Handsome Widower’s Second Chance (Family of Love Series) (A Western Romance Story)
Page 20
“This isn’t something you or I can do anything about, Jeremy,” Jasper said. “Probably best you don’t ask for details. Women issues, you know.”
“Details about what?”
Everyone turned to look at Thomas Riley as he entered the dining room, and Rebecca hurried over to him.
“Come, Thomas dear, let’s eat,” she said soothingly as her husband kissed her cheek.
“Papa! Mama has just revealed to us that Angelica has to rush to her sick father’s side and can’t be here to cook for my banquet!” Petula pouted in a pretty way.
Jeremiah and Jasper exchanged meaningful looks, and began to talk about ranch business with their father.
“My baby girl will have the finest banquet, just you wait and see!” Thomas roared above the sound of his son’s voices.
They were interrupted as two maids came in bearing trays of food, which they set down on the table.
“This looks good,” Jasper remarked, inhaling the aroma appreciatively.
“Well, it’s been prepared by Angelica’s replacement,” Rebecca explained. “This way, we can judge her skills.” She patted her daughter’s hand. “You see? Everything will be fine.”
“Wait!” Thomas admonished as his children made a move to begin serving themselves from the appetizing food laid out before them. “Let us pray first,” he said, and pronounced a short blessing over the meal.
“I feel almost disloyal to Angelica right now,” Jeremiah said after only a few bites. “because this food is delicious!”
Rebecca heaved a sigh of relief. “I trust she will do just as well on Petula’s big day.”
CHAPTER TWO
JASPER’S MOONLIGHT ENCOUNTERS
The sky was awash with stars as Jasper stabled his horse and walked back to the house. The banquet was the following day and the house was bustling with activity. Jasper stood under a large birch tree in thoughtful silence, reflecting on his own life and the empty space that lay in his heart, yearning for companionship. All at once he realized that he wasn’t the only one soaking in the tranquility and starlight. It was the sound of a sob that caught his attention first, and he moved rapidly toward it, and then halted in his tracks.
“Who goes there?” a shaky voice enquired of him.
“Jasper…Riley.”
A shadowy figure emerged. “I’m so sorry, Mister Riley. I just wanted a breath of air…I’ll be off now.”
“Wait! Who are you?” Jasper asked, his eyes adjusting to the semi darkness and falling on a pair of very vivid blue eyes set in an oval face, glistening with freshly shed tears.
“I’m so sorry, Mister Riley,” the woman repeated, and Jasper’s eyes moved down to her sensual lips, trembling with emotion.
“Sorry for what?” Jasper asked softly.
“For…trespassing…”
“Where are you from?” Jasper began to ask, but his question was left hanging in the air as the woman hurried away, melting into the darkness like a phantom.
Something about her eyes disturbed Jasper in a way he hadn’t thought possible. He shook his head. “It’s the stars,” he said aloud. “They always have a way of making me feel things that aren’t real.”
“Wait!” he called, running after the woman, but she had disappeared.
Jasper slept fitfully that night, his dreams haunted by the woman’s eyes, and woke to the sound of the musicians tuning their instruments.
“This is bigger than most weddings,” Jasper said wryly to Jeremiah later, as the two men stood side by side, waiting for the guests to arrive. Jasper’s thick shock of dark hair curled over his collar and fell across his brow. His tall, muscular body was shown off to advantage in formal breeches and a jacket, but he carried his good looks without pride or vanity.
“I can’t wait to get out of these restraining clothes and get onto a horse again,” Jeremiah murmured. Jasper didn’t get a chance to respond because the guests were starting to arrive.
Petula staged a dramatic entrance, dressed in lavender tulle, and Jasper grinned at her, cocking an eyebrow at the young men in the room who turned to gape at her.
“Well, brother,” Jeremiah said, nudging Jasper playfully. “I’m going to ask some of those lovely ladies to dance…and I suggest you do the same if you don’t want to stay unmarried forever.”
“I’m actually hungry,” Jasper said to himself, leaving his brother behind to laugh. He made his way to the banquet tables that were outside under the trees. He was helping himself to some of the exquisitely laid out food, when his eyes fell on one of the women who was setting down a tray.
“Serena,” Jasper heard his mother say, “surely you could get someone else to do that for you?”
The woman blushed. “Oh no, ma’am, I wanted it placed just so.”
“You’re a perfectionist,” Rebecca responded, eyeing the table appreciatively.
Serena smiled bashfully. “I enjoy what I do,” she said. Just then, she raised her head and her large blue eyes met Jasper’s surprised stare.
“Jasper darling,” Rebecca said. “This is Serena, Angelica’s replacement. She’s done a simply wonderful job tonight, wouldn’t you agree?”
Jasper grunted in reply – too overcome to say anything in response. Serena looked uncertainly at him, nodded, smiled, and then made a hasty exit.
“Jasper,” Rebecca scolded, “you should be on the dance floor with one of those pretty debutantes.”
“I would love to oblige you, Mother, but I’m rather hungry, and this food is making me hungrier.”
No sooner were the words out than Jasper realized the significance of what he had said… and wondered if it was Serena, rather than the food she had prepared, that was making him so ravenous.
“Meet Molly Wheeler,” Jasper heard Rebecca say, her voice almost beseeching him to pay attention to the pretty girl who was looking at him expectantly.
“Miss Wheeler,” Jasper murmured, bowing over her hand, but her flawless skin and lovely features made no impression on him at all. For some reason he was eager to go into the kitchen and discover what secrets lay behind the vivid blue eyes of their substitute cook.
To be continued….
It is currently at $0.99
CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW
Click Here To See How The Story Ends . . .
Join My VIP Readers’ Club List
Who Else Wants to Get Freebies, New Cover Reveals, Short Flash Fictions, Characters’ Interviews and much more…
Elliee Atkinson invites you to join her VIP Readers’ Club List. When you signed up, you will get a surprise gift from her. CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW!
ALSO BY ELLIEE ATKINSON
The Rileys of the Misty Creek
Book 1 Link -> Love’s Battle Won
Family of Love
Book 1 Link -> Handsome Widower’s Second Chance
Acknowledgement
Thank you for taking your time and energy to read “Handsome Widower’s Second Chance”. Without your continuous support, I would not have written this book.
Wherever you are, I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. I also want to thank my wonderful Facebook fans, my advance copy reviewers and beta readers in advance for making this series a success.
If You Have Enjoyed This Book…
…. We would really, really appreciate it if you would help us tell other readers how much you have enjoyed this book by leaving us a review. To us, reviews are like little gold pieces and they help persuade other readers to give the novels a chance. More readers will encourage our authors to write more quality novels, and that means we will continue to produce highly-entertaining stories. Please give your unbiased reviews by CLICKING HERE.
Publisher’s Notes
This book is copyright © 2016 & 2017 by ELLIEE ATKINSON & GREEN HOUSE PUBLISHING CO.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real or dead people, places, or events are not intentional and are the result of coincidence. The characters, places, and events are the product of the auth
or’s imagination and are used fictitiously. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author/publisher. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.