stir. The dough began to take shape, and Letty Sue smiled for the first time today.
She pulled the dough out onto a floured board and kneaded it, pounding with her fists, then rolled it to a one-inch thickness, just like Sally’s recipe called for. Once satisfied, Letty Sue took a coffee cup and inverted it onto the dough to cut circles. Yes, they actually looked liked biscuits.
With a contented sigh, Letty Sue opened the cookstove door, ready to bake the biscuits. Intense heat and smoke came rushing out, choking her. She blinked and coughed, but before she could back away, licking flames from the overly hot oven swirled up and caught her apron.
Letty Sue flung the biscuit pan up in the air, letting out a horrified scream.
She was on fire!
Chapter Five
C hase heard Letty Sue’s screams as he stepped outside the barn. He whirled around quickly, seeing a flaming flash whiz by the parlor window. He blinked, adjusting to the sunlight, not truly believing his eyes. Then he took off running.
Hell and damnation! Letty Sue was on fire!
Chase raced to the front door within seconds, yanking hard. The door wouldn’t budge. It was bolted from the inside. With no time to spare, he picked up a twisted vine chair on the porch and tossed it through the window, shattering glass everywhere. He dove in headfirst, somehow managing to land on his feet. She let out another boisterous scream right before he tackled her, knocking her to the floor.
He grabbed her tightly, unmindful of the penetrating heat, and rolled her over and over. Their bodies hit the wall, then the fireplace hearth, then the wall again. He spun her until the fiery flames died, leaving the scent of scorched clothing in their wake.
He wound up with Letty Sue beneath him on thefloor. Her breaths came rapidly, her chest heaving. He held her close, trying to quell her trembling. Fear filled her eyes, and amazement.
Smoke fumes billowed up from her clothes, but as Chase looked her over carefully, he didn’t believe the flames had touched her skin. While most men hated all the undergarments, petticoats and doodads women wore in the name of modesty, today they just might have saved Letty Sue’s life. For that, he was grateful.
“Letty Sue,” he said, brushing aside the hair that fell wildly onto her face, “are you all right?”
She burst into tears then, a flood that diluted the sky-blue of her astonished eyes. Her arms wrapped around his neck frantically, pulling him down on her.
“Shh,” he whispered, “don’t cry. It’s going to be okay. You didn’t get burned. Did you?”
He pried himself up enough to gauge the look in her eyes. She shook her head. “Nooooo.”
Her arms latched onto his neck again. The length of him more than covered her entire petite body. He stroked her hair and let her cry it out. He knew he should sit her up and make sure she wasn’t hurt, but she seemed to need this more.
“Y-you s-saved my l-life, again,” she said, and little sobs escaped her throat.
“I helped,” he whispered in her ear. “But I think the layers of clothes you’re wearing saved you this time.”
Her wide eyes met his as her head moved up and down very slightly. “You think so?”
“I do.”
She wiggled underneath him and Chase’s body went rigid. She had her arms wound tightly around his neck, her breasts crushing into his chest. With pouty lips and red, swollen eyes, Letty Sue appeared like a small child, but Chase knew without a doubt she was all-woman. His body told him so, as well as the clear look of longing on her face.
Their lips were close, so close that they shared the same air. Her sweet breath caressed his face softly. He stroked her cheek with the backside of his hand, removing a bit of blackened soot. She squirmed under him again, and a shot of intense desire speared through him.
Her eyes stayed on his, and he felt the rapid beating of her heart. Chase lowered his mouth to hers, noting how she closed her eyes, ready to
She pulled the dough out onto a floured board and kneaded it, pounding with her fists, then rolled it to a one-inch thickness, just like Sally’s recipe called for. Once satisfied, Letty Sue took a coffee cup and inverted it onto the dough to cut circles. Yes, they actually looked liked biscuits.
With a contented sigh, Letty Sue opened the cookstove door, ready to bake the biscuits. Intense heat and smoke came rushing out, choking her. She blinked and coughed, but before she could back away, licking flames from the overly hot oven swirled up and caught her apron.
Letty Sue flung the biscuit pan up in the air, letting out a horrified scream.
She was on fire!
Chapter Five
C hase heard Letty Sue’s screams as he stepped outside the barn. He whirled around quickly, seeing a flaming flash whiz by the parlor window. He blinked, adjusting to the sunlight, not truly believing his eyes. Then he took off running.
Hell and damnation! Letty Sue was on fire!
Chase raced to the front door within seconds, yanking hard. The door wouldn’t budge. It was bolted from the inside. With no time to spare, he picked up a twisted vine chair on the porch and tossed it through the window, shattering glass everywhere. He dove in headfirst, somehow managing to land on his feet. She let out another boisterous scream right before he tackled her, knocking her to the floor.
He grabbed her tightly, unmindful of the penetrating heat, and rolled her over and over. Their bodies hit the wall, then the fireplace hearth, then the wall again. He spun her until the fiery flames died, leaving the scent of scorched clothing in their wake.
He wound up with Letty Sue beneath him on thefloor. Her breaths came rapidly, her chest heaving. He held her close, trying to quell her trembling. Fear filled her eyes, and amazement.
Smoke fumes billowed up from her clothes, but as Chase looked her over carefully, he didn’t believe the flames had touched her skin. While most men hated all the undergarments, petticoats and doodads women wore in the name of modesty, today they just might have saved Letty Sue’s life. For that, he was grateful.
“Letty Sue,” he said, brushing aside the hair that fell wildly onto her face, “are you all right?”
She burst into tears then, a flood that diluted the sky-blue of her astonished eyes. Her arms wrapped around his neck frantically, pulling him down on her.
“Shh,” he whispered, “don’t cry. It’s going to be okay. You didn’t get burned. Did you?”
He pried himself up enough to gauge the look in her eyes. She shook her head. “Nooooo.”
Her arms latched onto his neck again. The length of him more than covered her entire petite body. He stroked her hair and let her cry it out. He knew he should sit her up and make sure she wasn’t hurt, but she seemed to need this more.
“Y-you s-saved my l-life, again,” she said, and little sobs escaped her throat.
“I helped,” he whispered in her ear. “But I think the layers of clothes you’re wearing saved you this time.”
Her wide eyes met his as her head moved up and down very slightly. “You think so?”
“I do.”
She wiggled underneath him and Chase’s body went rigid. She had her arms wound tightly around his neck, her breasts crushing into his chest. With pouty lips and red, swollen eyes, Letty Sue appeared like a small child, but Chase knew without a doubt she was all-woman. His body told him so, as well as the clear look of longing on her face.
Their lips were close, so close that they shared the same air. Her sweet breath caressed his face softly. He stroked her cheek with the backside of his hand, removing a bit of blackened soot. She squirmed under him again, and a shot of intense desire speared through him.
Her eyes stayed on his, and he felt the rapid beating of her heart. Chase lowered his mouth to hers, noting how she closed her eyes, ready to
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