WESTERN ROMANCE: A Ranch to Call Home (Texas Romance, Mail Order Bride Romance, Clean Romance, Christian Romance) (Clean and Wholesome Romance) by Grace Warren Page B
Authors: Grace Warren
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“What the hell are you doing?”
“You drive me crazy, so I’m being crazy. Happy?!”
“Oh no, don’t put that on me. You were crazy long before I came into the
picture.”
Mary grinded her teeth together and placed her hands on her hips. Taking a
breath, she forced herself to at least appear a little calm. “You know, maybe
that’s true, but at least I’m not a complete ass!”
Alton opened his mouth, but he wasn’t the one who spoke next.
“What is going on?!” her father roared, enter the kitchen like a crippled
beast.
Mary Anne turned around and, in her instinctive fear, she stood in front of
Alton. “Dad, I—”
“You know what I just heard from Paul?” her father snarled. His eyes were
burning with anger and disgust. He coughed and shook his head. “Horrible things
about you and your bed and—” He slapped his hand in the air. “God awful
things.”
“Dad, I—”
“You’re disgraceful. After everything I’ve done for you, you continue to be a
disgrace to my name. How could you do this to me?”
Mary Anne swallowed. His words stabbed her heart, but at the same time, she was
so used to it that the pain didn’t bother her all that much. It was familiar.
Tearfully, yet insincerely, she apologized for her supposed wrongs. She knew it
wouldn’t make him feel better, but it might appease him long enough to leave
her be.
“Wait,” Alton said, moving to stand next to her while he stared at her father.
“She didn’t do anything wrong. I said some things I should have to Paul, and it
got blown out of proportion.”
Mary Anne’s eyebrows shot up as she turned to Alton. This action, slight as it
was, warmed her heart a little.
Mary Anne’s father glared at Alton. “Why the hell would you do that? I’m paying
you to fix Mary Anne’s embarrassing life, not ruin it.”
“With all due respect,” Alton growled, “you’re paying me for you own selfish
reasons. This never had anything to do with Mary Anne.”
“Watch your mouth boy.”
Alton took a few steps closer to her father. Mary Anne could sense the rage
radiating off this two, so before anything terrible could happen, she stepped
in between them.
“We’ve had a stressful day,” she said, placing a hand over Alton’s heart and
pushing against it a little. She glanced at her father nervously. “I’m so
sorry. Truly. I’ll do what I can to fix this.”
Her father curled his lip downward. Shaking his head at her and at Alton, he
turned around and grumbled some hateful things as he walked away.
When he was far away enough, Mary Anne sighed with relief and lowered her
hands. She turned to Alton, who was glaring in the direction her father had
left.
“He used to be a lawyer,” Mary Anne said, gaining Alton’s attention. “Some of
the laws we live by today—he helped to make those. He is proud of his legacy,
and now that he is older, he wants to make sure that people will remember him
and his name in a good light.”
Alton’s eyelids lowered, a challenging frown on his face.
Mary Anne tapped her fingers together. She really did want to argue about
anything anymore, and Alton’s expression was making her nervous. Her mind raced
to think of something else to say. When she remembered she forgot to mention
something important, she said, “Oh! And thank you for defending me. I
appreciated that.”
Alton’s expression softened. “Well, it was my fault, after all. I might have
gotten a little
“You drive me crazy, so I’m being crazy. Happy?!”
“Oh no, don’t put that on me. You were crazy long before I came into the
picture.”
Mary grinded her teeth together and placed her hands on her hips. Taking a
breath, she forced herself to at least appear a little calm. “You know, maybe
that’s true, but at least I’m not a complete ass!”
Alton opened his mouth, but he wasn’t the one who spoke next.
“What is going on?!” her father roared, enter the kitchen like a crippled
beast.
Mary Anne turned around and, in her instinctive fear, she stood in front of
Alton. “Dad, I—”
“You know what I just heard from Paul?” her father snarled. His eyes were
burning with anger and disgust. He coughed and shook his head. “Horrible things
about you and your bed and—” He slapped his hand in the air. “God awful
things.”
“Dad, I—”
“You’re disgraceful. After everything I’ve done for you, you continue to be a
disgrace to my name. How could you do this to me?”
Mary Anne swallowed. His words stabbed her heart, but at the same time, she was
so used to it that the pain didn’t bother her all that much. It was familiar.
Tearfully, yet insincerely, she apologized for her supposed wrongs. She knew it
wouldn’t make him feel better, but it might appease him long enough to leave
her be.
“Wait,” Alton said, moving to stand next to her while he stared at her father.
“She didn’t do anything wrong. I said some things I should have to Paul, and it
got blown out of proportion.”
Mary Anne’s eyebrows shot up as she turned to Alton. This action, slight as it
was, warmed her heart a little.
Mary Anne’s father glared at Alton. “Why the hell would you do that? I’m paying
you to fix Mary Anne’s embarrassing life, not ruin it.”
“With all due respect,” Alton growled, “you’re paying me for you own selfish
reasons. This never had anything to do with Mary Anne.”
“Watch your mouth boy.”
Alton took a few steps closer to her father. Mary Anne could sense the rage
radiating off this two, so before anything terrible could happen, she stepped
in between them.
“We’ve had a stressful day,” she said, placing a hand over Alton’s heart and
pushing against it a little. She glanced at her father nervously. “I’m so
sorry. Truly. I’ll do what I can to fix this.”
Her father curled his lip downward. Shaking his head at her and at Alton, he
turned around and grumbled some hateful things as he walked away.
When he was far away enough, Mary Anne sighed with relief and lowered her
hands. She turned to Alton, who was glaring in the direction her father had
left.
“He used to be a lawyer,” Mary Anne said, gaining Alton’s attention. “Some of
the laws we live by today—he helped to make those. He is proud of his legacy,
and now that he is older, he wants to make sure that people will remember him
and his name in a good light.”
Alton’s eyelids lowered, a challenging frown on his face.
Mary Anne tapped her fingers together. She really did want to argue about
anything anymore, and Alton’s expression was making her nervous. Her mind raced
to think of something else to say. When she remembered she forgot to mention
something important, she said, “Oh! And thank you for defending me. I
appreciated that.”
Alton’s expression softened. “Well, it was my fault, after all. I might have
gotten a little
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