Her Minnesota Man (A Christian Romance Novel) by Brenda Coulter Page A
Authors: Brenda Coulter
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because Jeb didn't like nuts.
"Engaged? That's great." He couldn't pull off looking delighted, but he managed what he believed to be a credible smile. "So when's the wedding? And why didn't you call me?"
"There isn't going to be a wedding." Laney's eyes gleamed with defiance. "We broke up the very next day."
Sick relief, Jeb's initial reaction to that news, was quickly replaced by self-reproach. She'd been desperately lonely since her mother's death, and she longed for a husband and children to love. Didn't he want her to be happy?
"That's too bad," he said carefully, hoping her eyes weren't about to fill with tears. "Tom was an okay guy."
"Nathan Anderson," she corrected as she claimed one of the spoons Jeb had forgotten he was holding. "Tom and I broke up on New Year's Day."
Ten months ago? Why was he just now hearing about this? Maybe he'd never come right out and asked how things were going with good ol ' Tom, but why hadn't she said anything? And who, exactly, was this Nathan character?
Dazed, Jeb sank onto a chair. "Why?"
Laney set the tub of ice cream on the table and took the chair next to his. "Why did I break up with Tom?"
Tilting his head to one side, Jeb allowed her to see his exasperation. "Both of them."
She held up her spoon, the back of its bowl facing Jeb. He observed their childhood ritual by clicking his own spoon against it.
"Tom hinted about marriage," Laney said as she dug into the ice cream. "But we started arguing a lot."
"About what?" The words were barely out of Jeb's mouth before he wished he'd swallowed them, instead. He had a pretty good idea what Laney and Tom must have argued about.
"My business, for one thing," she said. "I wouldn't take his advice, and that made him mad." She slipped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Closing her eyes, she moaned blissfully.
"So he told you how to run the tearoom," Jeb prompted as she went for another bite.
"He sure tried," she said with her mouth full. "I needed to extend my hours. I needed to advertise more. To hear him talk, I wasn't doing anything right."
Jeb snorted. If Tom had failed to value her strength and intelligence, good riddance to him.
"I told myself he was just trying to help," she continued. "But then he started harping on—" She hesitated. "Well, on other things."
Things like her being so emotionally attached to another man? Yes, Jeb had seen the resentment in Tom's eyes. But even before Tom, he'd been trying to distance himself from Laney, trying to become less important in her life so she'd be able to build a healthy relationship with whatever man she chose to marry.
It hadn't been enough, obviously. He was going to have to try harder. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"I'm sorry, princess."
"Don't be. He thought I was too involved with the Graces, too. He said—"
"That's ridiculous," Jeb interrupted. "The Graces are your family."
"Tom said I was a fool to tie myself to three old ladies who will just become burdens when their health fails." As she often did when irritated, Laney twitched her left shoulder. But then she grimaced as though the movement had caused her pain.
Jeb's gaze sharpened on her. "What's wrong?"
"Just a pulled muscle." She smiled ruefully and rubbed her shoulder. "It was feeling better until last night, when I strained it again changing a flat tire on Francine."
Disturbed by the thought of slightly-built Laney struggling to lift a heavy wheel out of Francine's trunk, Jeb made a mental note to give her an auto club membership for Christmas. How was it that he'd never thought of that before now?
"But back to Tom," she said. "I think I must have talked too much about Mom, and about how hard things were before she died."
"You never resented taking care of her," Jeb pointed out. "You couldn't possibly have given him that impression."
"Maybe he was just projecting. His own mother died of lung cancer a few years back." Laney shook her head. "Anyway, he said I didn't owe anything to
"Engaged? That's great." He couldn't pull off looking delighted, but he managed what he believed to be a credible smile. "So when's the wedding? And why didn't you call me?"
"There isn't going to be a wedding." Laney's eyes gleamed with defiance. "We broke up the very next day."
Sick relief, Jeb's initial reaction to that news, was quickly replaced by self-reproach. She'd been desperately lonely since her mother's death, and she longed for a husband and children to love. Didn't he want her to be happy?
"That's too bad," he said carefully, hoping her eyes weren't about to fill with tears. "Tom was an okay guy."
"Nathan Anderson," she corrected as she claimed one of the spoons Jeb had forgotten he was holding. "Tom and I broke up on New Year's Day."
Ten months ago? Why was he just now hearing about this? Maybe he'd never come right out and asked how things were going with good ol ' Tom, but why hadn't she said anything? And who, exactly, was this Nathan character?
Dazed, Jeb sank onto a chair. "Why?"
Laney set the tub of ice cream on the table and took the chair next to his. "Why did I break up with Tom?"
Tilting his head to one side, Jeb allowed her to see his exasperation. "Both of them."
She held up her spoon, the back of its bowl facing Jeb. He observed their childhood ritual by clicking his own spoon against it.
"Tom hinted about marriage," Laney said as she dug into the ice cream. "But we started arguing a lot."
"About what?" The words were barely out of Jeb's mouth before he wished he'd swallowed them, instead. He had a pretty good idea what Laney and Tom must have argued about.
"My business, for one thing," she said. "I wouldn't take his advice, and that made him mad." She slipped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Closing her eyes, she moaned blissfully.
"So he told you how to run the tearoom," Jeb prompted as she went for another bite.
"He sure tried," she said with her mouth full. "I needed to extend my hours. I needed to advertise more. To hear him talk, I wasn't doing anything right."
Jeb snorted. If Tom had failed to value her strength and intelligence, good riddance to him.
"I told myself he was just trying to help," she continued. "But then he started harping on—" She hesitated. "Well, on other things."
Things like her being so emotionally attached to another man? Yes, Jeb had seen the resentment in Tom's eyes. But even before Tom, he'd been trying to distance himself from Laney, trying to become less important in her life so she'd be able to build a healthy relationship with whatever man she chose to marry.
It hadn't been enough, obviously. He was going to have to try harder. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"I'm sorry, princess."
"Don't be. He thought I was too involved with the Graces, too. He said—"
"That's ridiculous," Jeb interrupted. "The Graces are your family."
"Tom said I was a fool to tie myself to three old ladies who will just become burdens when their health fails." As she often did when irritated, Laney twitched her left shoulder. But then she grimaced as though the movement had caused her pain.
Jeb's gaze sharpened on her. "What's wrong?"
"Just a pulled muscle." She smiled ruefully and rubbed her shoulder. "It was feeling better until last night, when I strained it again changing a flat tire on Francine."
Disturbed by the thought of slightly-built Laney struggling to lift a heavy wheel out of Francine's trunk, Jeb made a mental note to give her an auto club membership for Christmas. How was it that he'd never thought of that before now?
"But back to Tom," she said. "I think I must have talked too much about Mom, and about how hard things were before she died."
"You never resented taking care of her," Jeb pointed out. "You couldn't possibly have given him that impression."
"Maybe he was just projecting. His own mother died of lung cancer a few years back." Laney shook her head. "Anyway, he said I didn't owe anything to
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