Mistaken Bride. Renee Ryan

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СКАЧАТЬ There was never any doubt as to what they meant, or how they felt.

       She thought of Daniel, how he’d hurt her with his change of mind and mean accusations and…

       This wasn’t the time to think on such things.

       “Well, Caleb,” she began, still smiling, “I suppose I talk funny because I’m not from around here. I just arrived in America yesterday.”

       “You did?”

       “Oh, yes, I came over from Ireland.”

       His little eyes rounded even more. “Where’s that?”

       “All the way across the ocean.” She made a grand gesture with her arm, sweeping it in a wide arc. “I sailed on a large boat, a ship called the Annie McGee and I—”

       The front door swept open with a bang, sufficiently cutting off the rest of her words.

       “Caleb, Olivia.” A deep, masculine voice rang out from the front of the store. “Where are you?” There was a note of worry in the voice.

       Both children’s faces brightened, but they made no move to run toward the man, as Bridget would have expected. Had they come to the store without permission?

       That hardly seemed likely, given their timid natures.

       Well, whatever the situation, Bridget would not leave them to face their fate alone.

       Reaching out, she waited for one child then the other to place their hands in hers. Only then did she rise to her full height and turn the three of them toward the front of the store as a single unit.

       After the briefest of hesitations, both Olivia and then Caleb leaned in against her legs. Their tiny weight brought such a sense of completion Bridget lost her ability to breathe for a brief moment.

       She’d always loved children, but this—this feeling of rightness, of being in the perfect place at the ideal time was entirely new. And thrilling, as though she’d finally come home.

      “Children!” The man’s hint of worry was now full of unmistakable fear.

       Yet all Bridget could think was that she knew that voice, had heard it before.

       A thousand thoughts collided together in her mind. And then, as if this meeting had been destined from the beginning of time, planned by the Lord Himself, Bridget’s mind grasped on to a single word swirling above the jumble in her head: him.

       She could feel his approach, in the reverberation of his heels striking the wooden floor, each step filled with grave purpose.

       He was heading her way.

       But she couldn’t see him yet.

       And, thankfully, he couldn’t see her. She needed a moment to prepare.

       When the rich, masculine voice called for the children a third time, Bridget forced herself to reply. “Over here, on your right, by the toys.”

       The footsteps quickened.

       She breathed in deeply and tightened her hold on the children. They responded in kind.

       Half a heartbeat passed. And then…

       He came into view. The one person Bridget hadn’t been able to get out of her mind since arriving in America. William Black.

       The moment his gaze connected with hers he came to a dead stop. Surprise registered in his eyes first. Then confusion. Followed by something she couldn’t begin to decipher.

       For several more seconds he stared at her, unmoving, not speaking.

       Bridget was stuck in a similar state of shock.

       Before either had a chance to recover, Olivia yanked her hand free of Bridget’s and lunged forward, her doll raised in the air. “Papa, Papa. Look what I found.”

      * * *

       Olivia’s excited words barely registered in Will’s mind. He struggled to moderate his breathing and calm his thoughts. But no matter how hard he tried to focus, he couldn’t fully accept that he was staring into the mesmerizing eyes of Bridget Murphy.

       She was here. In Faith Glen’s general store.

       Holding his son’s hand.

       Will’s stomach performed a slow, unexpected roll. Was that confusion spinning around in his gut? A sense of foreboding? Nervousness, perhaps?

       “Papa. Papa.” Olivia tugged on his pant leg. “I’m talking to you.”

       Will lowered his gaze. A tiny frown creased the soft skin between Olivia’s slim brows.

       Sometimes, he thought with a burst of affection, his daughter could be such a serious little creature.

       In an effort to calm his child’s worry, or whatever had put that look on her face, he smoothed his hand over her hair. “What have you found, my darling? Show me.”

       “A dolly.” She thrust the toy higher, a slow grin spreading across her lips. “I couldn’t reach her at first. The nice lady helped me get her down from the shelf.”

      The nice lady. Did his daughter mean Bridget? Bridget Murphy?

       Will looked up again. This time he felt an actual impact when his eyes met Bridget’s. Under her soft gaze something unexpected awakened deep within him, as though a part of him had been half asleep, poised and waiting to come alive until this precise moment.

       Bridget smiled. The feeling dug deeper.

       “Hello, Will.”

       He managed a short nod. “Bridget.” He could think of nothing more to say.

       Needing a moment, he dropped his chin and gazed at his son. Will had never seen Caleb that at ease with a stranger. In fact, the boy was holding Bridget’s hand with unmistakable confidence, as though he’d been doing so all his life.

       “I see you’ve met my children.” Will spoke past the lump in his throat.

       “I have.” Her gaze went blank a moment and then understanding filled her expression. The look said she’d put several missing pieces of the puzzle together in her mind. “Well, that explains it.”

       “Explains what, precisely?”

       “Their eyes.” Her voice softened. “They have your eyes.”

       How often had he heard that before? Too many times to count. But spoken in Bridget’s soft Irish lilt, the compliment seemed to take on new meaning.

       Olivia tugged on his pant leg again. “I like her, Papa.”

       He did, too. God help him, he liked her, too. Perhaps a bit too much. He’d been down this road before, to devastating results. Had he learned nothing from his mistakes?

       Will swallowed back a wave СКАЧАТЬ