Bound For Eden by Tess Lesue Read Free Book Online Page A

sweet-talked them. Well, not intentionally. It wasn’t his fault he was a friendly guy.
    â€˜You don’t hate me, do you?’ Seline asked in a small voice.
    â€˜Ah no, darlin’.’ Damn. That right there was his problem. At the word ‘darlin’ ’ she gave a shivery sigh and burrowed into his chest. He wondered how he was going to get away.
    â€˜You don’t want to come with me, dar—’ He caught himself mid-word and cleared his throat. ‘A pretty town girl like you has got no place out there in the wild.’
    â€˜I grew up on a farm,’ she told him, pulling back to look up at him with shining eyes.
    Hell. He gave her an awkward pat and disentangled himself. ‘I have to go meet that little runt about a wagon.’
    â€˜You’ll be back tonight?’
    â€˜Haven’t planned that far ahead, to tell you the truth. There’s a lot to be done before we head out.’ He hated the way her face crumpled, but he resolutely pulled on his jacket and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. ‘I’ll see you soon.’
    He was mighty glad to get out of there. He headed for the back door, knowing most of the women would be hanging around the front porch – like a bunch of well-fed spiders, just waiting for a helpless man to blunder into their sticky webs. Why couldn’t women just enjoy things as they were? Why did they always have to be wanting more than a man could give? Hell, if Amelia would just marry him he wouldn’t be getting mixed up with these women in the first place.
    He grabbed a biscuit from the kitchen on his way through and felt his spirits lift the minute he was out in the sunshine. He wasn’t one for the indoors. Give him the wide open sky and the endless plains and he was a happy man.
    By the time he reached Taylor’s he was whistling a merry tune and tipping his hat at every pretty girl he passed. The runt was waiting for him on the porch of the hotel, looking somewhat out of sorts. Sitting on the steps at his feet was a big fellow, barrel-chested, and a bit simple-looking in the way he had his head tilted way back watching the clouds scud across the deep blue sky. Sitting in the rocker was the runt’s sister, the one who’d thrown the hissy fit the night before. She wasn’t bad-looking, Luke noticed now. She had a nice, fresh-faced wholesome look.
    â€˜Mornin’,’ Luke said amiably. ‘Sorry to keep you folks waiting.’
    â€˜This is my brother, Adam, and my sister, Victoria,’ Alex volunteered stiffly.
    â€˜A pleasure to meet you. I don’t often get to meet real ladies.’ Luke tipped his hat at the sister and flashed his dimple.
    Victoria flushed and one hand rose to fiddle nervously with the ribbons of her bonnet. Alex scowled. ‘The wagon?’ she reminded him shortly.
    â€˜Right this way. May I?’ He offered Victoria his arm.
    Alex watched in astonishment as Victoria smiled at Luke and descended the porch steps to accept his escort. What had happened to her snit about decency and morality?
    â€˜So you’re heading out to Oregon?’ she heard him remark smoothly as she and Adam fell in behind them.
    â€˜We have a brother out there,’ Victoria simpered. Alex glared at her back. Hypocrite. ‘He’s a pastor in Amory. Do you know Amory, Mr Slater?’
    â€˜There’s a red horse, Alex,’ Adam said, pulling her arm to get her attention. She gave him an absent smile and tried to catch Luke’s response.
    â€˜Can I get a red horse, Alex?’
    â€˜Maybe when we get to Oregon.’ Alex swore under her breath when Adam veered over towards the horse. She grabbed at his arm, but he was too strong for her.
    â€˜Hello, boy,’ Adam cooed, reaching out to rub the white star on the nose of the red-brown horse hitched in front of the bank. ‘Do you want to go to Oregon with us?’
    â€˜Not that horse, Adam,’ Alex