The Heart Breaker by Nicole Jordan Read Free Book Online Page B

fingers to quiet their trembling. She wanted to tell him to go to the devil, but she bit back the words. She had always possessed too much pride. Pride which she could no longer afford.She had little choice now. She had given up her school, and in the conflict with Evan a short while ago, she had burned the last of her bridges.
    Besides, she was offering Sloan McCord a fair bargain.
    “No,” she said shakily. “I don’t intend to change my mind.”
    His jaw hardened for a moment. Then he gave a sigh of resignation. “All right then. Where can I find Randolf?”
    The unexpected question took her aback. “Why would you wish to find him?”
    “To pay him the fifteen hundred dollars you owe him.”
    She stared. “You can’t mean to pay the entire debt now.”
    “Can’t I?” The blue of his eyes was almost chilling. “I won’t have my wife owing money to another man.”
    “Mr. McCord…” She shrugged helplessly. “I wasn’t aware of your circumstances before, but now… I can’t allow you to be so generous. You just told me you couldn’t afford—”
    “I said I’ll take care of it.”
    His reply, low and grim, put an end to the debate.
    Heather felt her cheeks flush with mortification. She didn’t like being in this man’s debt. It seemed worse somehow than owing Evan Randolf. But she would pay back every last penny, she vowed.
    Pride kicking her like a hobnailed boot, she said with great reluctance, “Very well. But I intend to repay you someday.”
    She was grateful when he didn’t ask her how she could possibly manage such a feat but instead repeated impatiently, “Where can I find Randolf?”
    “He’s often at his bank on Tenth Street, or his house on Washington Avenue.”
    Sloan nodded brusquely and turned to pick up his hat.
    Just then Heather heard the front door open. She gave a start and moved away from her visitor, putting a safer distance between them. Self-consciously she reached up to smooth her disheveled hair as Winifred Truscott called out, “Heather?”
    “I’m in the parlor, Winnie. We … have a guest.”
    A moment later, a plump, gray-haired woman came bustling in, her cheeks flushed with cold as she removed her bonnet. Her eyes lit up when she saw Sloan. “You’ve finally come!”
    The widow had met him on her visit to Colorado last summer, Heather remembered. Like Caitlin, Winnie had sung Sloan McCord’s praises and supported him staunchly while promoting the marriage. And like Caitlin, Winnie had neglected to mention the most vital details when Heather had questioned her intently about Sloan and pressed her for information.
    “Welcome, dear,” Winnie told him warmly. “I’m delighted to see you at last.”
    She gave Sloan a motherly hug and offered her cheek for him to kiss—which he did with surprising willingness.
    “Mercy, I heard about your heroics this afternoon from a score of people, Sloan McCord. The handsome cowboy coming to the rescue of two helpless ladies. Well done! I declare, you’re just like your brother Jake, setting the town on its ear before you’ve been here two minutes. Speaking of your scapegrace brother… how is Caitlin and my grandnephew-to-be?”
    The chiseled planes of Sloan’s face seemed to soften at the mention of his sister-in-law. “She’sdoing well, if you call being big and round as a pumpkin well. She swears the baby isn’t due for two more months, but she looks ready to drop any minute.”
    “She’ll be fine, then. Ryan was a big baby, too.”
    Heather felt herself flush at such plain speaking, but Winnie seemed to consider it natural.
    The older lady went on blithely. “You don’t know how delighted I am about this match between you and Heather. We’ll be family twice over now. I suppose you two have been getting acquainted?”
    At the ensuing silence, Winnie looked from one to the other, apparently catching the undercurrents between them. She cleared her throat. “I see Heather has offered you tea, Sloan. Would you