Moonlight on the Millpond by Lori Wick Read Free Book Online Page B

Maddie offer to carry a bag of feed for a customer.
    Doyle’s eyes suddenly closed in pain. She shouldn’t be doing that. It’s my job. She’s too little.
    With the words came real pain, this time from the region of his chest, his heart rate picking up drastically. Moving while he was still able, he rose painfully to his feet, went back out the door, and crossed the yard again.
    Once at the house, he wanted to lie down but knew if Cathy checked on him—something she often did—it would upset her to find him in bed. Instead, he made a beeline for the chair by the kitchen fireplace and sat down heavily.
    You’re an old fool. You’re never going to get back down to your store if you pull stunts like that. The speech did not immediately slow his heart, but a few deep breaths and close to 30 minutes later, things seemed back to normal. Only then did strong emotion overtake him. A sob broke in Doyle Shephard’s throat, and tears came to his eyes. For a moment there he thought he was going to die; he thought he’d been done for.
    â€œI don’t want that,” he whispered to the empty room, even as his heart yearned to be out of there and next door. “I don’t want to die.”
    Not willing to fight it anymore, Doyle let his eyes close, falling into blissful sleep. He never even heard Cathy when she checked on him a short time later.

    It was not going as Jace had planned. He was supposed to have energy to go to town, but planting the fields was sapping all vigor from his body. Having decided on Sunday to marry Maddie Shephard, it was nothing short of maddening not to have time or physical strength even to see her until Thursday.
    Now headed into town, Jace had all he could do not to whip the horse into greater action. He had deliberately waited until near closing, catching Cathy and Maddie in the last 30 minutes of store hours. As he had hoped, things were quiet.
    â€œWell, Jace,” Cathy greeted him when he stepped inside.
    â€œHow are you, ladies?” Jace spread his smile to encompass both of them.
    â€œDoing well,” Cathy replied, hands busy with a task at the counter.
    â€œHow is planting?” Maddie asked, having thought about Jace at odd times during the week.
    â€œWe’ve covered plenty of ground, but we’re only about a quarter done.”
    â€œHow are your weeds?” Cathy asked.
    â€œNot bad. Woody says we can attribute it to a dry spring.”
    A customer came in, and very deliberately Jace moved to Maddie’s counter.
    â€œHow was your week?” he asked.
    â€œBusy. It’s gone very fast.”
    â€œIt’ll be Sunday before you know it.”
    â€œA day of rest,” Maddie said with a smile, not aware of what that smile did to Jace’s heart. “What can I get for you, Mr. Randall?”
    â€œMadalyn,” Jace said, his voice low and serious.
    Maddie stopped and looked at him, his tone and the use of her full name giving her no choice.
    â€œPlease call me Jace.”
    â€œYou keep telling me that, don’t you?”
    Jace nodded and smiled a little.
    Maddie’s gaze softened as she apologized. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll remember.”
    â€œAnd may I call you Maddie?”
    â€œCertainly.”
    Jace grinned at her, putting every ounce of charm into that smile. Maddie smiled back before saying, “What can I get you, Jace?”
    Jace pulled out his list, and the two of them worked until Cathy closed the doors.
    â€œI’d better get going before you lock me in.”
    â€œStay for tea,” Cathy invited.
    â€œI’d like that,” Jace said, unable to tell them how much, “but Woody is expecting me back. I’ll just slip by the house and say hello to Doyle and be on my way. Thanks, Cathy. Thanks, Maddie.”
    The women bid Jace goodbye, but Maddie stared after him for a long time. Cathy eventually noticed her expression but didn’t comment,