To Win Her Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

Like his father before him. And like his father before him, he would become a man of integrity.
    “How much?”
    Barnes kicked at the spokes of an old wagon wheel that had been left propped against the wall by the previous owner. “Three dollars a week. Less, if you’re willing to help out with the chores.”
    “Deal.” Levi stuck out his hand. Barnes shook his agreement, his grip firm and assured, his eyes taking Levi’s measure. Levi held his gaze, giving silent promise that the man would not have cause to regret his offer.
    “Well, then. I’ll leave you alone to get your bearings.” Barnes thumbed his suspenders away from his plaid flannel shirt and released them with a painful-sounding snap. “Give you a holler ’round six and we can head out. Georgia’ll have supper on the table.”
    “All right. Thank y—”
    A low growl cut Levi off. He spun toward the doorway, where a brownish-gray dog crouched in the opening, baring his teeth. A chunk was missing from his left ear and his ribs were visible through the matted fur on his side, giving him a desperate, almost savage appearance.
    Barnes stood nearest the animal. He held out a conciliatory hand. “Look who’s paying a call. What’re you up to, Ornery?” The rumble in the dog’s throat deepened.
    Levi edged closer to the forge hearth, where a sledge stood on end, its handle about level with his knee. He didn’t want to hurt the critter, but if the animal attacked, he’d be ready.
    “Don’t worry,” Barnes said in a hushed voice. “Ornery hardly ever bites. He’s just the cussedest dog you ever wanna meet. Showed up ’bout a year ago. I’m not sure from where. Don’t like people. Other dogs, neither. Give ’im a wide berth and he’ll leave you alone. Won’t ya, boy?”
    The livery owner took a step back and the growling stopped.
    “See? I—”
    With a yip, the dog’s ears perked up and a small whine resonated in his throat. He lifted his head and seemed to stare directly at Levi, tilting his jaw to the side.
    Soon Barnes was looking at him, too, with a nearly identical tilt to his chin.
    Levi let go of the sledge handle and extended his hands in front of him, palms out. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ornery.”
    At the sound of Levi’s voice, Ornery let out a sharp bark and bounded forward. Thinking he was about to have a mouthful of canine teeth tearing at his throat, Levi raised his arms to fend off the beast, but the dog only pushed his front paws into Levi’s abdomen and tried to overcome him with pants of pungent dog breath.
    “Well, I’ll be.”
    Levi met the livery owner’s gaze over the dog’s head, the awe on the other man’s face heightening Levi’s confusion.
    “Son, I think you’ve just been adopted.” Barnes shook his head in disbelief, a wide smile breaking out across his face. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.”
    “But . . .”
    Barnes waved him off, still shaking his head as he left.
    Arms hovering at his sides, Levi looked back down at Ornery. New cuts overlapped old scars above his eyes and around his ears. A patch of fur was missing on his snout, as if the skin had been scraped so raw the hair couldn’t grow back. Levi slowly brought his arms in and began rubbing the mongrel’s head. Ornery’s pants increased as his eyes slid closed. When they opened again and stared up at him, Levi felt it. The kinship.
    Ornery was a fighter, too.
    “You looking to retire, boy? That why you came to me?” Levi hunkered down beside Ornery to pet him proper. “Maybe we can help each other. I’ll keep you out of trouble and you keep me out of trouble. What do you think?”
    “I think staying out of trouble is always a good policy for newcomers in my town.”
    At the sound of the masculine voice, Ornery immediately stiffened and growled a warning. Levi craned his neck to scrutinize the man in his doorway. With the sun behind him, the brim of his black felt hat cast shadows across his face, but one detail