had been long, but fortunately, most injuries were minor. In fact, his was one of the worst. And it wasn’t the storm that had taken him down, but a bumbling Irish gal. Thank goodness nobody knew that except those who’d been in the cellar. He doubted Garrett or Jack would have reason to mention it to anyone.
    Mark bent down and picked up a board lying in the street. When his vision cleared, he examined the plank but was unable to tell which building it had come from. At the end of the street sat a growing stack of debris, and he walked over and dropped the board on it.
    Dan Howard dumped an armload of fragmented timbers, broken dishes, and unrecognizable things. “You oughta be takin’ it easy, Mark. No one expects you to work with your injuries.”
    Mark shrugged. What had he done? Dumped one lousy board on the pile.
    The mayor lumbered up beside them and tossed a broken chair on the growing stack. He patted Mark on the shoulder. “Yes sir, Mark Corbett’s as good as they come. You won’t find a finer citizen than him. Most men would go home and take it easy after being knocked out, but not Mark.”
    Shifting his feet, Mark winced from the compliment. He, least of all, deserved any praise. He was nothing but a scoundrel in sheep’s wool. The problem was, nobody knew it but him. He longed to be a good citizen, a man people looked up to, and they did. But he was a phony, and there was nothing he could do about it. He craved the respect of the good, upstanding citizens of Lookout, but he didn’t deserve it. One deed done years ago had been all it had taken to ruin his life.
    The pastor had said confession was good for the soul, but Mark had never told a single person about what had happened in the small town of Abilene. He’d been a young man away from home for the first time, seeking adventure—and he’d certainly found it. The trouble was that adventure had almost destroyed him. He kicked at a piece of wood lying in the street. Maybe he should tell Garrett what happened.
    His brother could be bossy and a tease, but he was a good man. Mark couldn’t stand the thought of Garrett looking down on him because of what had happened. Or lowering his opinion of him.
    Mark stuck part of the mercantile sign under his arm. Sorry, Lord. I know You must be disappointed in what I did down in Abilene . He shook his head and looked for something else to do. Hard work would pull him out of this foul mood.
    He glanced around and felt his heart warm. The Lookout townsfolk might have their differences on occasion, but when disaster struck, they joined in and worked together to set things right.
    “Mark!”
    He swung around and found Rachel on the boardinghouse porch, waving at him.
    Dodging the remaining debris—two shiny new coffeepots from the store, several articles of clothing, tree branches, and other items—he strode toward the porch. He slowed his steps as he reached his destination. “How’s your building?”
    Rachel shrugged. “Not so bad. Some broken windows. A tree limb went through one window upstairs, and the storm must have gotten the others. It’s the weirdest thing, but there’s a fork stuck in the wood just outside one of the upstairs bedroom windows.”
    Mark shook his head. “I’ve heard of strange things happening during tornados.”
    “Me, too.” She lifted her chin. “How’s your head?”
    “Not bad. Better than my wrist, I reckon.”
    “So it was broken?”
    Mark nodded.
    “That will make it hard for you to do your