Divine Deception by Marcia Lynn McClure Read Free Book Online Page B

“Trader, what if you hadn’t come for me? They would’ve…what if you hadn’t come for me?” she cried.
    “ I came for you, Fallon,” he said in a soothing voice, stroking her cheek with his thumb. His hand was warm, calloused, powerfully capable of inflicting great pain. Yet Fallon reveled in the feel of it on her face. It was the first time he had truly touched her. Other than the moments, the so terribly brief moments at their wedding, the painfully brief moments when she’d slipped his wedding ring on his finger, the excruciatingly brief moment when he’d kissed the back of her hand. It was the first time Trader’s flesh had met with her own. It caused her mind to burn and her flesh to tingle. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel his touch forever.
    But as she opened her tear-filled eyes, her attention fell to the blood soaking his pants at one thigh.
    “ Oh, Trader!” she cried, panic rising in her anew. Using her skirt, she dabbed at the wound. It was bleeding excessively, and she pressed firmly on it with her small hands.
    “ It’s fine, Fallon,” Trader muttered, replacing his glove.
    “ It’s not!” she said, as she knelt to inspect it. The wound was perhaps seven inches in length and alarmingly deep. “Oh, Trader! What if Doctor Smithers isn’t in town?” Fallon could barely control the overwhelming sense of panic growing within her.
    “ He is. Here he comes now,” he answered calmly. Fallon stood up and called to the doctor.
    “ Hurry, hurry! He’s cut badly!” She looked down at her hands and dress, which were covered with blood. It wasn’t the sight of blood that weakened her but the fact that it was Trader’s blood on her hands and clothes. She looked up at him and whispered, “You could’ve been…” and then she felt his strong arms about her as everything went black.
     
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    A week passed. Since the incident at the store in town, Fallon had been unusually subdued. Her rides with Kelly lasted nearly all day at times. She found herself avoiding everyone, especially Trader. But one morning, a concerned Patty came into her room. Fallon was preparing to go riding again.
    “ Fallon, are you all right?” Patty asked.
    “ I’m fine, Patty. Why?” Fallon answered and smiled.
    “ You’ve seemed a bit distant these past few days. Be truthful with me, Fallon. What’s wrong?” Fallon walked to the window and folded her arms across her chest, trying to ease the aching within it.
    “ He could have been killed, Patty. I put him in danger. What would I have done if they had killed him? I would rather have died myself!” Patty put a comforting arm around her friend and wiped her tears.
    “ Oh, honey! Don’t talk like that. Nobody can kill my Trader. I, for one, am convinced of that. You love him very much, don’t you?” Fallon looked at her in surprise. Patty continued, “He’s easy to love, isn’t he? Although he does try to make it hard. And it’s not easy for him to return the emotion. He sees himself differently than we do.” Fallon wiped her tears on her sleeve and turned to leave.
    “ Well, I’m off for a ride,” she said, feigning cheerfulness.
    Patty tipped her head to one side. “You all right?” she asked again.
    “ I’ll be fine. It’s just hard to love somebody who doesn’t love you back,” Fallon answered.
    “ I know,” Patty said. Then seeming to realize it was not wise to press Fallon further, Patty added, “Enjoy your ride.”
    
    Fallon decided to ride to the pastures. Usually she rode into the foothills and gathered pinecones or wildflowers, but today she needed a change. So much change had overwhelmed her, yet further change seemed what her spirit longed for.
    The pastures were lush and green, the cattle grazed contentedly, and Fallon thought of the ease of their life. As she approached the east property line, she could see two people in the distance. As she neared, she could see the two people were at ease,