Page 12 of Mail-Order Brides Wishes
“I do. A little canary that sang all day.”
Susie nodded, her hair flapping about her face like strands of sunshine. “'Member Mama said I could have a pet when I’s older. I’s older now.” Her little lips pushed out.
“Determined little miss, ain’t she?” Amusement caught at the back of his throat and carried in his words.
Bryn’s gaze shifted to Susie. “Sweetie, it’s a promise your mama might not be able to keep.” Bryn turned back to Flint.“I’m sorry. It’s hard for her to accept that things have changed. It sometimes makes her a little stubborn.”
He preferred to see it a different way. “Well, now then, determination is somethin’ I admire. Seems to me it gets a person through life when everythin’ else fails.” The pale sky held his attention then his gaze returned to Bryn. Her study of him was hard enough to make him sit up straighter. What was she looking for? Had she found it missing in him? Might she’d be willing to give him a chance to prove hisself?
The sun broke through the clouds and brightened the sky. Or was it only her smile unfolding across her face that made the world seem sunnier?
“Flint, I hope you don’t change your mind about determination when she digs her heels in.”
“I’s not stubborn.” Susie slammed her crossed arms over her chest and stuck out her chin.
Seeing the very thing she disagreed with clearly shown, he chuckled. Relief uncurled inside him when Bryn laughed too, and his chest opened up and filled with air for the first time since he’d seen how she stared into the road before them.
“Are ya nervous about what you’ll find at the end of the trail?” He meant at the end of their trail when they reached the ranch.
“Nervous, no. Well, maybe a little, but mostly eager to see my new home.” She ducked her head as she continued. “I hope and pray we can start a life together that….” Again, the trail ahead held her attention for a full turn of the wheels. Then she faced him square on, her eyes wide and steady. “I hope we can create a home full of kindness and acceptance.”
“Ma’am, that’s what I want too.” He might have added love but being greedy only led to disappointment. Kindness and acceptance were more’n enough for any man. He turned back to the impatient child. “Tell you what, little miss, we’ll see ‘bout gettin’ you a pet when we can.”
“When’s that?” Her chin tipped toward him.
“Susie!” Bryn’s soft scolding did nothing to deter her stubborn niece.
It was all Flint could do to hide his amusement, but he knew better’n to encourage her. “That’s up to me and yer aunt to decide.”
Susie turned her scowl toward Bryn whose only response was to lift her eyebrows. It must have signaled something to the child for she huffed and lowered her arms.
“I’ll behave.”
Flint turned away to hide his chuckles and barely managed to keep his shoulders from shaking.
“Mr. March.”
Bryn’s stern voice ended his amusement. He straightened his face and turned to her. “Yes, ma’am?” It pleased him some to see something flicker through her eyes at him calling her ma’am. He managed to keep his eyes wide, hoping to indicate innocence or at least confusion at the way she spoke.
“It is wise to correct certain behaviors right from the start. Some people—” She tipped her head toward her niece. “If given an inch will take a mile.”
“Sort of like trainin’ a horse, or any animal, I suppose. Ya let a wrong action go unchecked and it soon becomes a nasty habit.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“If’n you look ahead, to the right you’ll see a barn. That’s the ranch. You’ll soon see our house past it.”
“My house too?” Susie vibrated with excitement.
Flint patted her shoulder. “Yup.”
“I see it.” Bryn squeezed Flint’s arm.
A shock raced up his arm and straight into his heart. Like being struck by lightning. He’d never had the misfortune of such a thing but once he felt a shock when a nearby tree was struck.
She withdrew her hand leaving a hot spot behind. He looked at his arm but saw nothing except the gray material of his shirt. Shouldn’t there at least be the shape of her hand to mark the place where it’d rested?
A tightness in his throat made it impossible to swallow. Course he wasn’t used to being touched especially by a woman. Yeah, Addie sometimes hugged him. And once he’d been fond of a girl, but their touches had been forbidden so were frantic and quick for fear of being caught.
