Home > Work > Spitfire Sweetheart (Four Weddings and a Kiss)
21 " Someone knocked on his front door, someone brave because Rylan knew he’d not been fit company for anyone. "
― Mary Connealy , Spitfire Sweetheart (Four Weddings and a Kiss)
22 " The door swung open. Rawhide and the doc had shoved some of the jumble aside and dragged his bed into this room so Rylan could look out the window and see his barn and corral. It gave him a nice view while he fretted. "
23 " A man flirting with bankruptcy had no business thinking of a woman. Which of course hadn’t stopped him. And it was all the worse because, strange as it was to see her dressed up in manly clothes, there was no denying that the woman made a pair of britches look mighty fetching.He’d stayed away from her, and when he couldn’t, he’d hid his interest in cool words. "
24 " He snapped his attention back to the old man. “What does that mean?”“I have laid down the law, and Maizy is making some changes, aren’t you, girl?” Auggie glared over his shoulder at Maizy.“Yes, Pa.”Rylan could see that being polite really didn’t suit her.“She’s gonna give up her hoydenish ways and be a proper lady. Iffen she don’t change now, she will go on shaming me forever and never find a man that’d have her for a wife. "
25 " She tugged on her sleeves again. He could tell the dress was bothering her something fierce. Well, he could understand that. He’d’ve been mighty uncomfortable in a dress himself, and she was probably no more used to a dress than he was. "
26 " Pa cut him off. “She’s going to stay and feed you and clean this house. She’ll come early and stay late, and she’ll keep doing that until you’re well.”Maizy’s eyes locked on Pa, then shifted to Rylan.“Oh no. There’s no need for that.” Rylan definitely wanted them gone.Which was starting to irritate Maizy. The man just didn’t like her. It reminded her of how she’d sat by the river, crying like a little baby, her feelings hurt. His not liking her had led to this trouble to begin with. "
27 " Maizy swallowed hard, a motion that almost strangled her in this blasted dress, and she nodded. "
28 " They looked at each other in dismay, and she knew just what he was thinking.He wanted her gone, but he needed her.She wanted to help, but she wanted to do it wearing britches.Neither of them had a hope of getting what they wanted. "
29 " Rylan was trapped in the cabin with the woman who had destroyed his future.And she was so pretty he couldn’t think straight when she was anywhere near him. "
30 " He closed his eyes so he couldn’t see her. But, like a man who had stared at the sun too long, she was burned into his brain. "
31 " Then I can turn my attention to cleaning. It’s a fine cabin but . . . but . . .” She looked a bit lost as she studied all the clutter stacked through the cabin. “I need to knock a f-few cobwebs down.”Rylan saw about a hundred cobwebs without turning his head.“And the floor needs to be swept and scrubbed.”She had to find the floor first. "
32 " The house was here when I bought the ranch, and this clutter came with it. I’ve added my own things to the mess, and I haven’t spent a lick of time tending it. I reckon that’s pretty easy to see. "
33 " It’s hard to think of you as a Margaret. Maizy suits you.”“I doubt I’d answer to anything else.” Maizy smiled as she adjusted the cloth. "
34 " I can manage.” He grasped the fork, but his hand trembled as he tried to stab a piece of elk.“Let me.” Without asking permission, she plucked the fork away and offered him a bite of meat.He opened his mouth, most likely to say he could do it himself. Before he could fuss, she stuck the food in. He chewed, then his mutinous expression changed.“This is delicious.”Maizy smiled. “I made plenty for your cowpoke too. When he comes in, there’ll be a hot meal ready.”“He’ll be late. He’s working all the hours God made trying to keep up with a job that was too much for the two of us to begin with. "
35 " Thank you. I haven’t been able to eat much. Rawhide’s meals lean toward tough, mostly burned meat. Maybe a good meal will help me regain some strength and knit these bones a bit faster. "
36 " Maizy went to work. Knowing Rylan was watching her made her conscious of every move. She tried to stand in a more ladylike way, though heaven only knew exactly what that was. Her dress choked her a bit less when she stood straight, so she tried to think of being ladylike as a way not to strangle. "
37 " She’d do whatever Rylan asked. And if her collar strangled her, or if it was awkward scrubbing floors in a dress, then she’d remember Jesus on the cross and how He’d suffered. Then she’d compare her own meager pain and endure it quietly.A trace of peace crept through her as she prayed… "
38 " Praying should help, remembering Bible verses should help. Rylan figured he must be doing it wrong because it was only making him worry more.So he forced his thoughts from those worries and found himself watching every move Maizy made. That was another kind of madness. "
39 " Rylan tried not to share so many of his worries. She was so sympathetic it made him want to succeed all the more, and that made his fear of failing cut so deep he couldn’t stand it.Rylan wasn’t good at church attendance. He was a believer, but he found Sundays to be as demanding on a ranch as every other day, and he’d let his worship time slip. "
40 " Her sympathy was genuine. Rylan felt it all the way to his bones. "