Country Brides Read Free Page A

again?”
    â€œNightingale.”
    â€œRight,” she said, with a wobbly smile, which was the best she could do at the moment. “Actually, anyplace that’s clean will be fine.”
    Clay rubbed the side of his jaw. “I’m afraid that’s going to present another problem.”
    â€œNow what? Has the manager gone fishing with Old Joe?” Rorie did her best to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but it was difficult. Obviously the people in the community of…Nightingale didn’t take their responsibilities too seriously. If they were on the job when someone happened to need them, it was probably by coincidence.
    â€œA fishing trip isn’t the problem this time,” Clay explained, his expression thoughtful. “Nightingale doesn’t have a hotel.”
    â€œWhat?” Rorie exploded. “No hotel…but there must be.”
    â€œWe don’t get much traffic through here. People usually stick to the freeway.”
    If he was implying that she should have done so, Rorie couldn’t have agreed with him more. She might have seen some lovely scenery, but look where this little side trip had taken her! Her entire vacation was about to be ruined. She slowly released her breath, trying hard to maintain her composure, which was cracking more with every passing minute.
    â€œWhat about Riversdale? Surely they have a hotel?”
    Clay nodded. “They do. It’s a real nice one, but I suspect it’s full.”
    â€œFull? I thought you just told me people don’t often take this route.”
    â€œTourists don’t.”
    â€œThen how could the hotel possibly be full?”
    â€œThe Jerome family.”
    â€œI beg your pardon?”
    â€œThe Jerome family is having a big reunion. People are coming from all over the country. Jed was telling me the other day that a cousin of his is driving out from Boston. The overflow will more than likely fill up Riversdale’s only hotel.”
    One phone call confirmed Clay’s suspicion.
    â€œTerrific,” Rorie murmured, her hand still on the receiver. The way things were beginning to look, she’d end up sleeping on a park bench—if Nightingale even had a park.
    The back door opened and Skip wandered in, obviously pleased about something. He poured himself a glass of iced tea and leaned against the counter, glancing from Rorie to Clay and then back again.
    â€œWhat’s happening?” he asked, when no one volunteered any information.
    â€œNothing much,” Rorie said. “Getting the water pump for my car is going to take four days and it seems the only hotel within a sixty-mile radius is booked full for the next two weeks and—”
    â€œThat’s no problem. You can stay here,” Skip inserted quickly, his blue eyes flashing with eagerness. “We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we, Clay?”
    Rorie spoke before the elder Franklin had an opportunity to answer. “No, really, I appreciate the offer, but I can’t inconvenience you any more than I already have.”
    â€œShe wouldn’t be an inconvenience, would she?” Once more Skip directed the question to his older brother. “Tell her she wouldn’t, Clay.”
    â€œI can’t stay here,” she returned, without giving Clay the chance to echo his brother’s invitation. She didn’t know these people. And, more important, they didn’t know her and Rorie refused to impose on them further.
    Clay gazed into her eyes and a slow smile turned up the edges of his mouth. “It’s up to you, Rorie. You’re welcome on Elk Run if you want to stay.”
    â€œBut you’ve done so much. I really couldn’t—”
    â€œThere’s plenty of room,” Skip announced ardently.
    Those baby-blue eyes of his would melt the strongest resolve, Rorie mused.
    â€œThere’s three bedrooms upstairs that are sitting empty. And you wouldn’t need to