The Lumberjack's Bride Read Free Page A

her thoughts. She gently transferred him into Caleb’s arms.
    Caleb put a cloth over his shoulder and rested the baby against it. He gently patted the little fellow on the back until a loud burp reached their ears. When Caleb eased the infant from his shoulder, a small dribble of milk escaped the corner of the baby’s mouth. She watched him wipe the edge of the tiny lips with tender care that seemed impossible with those large hands.
    Settling the child in the crook of his arm, he stood. “Thank you for watching him.”
    For reasons she didn’t understand, Julianne didn’t want Caleb to go. “Have you eaten?” He mounted the horse with the baby in one arm, emphasizing the strength of his thighs and powerful, well-muscled arms.
    â€œNot yet, but I’m heading home. I’ve got food at the cabin. Thanks again for taking care of the little one.” He turned the horse to go.
    Julianne watched Caleb and the baby until she could no longer see them through the trees. Then she turned wearily to help Maggie with the massive cleanup of the kitchen. She tried to maintain a positive outlook, but tomorrow loomed like a giant thundercloud, much like the ones hovering over the sawmill camp right now. In fact, in the four days since she’d arrived she’d only caught an occasional glimpse of the sun. That sat slightly at odds with her nature. Lord knew, she needed all the positive reinforcement she could get and a little sunshine would go a long way.

Chapter 2
    T he next morning, Caleb tramped through the logging camp. Young and old men alike practiced for the upcoming contest. He stopped beside the man who had started the whole mess.
    Sloan glanced over at him and gave a brief nod. “Did you come to compete too, Hansen?” His gaze moved to Julianne. “If I’d known how beautiful she was, I might not have married Susan.”
    The foreman joined the two men. “You could put a stop to this now, Sloan. I could change the prize to a day off with pay and the men wouldn’t argue too much.”
    â€œShe owes me.” Sloan spat on the ground and stomped away.
    Caleb watched him leave. What caused a man to turn so bitter? He pulled his attention from the young man and nodded hello to the foreman. “You going to join the competition, boss?”
    â€œNah, I have to keep everyone in line.”
    Caleb had found William Taylor to be a man of honor and a fair and generous boss. And he ruled his loggers with a sternness that not many men dared to defy.
    â€œHow about you?” Taylor asked. “You going to compete?”
    â€œI’m not sure.” Caleb had asked himself the same question last night. The baby needed someone to take care of him. Caleb knew he could not stay up all night with a crying baby and work the next day. The way the little one stiffened and drew his tiny legs up against his chest worried Caleb. A woman seemed to instinctively know about these things but he was at a loss.
    His cabin might not be the fanciest but it was one of the nicest around. Roomy with a loft and a modern wood cookstove. Julianne would have a home if she so chose.
    Caleb refused to explore the unfamiliar emotions he felt every time he saw the black-haired beauty, but long after darkness had settled over the evening before, he’d remembered her beautiful, clear blue eyes and the determined expression on her face as she’d stood her ground with Sloan.
    Now both men looked straight ahead. The foreman focused on the trees that would be felled that day. Caleb’s attention focused solely on Julianne.
    He watched Maggie come up and place the baby in Julianne’s arms. A frown marred her pretty features as she looked down at the infant. He wondered at the cause. Didn’t she like babies? He thought all women had a built in love for a motherless child, yet that definitely was not motherly love on her face.
    Questions swirled through his mind. Had she taken the