9781631053566SpringsDelightBallNC Read Free Page A

I’ll
dry. It’ll go much faster with two.” He grabbed a towel.
    Spring nodded and with more
care washed the rest of the dishes. She couldn’t keep her thoughts off Colt. She
couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it made her nervous, she was all too
familiar with this feeling. Swallowing hard, she continued to focus on washing
until all the dishes shined.
    “The kitchen looks nice. It’s
bigger than I first thought. ”
    “I bet once I get the rest of
the house straightened, it’ll seem big too. It’s been lonely here while Caleb
was away at college.” His voice grew husky.
    She surprised herself by
touching his arm. “I know all about lonely. I’m grateful that you’re giving me
this chance.”
    He looked down at her hand,
then at her face. What he looked for, she had no idea. “If Caleb thought enough
of you to have you come all the way out here, then the least I can do is get to
know you.”
    After breakfast, Colt left. A
man of few words it seemed. He’d helped make bacon and eggs, ate and then took
off without even saying when he’d be back. He did point across the great room,
to one of the closed doors indicating that room was to be hers.
    Grabbing her beat-up suitcase, Spring opened the door to her new room. It was dusty
and needed airing out but otherwise it looked nice. An old, faded blue and
green quilt, patterned to look like stars, covered a full-size bed. She reached
out and touched the softness, tracing the pattern of stitches with her finger.
A thing like that had history and part of her yearned to know it.
    Next to the bed was a night
table with a bible, a book of poems and a glass lamp with a faded shade. The
only other piece of furniture was a tall dresser that had seen better days.
    The scarred, wood floor was
bound to be cold, especially in the mornings. She didn’t own slippers so she’d
have to keep a pair of socks on the nightstand. Overall, it was paradise.
    Everything would be fine if
she could find a common ground with Colt. It was bound to be awkward living
with someone you didn’t know, and his cold exterior was not at all inviting.
There was a kindness in him though.
    After setting her few
belongings in the room, she wandered back to the kitchen and checked the
fridge. Truthfully, there wasn’t much to check other than some ketchup, bread,
cheese and three mason jars of homemade pickles. She decided on grilled cheese
sandwiches with some canned tomato soup. Unfortunately, she ended up eating
alone since Colt didn’t show up for lunch.
    At loose ends, she decided to
tackle the great room. Being idle didn’t sit well with her. Besides, she didn’t
relish having to go back out into the cold, suitcase in hand. She worked hard
until everything gleamed and smelled like lemons. Things she couldn’t find a
place for she piled in a chair. It looked to be all Colt’s stuff, but she didn’t
dare open his bedroom door without permission.
    The house was cozy and simple.
The kitchen dominated the right side with the great room between it and the
bedrooms. The bathroom was the last door toward the back of the house while her
room was the first. One of those doors was Caleb’s room, she knew, but she
refused to dwell on it.
    The floors needed cleaning,
but by this time, the adrenaline was trickling away and exhaustion hit her
hard. A big bay window graced the front of the kitchen, and she walked over to
stand before it, gazing at the snow. Being from Texas, she’d never seen so much
snow in her life. It sparkled in the sun like diamonds, engulfing the
outbuildings in its splendor. Gazing across the wide drive, she saw the barn.
It, like the house, looked sturdy but in need of some TLC.
    Her pay had never been
discussed, but if she could make enough for warm clothes, that would be fine.
If she stayed long, she could definitely use them.
    Two other trucks were parked
in the driveway. They probably belonged to the people who work for Colt. He’d
have to have help to work a ranch