Linda Ford Read Online Free Page A

at her attempt to be fierce. She’d find out soon enough there were things a woman had best leave for a man to do. It scraped his nerves to think she’d probably get hurt trying. His father had drilled into Jake that women were the weaker sex and men were responsible for protecting them. “You would have been injured if I hadn’t caught you.”
    She flicked the idea away with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I was perfectly safe until you scared me. Don’t you know you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that?”
    He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t stand on the top of a ladder?” What was wrong with her? Didn’t she care she might be injured? “In the future, stay on the ground.”
    “I don’t see that my future is any of your business.” She spat the words out. Suddenly, her mouth rounded. “Oh, you’re hurt.” She reached for his cheek then pulled her hand back and pointed.
    He touched the spot she indicated and saw blood on his fingers. “It’s nothing.”
    “It needs to be tended to.” She waved him toward a chair, saw it was charred, and waved him toward another. “I’ll get something to clean it with.” Without giving him a chance to protest, she hurried into the back room, which appeared to be the kitchen.
    He chuckled when he heard her startled exclamation. She must have seen her reflection.
    When she returned, her face and hair had been fixed. She approached him with a white cloth and a small basin of water. She put the basin on the table then hesitated.
    “I can do it myself,” he said.
    She nodded and handed him the cloth.
    He sponged at the area.
    “A little more this way,” she indicated. “It’s still bleeding some.”
    The outer door opened. They both turned toward the sound.
    His mother called.
    “In here,” he said.
    His mother appeared in the doorway, took one look at him, and pressed her hand to her chest. “What happened?” She swayed.
    “Mrs. Sperling.” Hannah raced to his mother’s side, but he tossed chairs out of his way and got there first. He swept his mother into his arms and headed for the sofa, Hannah hot on his heels.
    “She should be at home,” he muttered. “These trips to town are too strenuous for her.”
    As he laid her down, her eyes fluttered. She let out a little squeak. “You’re bleeding.”
    “It’s just a scratch.” He rubbed her wrists and felt her pulse. It seemed strong enough.
    “What were you doing?” his mother demanded.
    Hannah spoke. “I’m afraid I’m responsible for any damage he’s incurred. I decided I couldn’t wait any longer for Mort to take down the burned drapes. But they decided to take me down instead. Your son broke my fall.”
    Mrs. Sperling pulled herself into a sitting position and glanced past her son to Hannah. “You aren’t injured, too, are you?”
    The girl moved closer. “Of course not. I’m pretty hardy.” She glanced at Jake.
    Jake was about to say he was hardy, too, when his mother answered for him. “He wrestles cows. I doubt you could hurt him much.” She took Hannah’s hand. “Rose’s Ladies’ Wear has the prettiest selection of bonnets. They’ve just arrived, Miss Rose said. You’ll have to come with me to see them.”
    Feeling dismissed, Jake sat on one of the narrowed-backed, fancy-cushioned chairs.
    “Mrs. Sperling, I couldn’t possibly. I have to get this place ready for guests.”
    “But we are guests.”
    “Yes, my very first.”
    Jake’s stomach growled loudly, announcing to everyone in the room he hadn’t eaten since breakfast many hours ago.
    Mother swung her feet to the floor. “I’m hungry, too. Shall we find supper?”
    Jake eyed her. She seemed just a little pale and in no hurry to stand. He guessed she was still a little weak from her faint, though she’d probably deny it. “Mother, I don’t think you’re up to going out again.”
    His mother shot him an annoyed look. “I’m fine.”
    “You stay here, and I’ll bring back