His Chosen Bride. Rhonda Gibson
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Название: His Chosen Bride
Автор: Rhonda Gibson
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Исторические любовные романы
isbn: 9781472072986
isbn:
“Yes, but as I’ve already told you, I’ve changed my mind.” Millie’s cheeks turned pink and her eyes studied the plate full of food in front of her.
Mrs. Englebright chuckled as she pushed out of her chair. “I think I’ll go freshen up some before church, too.”
Levi watched her leave. She was a sweet woman, and he was glad her kids had set her up here at the boardinghouse. He turned his gaze to Millie.
She’d quietly left the table and taken her plate and Mrs. Englebright’s with her to the washtub.
He stuffed the rest of his biscuit into his mouth and grabbed up the remaining dirty dishes on the table. It surprised him when she rolled up her sleeves to do the dishes.
“You don’t have to do those. Beth usually gets to them when she does the lunch dishes.” Levi set the plates into the hot water.
Millie offered him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Why does Beth always have to do them?”
She had a point. Levi rolled his sleeves up, too, and moved to the washtub. He could tell he’d pushed too far with his teasing. Millie released pent-up air that drifted across the hairs of his arms.
“If you insist on helping, please let me wash and you dry. I have no idea where these go.” She handed him a tea towel.
Levi scooted to the side, and she moved into his spot in front of the dishpan. He took the first plate that she’d washed and dried it. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you with Mrs. Englebright.”
“Are you?” There was a slight twinge of doubt in her voice.
Was he? Levi didn’t like the fact that he’d upset her. He’d simply been trying to take the attention off himself and she had been the most convenient person in the room to direct it to. “Yes.”
She bobbed her head once. “Then thank you for that.”
Levi took the dishes as she passed them to him. When they finished, they had a nice stack piled on the sideboard and he felt a sense of accomplishment. How many Sundays had Beth come home to dirty dishes? Too many. He decided to change the way things were done on Sundays, and he had Millie to thank for that.
Millie kept quiet as they worked. Was she still angry with him? Levi decided to find out. “As soon as I toss out this water and put away the dishes, how would you like to sit with me on the front porch while we wait for the others?”
Her pretty blue eyes searched his. He could see questions within their depths and couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. She pushed a stray curl off her forehead and nodded. “All right. I’ll even help you put the food away, but when we get out there, I have a few questions for you, Mr. Westland.”
She scooped up two platters and headed toward the kitchen. Dread filled Levi. She’d called him Mr. Westland in the same tone that his mother used when she said his full name. What new questions did she have for him now? Dread crept up his spine and into his hairline.
Chapter Five
Millie hurried as she put away the leftover food. She was tired of playing games with Levi Westland. He’d mentioned again his interest in marrying her. She needed to nip that line of thinking in the bud. He had no business even considering her as a future wife.
When the kitchen was straightened and all the food had been stored, Levi asked, “Ready?” He rolled his white sleeves back down.
Her gaze ran over the cleared buffet. “I believe so.” She led the way out to the front porch.
Levi held the door open for her. Again, Millie inhaled the sweet scent of fresh-cut wood. One of the reasons she’d answered Levi’s mail-order bride letters was because he’d written that he was a carpenter and enjoyed working with wood. Millie grinned at her own silliness, just because her father worked in a sawmill and worked in wood, she’d thought at the time her husband should, too.
He indicated for her to sit on the new hanging swing. Had he put it up this morning? She didn’t recall it being there yesterday. It swayed slightly as he sat also.
“Is this new?” Millie asked, feeling the smoothness of the arm of the swing.
His green eyes sparkled with pride. “It is. I’m hoping that our neighbors will see it and want one. Do you like it?”
Millie nodded. “It’s very comfortable.” She sat back and enjoyed the gentle rocking motion.
After several moments of comfortable silence, Levi cleared his throat. “I understand you have some questions for me? The others will be out soon.” He gently reminded her.
She turned on the seat so that she could look him in the eyes. “I do. Why do you keep insinuating you’d like to marry me when you know perfectly well I’ve changed my mind about marriage?”
He chuckled and cleared his throat. “Last night, I was teasing you. This morning, well, I’ll be honest, I was in an embarrassing position and wanted to get the attention off me with a little playful banter with you. It worked, too. Mrs. Englebright left the dining area without any more talk about mail-order brides.” He beamed a dimple-filled smile at her.
Frustration filled her. “Yes, she did, but did it ever occur to you that she might have taken you seriously and even now is plotting some form of matchmaking?”
He stared back at her with a blank expression.
Millie felt lost in the sea of green that was his eyes. They flashed with specks of yellow and hints of little-boy mischief and grown-man joy. Levi always seemed to be smiling or at least his eyes were.
She shook her head and turned her gaze from his. Eyes didn’t smile. What was wrong with her? If she didn’t watch it, next thing she knew she’d be fantasizing about his mouth and finding different meanings for his words. Like some silly girl whose head was full of romantic nonsense.
“No, but would that be so bad?”
She quickly cut her gaze back to him in disbelief. Was the man deaf? Hadn’t she just told him she didn’t want to get married?
He held up both hands in a show of surrender. “I’m not saying we have to get married. As long as Ma and everyone else assume we’re courting, they won’t be after me to choose one of the other brides.” Levi tilted his head as if saying, Think about it.
Millie stared at him. Did she understand him correctly? He wanted everyone to believe they were courting just so he wouldn’t have to deal with his mother and the other brides. Was that fair to the prospective brides? Was it fair to his mother? Could she seriously go along with his plan?
Levi turned on the bench and faced forward. “I’m not ready to get married, either, Millie. But I feel like I’m being forced to make decisions for my future that I don’t feel comfortable with. All I’m asking is that we be friends. If others read more than friendship into that, that is their business. I need time to figure СКАЧАТЬ