A Dark & Stormy Knight: A McKnight Romance (McKnight Romances) by Suzie Quint

Ruth started.
    At thirteen, Tobias was too old to cry
over skinned knees or scraped knuckles, but even Georgia could see he was
struggling to master his tears. Whatever the problem was, it was more than a
little bruise or a scraped knee.
    Jebediah twisted in his seat. “What’s the
matter, boy?”
    Tobias made snuffling noises and held out
his hand. Georgia suspected if he’d tried to say anything, he’d have wailed,
and he was old enough to find that unbecoming behavior. Jebediah caught his
wrist and turned the hand to see it better. At least an inch of splintered wood
stuck out from his palm. Looking at it made Georgia’s nerve endings shriek.
Beside her, Maddie hissed in a pained breath.
    “Aw, it’s not so bad,” Jebediah said. “I’ve
done cut myself worse ‘n this shaving.” But the look he shot down the table
said a mother’s care was called for. “You go down to your mama now. She’ll take
care of you. You’ll be fine as frog’s hair when she’s done.”
    As though Tobias’ appearance heralded the
end of the meal, the men, except for Zach, who was starting dessert, pushed
their plates aside and got up to attend to the ranch’s never-ending chores.
Maddie and Georgia shared an amused glance.
    With an unspoken agreement, Georgia ran water into the sink as Maddie gathered up the dishes. Zach scarfed his cobbler,
gathered up their kids, kissed Maddie again, and told her he’d see her at home.
    Georgia hadn’t had much opportunity to get to know Maddie, yet she found working beside
her comfortable as they finished clearing away the remnants of supper. Even so,
she decided she’d better start a conversation before it got awkward. The
problem was . . . well, she didn’t really know Maddie.
    She did know that, sometimes, when Sol
got really irritated, he ranted about her. Georgia had seen it a time or two
herself, and it wasn’t pretty. She wished she knew if Maddie’s opinion of her
was already tainted. More than likely, Georgia decided. Even if Sol had never
said a word, Maddie would certainly have gotten Zach’s opinion of his
ex-sister-in-law, and that probably wasn’t much better than Sol’s.
    “So you’ve been a full-fledged McKnight
for a while now.” Georgia slipped dishes into the sudsy water.
    “Almost a year.”
    “A year already. Wow.” Georgia tried to sound as though a year spent in close proximity to family didn’t sound like cruel
and unusual punishment. “How are you planning to celebrate your anniversary?”
    “We’re not doing anything fancy. Zach’s
taking me dancing at The Lariat.”
    “You’re breast feeding, aren’t you?”
    Maddie nodded.
    “Sucks, doesn’t it? He gets to have a
beer but you have to abstain.”
    Maddie shrugged then grinned. “It’s okay.
I was never that crazy about beer anyway. I am crazy about Abbie.”
    Georgia smiled. She could relate. She was still crazy about Eden.
    “You should join us,” Maddie said. “Sol
and a bunch of the others will be there.”
    “On your anniversary? Why would you want
everyone around? Wouldn’t you rather be alone with your husband?”
    “Oh, we’ll get to be alone. Ruth’s
keeping my babies overnight.” The wicked smile on Maddie’s face morphed into a
lustful grin. “And then we get to sleep as late as we want.”
    “Oh, God,” Georgia moaned. “I remember
how much I craved a full night’s sleep when Eden was a baby. That’s another
thing that sucks. There’s no putting them down with a bottle when you’re the
kitchen.”
    “Zach does his share. I just put breast
milk in a bottle.”
    “I wish I could have done that.” She
handed the first clean plate to Maddie for drying.
    “Sol didn’t help?” Maddie asked.
    “Uh—”
    “Oh, that’s right. I forgot.” Maddie’s
cheeks grew pink. “You and Sol split up before Eden was born. Sorry.” She
bumped the heel of her hand against her forehead as though trying to jar
something loose. “I have these moments where I’m brain