Montana Mavericks Weddings by Diana Palmer Read Free Book Online

open doors for her, ever, despite his old-fashioned ideas in other ways. But to Abby, it was another indication of Chayce’s affection for her that he did, the protectiveness that denoted his personality. She looked at him and thought how he’d be with a child, gentle and nurturing, and ferocious if it were threatened.
    The thought brought tears to her eyes. She lowered them quickly as she went to climb into the truck. He caught her waist, gently holding her back, bending from his great height to look into her misty eyes.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” he asked softly, wiping the tears away with his forefinger.
    She bit her lip, hard. “Nothing…”
    His hand lingered on her soft cheek. “Tell me, sweetheart.”
    She looked up, anguished. “I was thinking how you’d be with a child…” She averted her eyes from his shocked face and took a steadying breath. “Don’t mind me. I’m crazy from the sun, I guess. We’d better go.”
    She sidestepped him and climbed up into the cab. She didn’t look at him as he closed the door or when he got in beside her and started the truck.
    He couldn’t talk to her. His mind was spinning, too, and not from the sun. He’d refused to think about having a child. But when Abby had mentioned it, his whole body had gone rigid. It was all too easy to see her with a baby in her arms, and toddlers clinging toher skirts. He could picture her in the kitchen with Becky, making cookies and cakes, or outside in the yard catching baseballs or flying kites. Abby had that sort of personality, and she loved children so much.
    He pressed down on the accelerator, only anxious to get home and get away from her. Perhaps he could find something to do out of town. God knew, he’d managed that very well over the long four years since she went away to school and only came home for brief visits.
    She watched the fields go past the window and never really saw them. Her future seemed so uncertain, so frightening. She clasped her hands tight in her lap and tried to imagine driving around with Troy and a child or two. He was a teacher—but his pupils were of high school age. She’d only seen him with one of his cousin’s young sons. He hadn’t liked the boy and it showed. He didn’t get along with young children. Chayce, on the other hand, seemed to forever have the cowhands’ children on his heels when he was around the ranch. He attracted them the way honey brings flies.
    â€œYou’re very quiet,” he remarked when they were almost home.
    She stared at her hands. “There’s not much to say, is there?” she replied. “Except…thank you for the wedding gown.”
    He didn’t answer her. He slowed for the turnoffthat led to the ranch, easily controlling the big truck, and left a dust trail behind him.
    When he pulled up in the yard, it was still deserted. He came around to open the door. Abby stepped out, right into the path of a bumblebee. It hit her cheek and she yelped.
    â€œWhat is it?” Chayce asked, turning on his heel when he heard her cry out.
    â€œA bee!”
    He moved close, tilting her face up to his. “Did it sting you? Where?”
    â€œI…I don’t know!” She had a terror of flying insects, a holdover from childhood. She pushed at her hair, afraid that it might be caught there.
    Chayce drew her hands down. “Let me look, sweetheart,” he coaxed, tilting her face up. He studied it, looking for any sign of a sting, but she seemed to be all right, beyond having had a fright. Tears were in her eyes. Her face was flushed. He winced at the lingering traces of fear. “Here, now,” he said softly, brushing away the tears that spilled over her eyelids. “It’s all right. I’m not going to let anything hurt you, not anything at all.” As if he couldn’t help himself, he bent and put his mouth against her wet eyelids, absorbing