Charlene Sands by Winning Jennas Heart Read Free Book Online Page B

his own, not a dime to his name. He’d wanted to do something special for Jenna. This was her wedding day. She deserved so much more than he could give her. He’d planned on selling his long coat to make do in Goose Creek, but Ben had hinted that he’d need that coat. Winters in Goodwill could be brutal. He couldn’t argue with that and now Ben faced him, his gray eyes filled with encouragement.
    “Take it, for Jenna.” Ben passed him a look only another male would understand. He spoke quietly, “She deserves a nice weddin’.”
    He accepted the offered envelope then, shakingBen’s hand briskly, thanking him. Jenna did deserve a nice wedding and he’d see to her happiness from now on. He’d provide for her and take the burden of running the farm out of her hands. As soon as he learned about farming, that is.
    He glanced at Ben once again, vowing that he’d make it up to him, too…to all of them. They’d been good friends.
    Shortly after, they took off, leaving Twin Oaks in the dust. He sat back in the seat of the wagon, listening to Jenna’s enthusiasm. Once she’d accepted his proposal, she’d begun making all kinds of plans for the farm. How much more acreage they could plant now. And with him working alongside of the others, their profits would go up. She wanted to enlarge the henhouse so they could buy more chickens. She wanted to breed the hogs and maybe one day raise some sheep. She had all sorts of new things stirring around in her head.
    He liked listening to her. He liked seeing her happy. She was a woman a man could stay with forever. For the first time since he’d been bleeding out by that pond and left for dead, he thought that somehow his luck had changed.
    He was a man with no past. But now, thanks to Jenna, he had a future. He liked that about her, too.
    “You enjoying the meal, Mrs. Montgomery?” he asked, watching Jenna push food around in her plate. They’d gotten to Goose Creek two hoursago, met with Reverend Archer and in the space of one hour were married. It was a quiet, simple ceremony and that suited him just fine. He was a married man now, sitting across from his new bride in the Honey Belle Hotel, eating dinner in the dining room.
    He kept glancing at Jenna’s face. She sure seemed happy. She’d been talkative on the way into town, but now she sat quietly, forking her food slowly and smiling shyly, relishing the meal and taking it all in. She deserved to be waited on, he thought earnestly, deserved the best in life. If he could, he’d try to give her that.
    But for now, he couldn’t wait for the meal to be over. She’d ordered steak and hot mashed potatoes with some fancy gravy and more vegetables piled on a plate than he’d seen growing on some farms. She had a ways to go on the food. But their hotel room was not fifty paces away, up the stairs, then a turn to the left, the hotel clerk had said.
    It was all he could think about.
    Getting naked with Jenna. Making love to her. Making her his in the eyes of the law and of the Lord.
    Hell, he just wanted to get to it.
    “It’s going take getting used to,” she said, stopping the fork from going into her mouth.
    “Huh?”
    “Being Mrs. Montgomery. Of course it’s allI’ve really wanted for years now. But still, it sounds sorta funny hearing you say it.”
    She took the bite that had been on her fork and he let go the breath that he’d been holding.
    “If it makes you feel any better, I’m having a time getting used to being Mr. Montgomery. And that’s been my name since birth.”
    “It’ll come, Blue. One day, you’ll remember.”
    “I’m not planning on it happening soon. Seems it would’ve happened by now. Why, I’d bet the last of the money in my pocket that I don’t get my memory back at all this year.”
    Jenna froze, her face going white as snow.
    “What? What’d I say?”
    “You wouldn’t, would you, Blue? You wouldn’t gamble away your last dollar? You wouldn’t gamble at all, would