“Won’t get an argument from me. Letty Sue know how you feel?”
Sam’s eyebrows lifted, nearly meeting his hairline, as he met Chase’s gaze head-on. “And how’s that?”
Chase shrugged. “Man’s willing to risk his stomach for a lady. Means something, I’d say.”
“We’re friends. Good friends.”
Chase nodded.
“Fact is, she thinks she’s going to find happiness traveling the world.”
“And you know better?”
“Yeah, I know Letty Sue. She doesn’t know it, but she’s a Texan, through and through. She’d never be happy off the ranch. It was her and her Mama for so long. Letty Sue’s only dreaming, but it ain’t real.”
“And you aim to prove it to her?”
“I hope to rid her of all them fancy notions. Yeah.”
“I wish you luck.”
He let out a self-chastising chuckle. “That woman curls her finger and I come running. I’d say I’d need more luck than a gambler holding four aces.”
Chase’s smile was quick. “She’s got that effect on a corralful of men.”
“You included?” Sam asked with genuine interest.
Chase shook his head. “I’m foreman, Sam. It wouldn’t set kindly with Joellen for me to tangle with her daughter, now would it?”
“Don’t suppose, but Letty Sue has a way about her.”
Chase reined in Tornado when they reached the next downed fence post. “She does at that, Sam. But you’re the one bidding on her lunch basket, remember?”
“I remember. Just hope the rest of the male population of Sweet Springs doesn’t forget it, you included.”
Chase twisted his lips, battling off a grin. “Not me, Sam. I have a great memory.”
Letty Sue mopped her forehead with her sleeve. The kitchen was hot from all the smoke filling the air, created by her last attempt at making a pie. She’d tried three times, and each time something different went wrong.
Either the crust burned or the filling did. The last time, as she was pulling the pie out of the cookstove, the whole thing slid out of her hands and made a giant pecan mess on the floor. It took her the better part of an hour to clean it up.
She wasn’t cut out for household chores, butdarned if she wasn’t determined to change that. Her mind drifted to Jasper and Joellen having a grand old time in New York. Her mother had sent a wire just yesterday saying that very thing.
Letty Sue dreamed of the day she’d be allowed to travel, to see new sights, enjoy citified life and know something of culture and refinement. She’d been too long on the ranch, and now that Mama had remarried, it would be her turn.
Soon, she thought, she would have her chance.
And she’d not have to dwell on the likes of Chase Wheeler.
Her rational mind knew he’d been right to cast her off last night. She’d been swept up in the moment, her heart overriding her good sense. Seeing those scars on his chest and feeling his massive strength had done something to her, affecting her in a way she’d never been before.
A river of compassion had flooded her senses as she’d realized what Chase had endured, how he’d lived, how his mother had died. She’d let herself become immersed in him, in the intimacy of the quiet small room, in the way he’d spoken to her. But then he’d turned her away.
Letty Sue hadn’t had much experience with rejection. It was new to her. She’d not met a man like Chase Wheeler before. It would be better for both if they kept their distance.
Let Sally have him.
The thought brought a jolt to her insides—a powerful jolt.
She shook her head and banished all thought of Chase Wheeler. He perplexed her overly much. Rightnow she had to concentrate on cooking. Sally had suggested she start with something easy.
Biscuits.
How hard could it be to make sour milk biscuits?
Letty Sue arranged all the ingredients on the counter: flour, salt, baking powder and soda, sugar and sweet milk soured by a few drops of lemon juice. After measuring carefully, she dumped everything into a large bowl and began to
Sam’s eyebrows lifted, nearly meeting his hairline, as he met Chase’s gaze head-on. “And how’s that?”
Chase shrugged. “Man’s willing to risk his stomach for a lady. Means something, I’d say.”
“We’re friends. Good friends.”
Chase nodded.
“Fact is, she thinks she’s going to find happiness traveling the world.”
“And you know better?”
“Yeah, I know Letty Sue. She doesn’t know it, but she’s a Texan, through and through. She’d never be happy off the ranch. It was her and her Mama for so long. Letty Sue’s only dreaming, but it ain’t real.”
“And you aim to prove it to her?”
“I hope to rid her of all them fancy notions. Yeah.”
“I wish you luck.”
He let out a self-chastising chuckle. “That woman curls her finger and I come running. I’d say I’d need more luck than a gambler holding four aces.”
Chase’s smile was quick. “She’s got that effect on a corralful of men.”
“You included?” Sam asked with genuine interest.
Chase shook his head. “I’m foreman, Sam. It wouldn’t set kindly with Joellen for me to tangle with her daughter, now would it?”
“Don’t suppose, but Letty Sue has a way about her.”
Chase reined in Tornado when they reached the next downed fence post. “She does at that, Sam. But you’re the one bidding on her lunch basket, remember?”
“I remember. Just hope the rest of the male population of Sweet Springs doesn’t forget it, you included.”
Chase twisted his lips, battling off a grin. “Not me, Sam. I have a great memory.”
Letty Sue mopped her forehead with her sleeve. The kitchen was hot from all the smoke filling the air, created by her last attempt at making a pie. She’d tried three times, and each time something different went wrong.
Either the crust burned or the filling did. The last time, as she was pulling the pie out of the cookstove, the whole thing slid out of her hands and made a giant pecan mess on the floor. It took her the better part of an hour to clean it up.
She wasn’t cut out for household chores, butdarned if she wasn’t determined to change that. Her mind drifted to Jasper and Joellen having a grand old time in New York. Her mother had sent a wire just yesterday saying that very thing.
Letty Sue dreamed of the day she’d be allowed to travel, to see new sights, enjoy citified life and know something of culture and refinement. She’d been too long on the ranch, and now that Mama had remarried, it would be her turn.
Soon, she thought, she would have her chance.
And she’d not have to dwell on the likes of Chase Wheeler.
Her rational mind knew he’d been right to cast her off last night. She’d been swept up in the moment, her heart overriding her good sense. Seeing those scars on his chest and feeling his massive strength had done something to her, affecting her in a way she’d never been before.
A river of compassion had flooded her senses as she’d realized what Chase had endured, how he’d lived, how his mother had died. She’d let herself become immersed in him, in the intimacy of the quiet small room, in the way he’d spoken to her. But then he’d turned her away.
Letty Sue hadn’t had much experience with rejection. It was new to her. She’d not met a man like Chase Wheeler before. It would be better for both if they kept their distance.
Let Sally have him.
The thought brought a jolt to her insides—a powerful jolt.
She shook her head and banished all thought of Chase Wheeler. He perplexed her overly much. Rightnow she had to concentrate on cooking. Sally had suggested she start with something easy.
Biscuits.
How hard could it be to make sour milk biscuits?
Letty Sue arranged all the ingredients on the counter: flour, salt, baking powder and soda, sugar and sweet milk soured by a few drops of lemon juice. After measuring carefully, she dumped everything into a large bowl and began to
Similar Books
