From Kiss to Queen by Janet Chapman Read Free Book Online Page A

two aspirin.
    Mark raised a brow as he accepted the medicine, noticing the twenty had already disappeared. After checking the expiration date and deciding six months wasn’t that long ago, he pulled out another twenty and set it on the counter. “Give me three more packets,” he said, already ripping open the one in his hand. He stuffed the extra packets in his pocket, grabbed the phone, and returned to Jane. “Here, take these,” he softly ordered. “If they don’t kill you, they’ll make you feel better.”
    He had to put the tablets on her tongue, but she swallowed them with the last of her soda. Mark got her another one out of the cooler—tossing another twenty on the counter before walking out to the porch to make his call. By the time he returned, Jane had finished her second soda. She suddenly sneezed again, dislodging a rather unladylike burp, which made her gasp weakly.
    â€œDo you have a cabin available?” Mark asked the proprietor, even as he shuddered to guess what that would cost him.
    â€œWell, now. I think maybe number six is free,” the man said, rubbing his chin. “I’m pretty sure old Matilda finally moved out with her young’uns.”
    â€œMatilda?” Mark asked, wondering if the guy knew he only had five cabins and hoping cabin six wasn’t actually a bear’s den.
    â€œMatilda’s a raccoon that took a liking to my number six cabin,” he explained in all seriousness. “I’m pretty sure she moved on last week, though.”
    â€œGive my appreciation to Matilda,” Mark drawled. “Do you know how the lady and I can get to the nearest town?”
    â€œWell,” the man huffed more than said, rubbing his chin again. “Seeing it’s Thursday, Lester’s headed to Milo tonight. He could probably take you there.”
    â€œLester?”
    â€œHe comes through here about midnight most weeknights with a load of saw logs.”
    â€œWe’re talking about a tractor-trailer, right?” Mark clarified.
    â€œYup. Lester’s got himself a right nice rig.”
    â€œIs there any way I can contact Lester?” Mark patiently asked. Lord, this was like pulling teeth.
    The man apparently had to think again. “Well, you could call him on my phone. Lester’s got hisself a phone in his truck.”
    Mark pulled out his wallet, opened it, then stopped and looked across the counter. “How much for the cabin until Lester comes through?”
    â€œI take Visa,” the man said, leaning forward to surreptitiously peer down at the wallet. That was when Mark knew he was dealing with one of Jane’s Yankees, realizingthe guy had sized him up as an out-of-stater before he’d even opened his accented mouth. Then again, it might have been his battered but expensive clothes that had given him away. Hell, his leather jacket alone probably cost more than the whole settlement. Or maybe it was the fact that he’d walked in and demanded a phone while blithely throwing twenty-dollar bills across the counter.
    The only thing that seemed to be troubling the proprietor was Jane. Looking at her quizzically, the man obviously noticed she was homegrown. She was dressed like a Mainer who knew these woods; she wore wool and sensible boots, and the shotgun leaning against the stove was practical and well-used, not fancy.
    Jane suddenly stood up and turned to face them. His wallet still open in his hands, Mark looked from her lopsided smile to the man behind the counter.
    The change was instantaneous and quite telling.
    â€œJane Abbot! Is that you, girl?” the proprietor shouted, forgetting all about his plump victim and scurrying around the counter. “Now don’t you look a mess for my sore eyes! What’s the matter with you?”
    â€œHi, Silas,” she croaked, her smile warm. “I have a little cold, is all. You got a cabin for us?” she quietly asked, letting Silas