Скачать книгу

The love that couple shared glowed like a fine mountain sunset. How had their love survived the turbulent times, he wondered. What did they know that he didn’t?

      He caught a glimpse of Mary skipping through the train car, stopping halfway when she reached Victoria. Victoria was bending over the seat. She turned her head when Mary approached, then, a moment later, as she lifted the tiny Emily up into her arms, she looked out the window.

      Again, their gazes crashed together like rams in season. Her gaze was wide, curious, and cautious. He knew then why he couldn’t share a love like the one he’d seen in that middle-aged couple. Because he had chosen poorly, both in wife and in occupation.

      All he’d wanted was to build a life for his family. He’d left them in Boston, his wife’s hometown, so they wouldn’t have to deal with the hardships of ranch life without even a roof over their heads for the first little while.

      It had taken time to build a house. Even now, Proud Ranch wasn’t finished. He was gone long hours, sometimes days, fixing the fence that his neighbor had objected to. And if there was one thing he’d learned, it was that separation wasn’t good for a marriage.

      He couldn’t do a thing about his family, except what was right, and he couldn’t do a thing about his occupation, either.

      But he could prevent more personal humiliation.

      Mitch ground his heel into the gravel beneath his feet as he spun away from the train and deeper into the telegraph office, putting his back to Victoria and her soft, beguiling eyes.

      No more humiliation.

      * * *

      Victoria watched Mitchell stride into the telegraph office. It wasn’t hard to see the man was upset. He’d taken one look at her uncle’s name on the telegram and had gone from frustrated by the sudden delay in the train’s schedule to just plain angry. But why?

      Her shoulders drooped. She knew so little about her uncle that she couldn’t even begin to speculate. He owned the bank in Proud Bend, a large one, according to her mother. Victoria had secretly assumed Abigail was exaggerating the size. How big could anything be out West?

      Not for the first time, Victoria grated against her mother’s belief that women should avoid all financial matters. Thanks to that silly notion, Victoria’s business sense was limited to her basic math. Yes, she’d listened in on several marital arrangements and the exchange of money that invariably accompanied them, but that was the extent of her experience. Mercy. No wonder Mitchell seemed surprised that she believed she could find employment.

      In her arms, the baby fussed. “Can I hold her, Miss Templeton?”

      Victoria smiled down at Mary. “Of course, but just for a moment. She will need to be fed as soon as the other baby is finished.”

      She glanced over at the young mother across the aisle. Victoria had honestly believed she’d done what was right by securing this arrangement, but Mitchell believed otherwise.

      Mary sat down on the seat and Victoria set the baby in her arms. “Support her head, dear. She isn’t as strong as you.”

      “Her grip sure is strong. She got ahold of Ralph’s curls once and wouldn’t let go.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QRUaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo5NDYx MzcwQzI2MjA2ODExQTcyQ0I5MkI2QUIwOUIwMCIgeG1wTU06RG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo3 OThEN0YzNDk0NzAxMUU2QjE2M0QyRkMzNTI2MjJBOCIgeG1wTU06SW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlp ZDo3OThEN0YzMzk0NzAxMUU2QjE2M0QyRkMzNTI2MjJBOCIgeG1wOkNyZWF0b3JUb29sPSJBZG9i ZSBQaG90b3Nob3AgQ1M1LjEgTWFjaW50b3NoIj4gPHhtcE1NOkRlcml2ZWRGcm9tIHN0UmVmOmlu c3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6OTU2MTM3MEMyNjIwNjgxMUE3MkNCOTJCNkFCMDlCMDAiIHN0UmVm OmRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6OTQ2MTM3MEMyNjIwNjgxMUE3MkNCOTJCNkFCMDlCMDAiLz4g PGRjOmNyZWF0b3I+IDxyZGY6U2VxPiA8cmRmOmxpPlBoaW5uZXksIEJhcmJhcmE8L3JkZjpsaT4g PC9yZGY6U2VxPiA8L2RjOmNyZWF0b3I+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxyZGY6bGkgeG1s Omxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+VGhlIE5hbm55IFNvbHV0aW9uPC9yZGY6bGk+IDwvcmRmOkFsdD4g PC9kYzp0aXRsZT4gPC9yZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24+IDwvcmRmOlJERj4gPC94OnhtcG1ldGE+IDw/ eHBhY2tldCBlbmQ9InIiPz7/7QBIUGhvdG9zaG9wIDMuMAA4QklNBAQAAAAAAA8cAVoAAxslRxwC AAACAAIAOEJJTQQlAAAAAAAQ/OEfici3yXgvNGI0B1h36//iCCRJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAACBRB REJFAkAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfXAAMAAgAKAAcAKWFjc3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAABAAD21gABAAAAANMtYklDQ5xtNKWtpEX2FG2YsFEMEm0AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACWNwcnQAAAbEAAAAyWRlc2MAAAeQAAAAg3d0cHQAAADwAAAAFHJUUkMAAAEE AAAFhGdUUkMAAAEEAAAFhGJUUkMAAAEEAAAFhHJYWVoAAAaIAAAAFGdYWVoAAAacAAAAFGJYWVoA AAawAAAAFFhZWiAAAAAAAAD21gABAAAAANMtY3VydgAAAAAAAAK8AAAACgAVAB8AKgA0AD4ASQBT AF0AaAByAH0AhwCRAJwApgCwALsAxQDQANoA5ADvAPkBAwEOARgBIwEtATcBQgFMAVcBYQFrAXYB gAGKAZUBnwGqAbQBvgHJAdMB3QHoAfIB/QIHAhECHAImAjACOwJFAlACWgJlAnACewKGApECnAKo ArMCvwLLAtcC4wLvAvwDCAMVAyIDLwM8A0kDVgNkA3IDfwONA5sDqgO4A8YD1QPkA/MEAgQRBCEE MARABFAEYARwBIAEkQShBLIEwwTUBOUE9wUIBRoFLAU+BVAFYwV1BYgFmwWuBcEF1QXoBfwGEAYk BjgGTQZhBnYGiwagBrUGywbgBvYHDAcjBzkHTwdmB30HlAesB8MH2wfzCAsIIwg7CFQIbQiGCJ8I uAjSCOwJBgkgCToJVQlvCYoJpQnBCdwJ+AoUCjAKTQppCoYKowrACt4K+wsZCzcLVQt0C5ILsQvQ C/AMDwwvDE8MbwyPDLAM0QzyDRMNNQ1WDXgNmg29Dd8OAg4lDkkObA6QDrQO2A79DyEPRg9rD5EP tg/cEAIQKBBPEHYQnRDEEOwRExE7EWQRjBG1Ed4SBxIxEloShBKuEtkTBBMvE1oThROxE90UCRQ2 FGMUkBS9FOoVGBVGFXQVoxXSFgEWMBZgFpAWwBbwFyEXUheDF7UX5hgZGEsYfRiwGOMZFxlKGX4Z sxnnGhwaURqGGrwa8hsoG18blRvMHAQcOxxzHKsc5B0dHVYdjx3JHgMePR53HrIe7R8pH2QfoB/d IBkgViCTINEhDyFNIYshyiIJIkgiiCLIIwgjSSOJI8skDCROJJAk0iUVJVglmyXfJiMmZyasJvEn Nid8J8IoCChOKJUo3Ckk

Скачать книгу