When Love Comes Read Free Page A

his face looks so terrible?”
    “If you feel so strongly about it, I’m surprised you asked him to stay for dinner.”
    Mrs. Liscomb drew herself up. “I wasn’t born in Texas. I know how to treat people properly.”
    Amanda was sorry she’d ventured a criticism. Given any encouragement, her mother would launch into the differences between Texas and her childhood home in Mississippi. According to their father, it had been a modest dwelling on a farm her father ran without slaves. To hear her mother tell it, the place fell just short of being a plantation house.
    “He seems like a nice man,” Amanda said. “I expect that wound has made his life rather difficult.”
    “I would think so,” her mother declared. “People must shrink from him.”
    Amanda paused in her work. “Only a cruel person would do that, but I’m sure he’s suffered plenty.”
    “At least he wasn’t killed.”
    Amanda suspected that sometimes a person might rather be dead than have to suffer through life with such a terrible burden. He was dressed like a cowboy, but there was something about him that said he wasn’t an ordinary cowpoke. Maybe it was the quality of his horse, maybe the way he spoke and acted. Whatever it was, Amanda was curious about him. The damage to his face unsettled her because she hated to think any man as nice as Broc Kincaid would be doomed to a life of being pointed at, whispered about, and avoided because of something he couldn’t help. Despite the hardships imposed by Reconstruction, Texans treated the men who’d fought in the war as heroes.
    Amanda transferred the platter containing pork chops in gravy to the table. “I’ll call them in. The corn bread will be ready in a few minutes.”
    She had prepared a more elaborate dinner than usual despite the absence of her brother and the two ranch hands. Having a guest for dinner was a rare occasion.
    Her mother believed in putting one’s best foot forward whenever company was around. It was a continuing disappointment to her that she’d never had the financial means to become an important force in the social fabric of Cactus Bend. She was still embarrassed that a saloon had been the main support of the family for several years after they moved to Cactus Bend. In her mind, only socially inferior people had anything to do with saloons or the men who frequented them.
    Amanda was surprised to find Broc and Eddie on the front porch when she went to call them to the table. Eddie was telling Broc something and their guest was listening with rapt attention. Amanda didn’t want to think of what secrets her brother might be divulging. He was just as likely to talk about which cowhand had made a pass at her—and whether he thought she was or should be interested—as he was to go on about his horses.
    “Dinner is ready,” she told them, hoping she’d stopped the conversation before Eddie got too personal.
    Eddie jumped up from the step where he’d been sitting. “Amanda is a great cook,” he told Broc. “Mama says all the lazy, good-for-nothing cowhands want to marry her. Gary says her cooking isn’t the reason they want to marry her, but he won’t tell me what it is.”
    “I’m sure it’s her singing,” Broc said, trying to hide a smile. “Even lazy, good-for-nothing cowhands enjoy music and dancing.”
    “Mama won’t let her dance with nobody. She says it’s heathen.”
    “She says it puts wrong ideas in men’s heads,” his sister corrected him. “Now wash up.”
    “We already done that,” Eddie informed her. “Broc made me.”
    Amanda cast Broc a questioning glance. No one had ever made Eddie wash up without a struggle. There was clearly more to this wandering cowboy than met the eye. “You’ll have to tell me what kind of magic spell you put on him. I hope it doesn’t wear off quickly.”
    “He didn’t do nothing to me.” Eddie was indignant. “He said I could ride his horse after dinner.”
    “Bribery,” Amanda chuckled. “I’ve had