Angel and the Texan From County Cork (The Brides of Texas Code Series Book 3) by Carra Copelin Read Free Book Online Page A

thought it odd she wouldn't remember the trunk being stored in the barn. After all, the contents meant so much to her. But hearing Will had lied to her made him wonder even more what had happened with his friend and why he’d waited so long to reach out.
    But Angel was right to put the discussion aside. The whole point of the tree had been to put a smile on her face and hopefully improve her mood. She'd been sad and quiet since they’d left the bank. The smile he received, though, looked more like the masks he’d seen at Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
    “What about in the front corner by the window?” He dragged the tree over so she could see what it would look like. “I can anchor it to the wall here. What do you think?”
    “That's fine.” Her answer was short, but its tone had a tinge of approval.
    “Good.”
    Half an hour later, Jamey had the tree firmly planted in a bucket full of ashes from the fireplace. Twine looped around its midpoint anchored it to the wall. Snow fell from the limbs onto the floor as he shook the trunk to check for stability. When he was satisfied the tree was stable, he stepped back to take a look.
    “There.”
    Angel appeared beside him with the pinecone ornament. Holding it by the hook, she hung it onto a limb, front and center. Obviously pleased with the placement, she strategically hung the remaining ornaments and decorations and admired her handiwork.
    “Oh, that's lovely.”
    “Ye've done a fine job,” he agreed. His stomach grumbled and he remembered they hadn't eaten since breakfast. “Say, did ye open the brown paper-wrapped package I brought in?”
    “No, should I have?”
    “Not necessarily, but it's dark out and a bit past supper time.” He snipped the twine holding the paper around several boxes. “I stopped by the hotel kitchen and purchased enough food to last us a few days.”
    “This smells heavenly,” she said, as she sniffed the mouth-watering aromas wafting from the packages. “How about I put the contents into the warming oven while we put the rest of the things away? Then we'll eat.”
    “That's all the convincing I need.” Smiling, he set about restoring order to the cabin. He didn't have to win the war today. Small accomplishments would do fine.
     
     
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Angel dried her hands on a cup towel and put away the last dish. She found it interesting she was tired but not yet ready to go to bed. Jamey sat at the table sharpening the carving knife, so she poured them both a cup of coffee and joined him.
    She wished he'd stop being nice. His being helpful made it hard for her to maintain the tough shell she needed to survive on her own. Her grandmother's stern raising kept her from being rude. 
    “Thank you for doing that,” she said, breaking the silence that continued after supper. “I hadn't realized how dull it was. Guess I've gotten used to it.”
    He chuckled. “It did sort of chew the ham into chunks, didn't it?” He tested the edge's sharpness with his thumb. Apparently satisfied with the results, he wiped the oil from the knife and dried the sharpening stone, placing it back into his saddle bag. Rejoining her at the table, he sipped at the hot coffee and asked, “I always thought Will preferred to be off by himself. How'd ye end up married to him?”
    “That's none of your business.”
    He shook his head. “I'm not meanin' to pry, Colleen. Just makin' conversation.”
    But it felt like prying no matter what he said. The only way to stop talking about it, though, was to get everything out in the open and be done. He deserved to know what he’d gotten himself into.
    “My life since crossing the Red River has not been what I'd hoped. When I was forced out of the hotel, I had no place to go. That’s when I met Calliope. She owned the café that fed the drovers and railroaders and gave me a job and, as I said, a place to stay.”
    “That was kind of her. She sounds like a good woman.”
    “She is and I treasure our friendship,