The Blushing Bride. Judith Stacy

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      Chapter Five

      Ethan froze in midstride. “Uh…sorry.” He backed outside and closed the door.

      Jason clung to Amanda, holding her against him. She was soft and warm. She smelled better than anything on his entire mountain. He didn’t want to let her go.

      Her lips were wet and her cheeks pink. He’d done that to her. Done it and enjoyed it.

      Her eyes were wide with embarrassment. He’d done that, too.

      Jason eased his grip on her. She looked so vulnerable, so confounded, that he wanted to keep her in his arms and hold her, comfort her, and make everything all right for her.

      But she pushed away from him, drew herself upright, and spun away. She rushed to the door, then stopped, as if unsure which was more embarrassing—going outside and confronting Ethan, or staying inside with him.

      “Miss Pierce, wait—”

      His words spurred her into action. Amanda yanked open the door and fled, leaving Jason staring after her.

      “Dammit….”

      Jason raked his hands through his hair and stared at the still open door. He wanted to go after her. He wanted her back. He wanted to hold her, and smell her, and kiss her, and…

      And what? Jason grumbled another curse into the quiet office. He knew what he wanted to do. His body had already made it perfectly clear.

      The office door opened wider and Ethan stepped inside. “Did you and Miss Pierce kiss and make up? Or just kiss?”

      Jason cursed again and waved toward the door Amanda had just disappeared through. “That’s another reason I don’t want women up here.”

      Ethan pushed the door closed and dropped into the chair in front of the desk. “Have you something against kissing all of a sudden?”

      Jason glared at him. “No.”

      “Then what the hell are you talking about?”

      “Women gussied up in city clothes, all proper and dignified, getting flustered by a simple kiss,” Jason said. “What kind of wife would that be?”

      Ethan grinned. “In the case of Amanda Pierce, a pretty good one.”

      Jason cursed again.

      “She’s got spirit,” Ethan said. “Determination, drive. If you ask me—”

      “Nobody asked you.” Jason grabbed his hat off his desk and stalked to the door. “We’ve got work to do.”

      “Jason, hold up a minute.” Ethan rose from the chair. “You work harder than any man on this mountain. You ought to take some time off, go down to Beaumont for a few days.”

      “I’ve got a business to run.”

      Ethan touched his shoulder. “Working yourself into the ground isn’t going to make up for Pa.”

      “That’s not what I’m doing,” Jason said. He stalked outside, slamming the door behind him.

      Bad enough that he’d gone and kissed Amanda Pierce, that she’d set his body on fire and sent his mind churning. Ethan didn’t have to bring up their father as well.

      Jason stood on the porch of the office looking at his logging camp, his mountain. He’d bought it with his own money. He’d designed the layout of the camp and put the crew together. He’d built it himself and he was proud of it.

      Ethan had come along later with the idea for the sawmill and put up the money for the new equipment. Since then they’d worked together, planned together.

      For most of their lives, wherever Jason went, Ethan was seldom far behind. Ethan was only a year younger. They were closer than most brothers. That suited Jason just fine because the rest of the family was scattered. They drifted in and out of his life with an occasional letter. Thanks to their Ma and Pa.

      Jason didn’t like being reminded of their father. And he sure as hell didn’t need to be reminded of how long it had been since he’d left his mountain. Miss Amanda Pierce and her kiss had done that—with predictable results.

      Jason walked off the porch. He needed to get his mind on work, and off Miss Amanda Pierce. She was leaving today, anyway. And good riddance to her. Her and her brides…her sweet smell…her kiss.

      Jason hiked to the skid road that led up the mountain. To his surprise he found his crew congregated there loaded down with their axes, saws, canteens and cans of pitch. The bull whackers had two teams of sixteen oxen harnessed, ready to head up the mountain. But they were all standing around talking when they should have been working already.

      “What’s СКАЧАТЬ