by Lass Small
Everybody knew about Tom and Ellen. They watched and smiled. They exchanged looks with their mates and laughed... remembering.
Ellen was progressing. She was eating better. Tom was thinner. In their room, Tom told her, “You’re a whole lot softer than you used to be.”
She was surprised. “I work like a Trojan! How in this world could I be softer?”
He said, “Maybe my body was feeling wrong. Let me touch you and see?”
His hands went around on her and their breathing changed. Deep in a serious kiss, their eyes would come unfocused and they never saw the tolerant people who went around them and left them alone.
He said to her, “Your chest is getting pushy.” And his hands indicated the area being discussed.
Ellen looked down between their clamped bodies, seeing nothing but squashed together bodies. She said, “Well, darn.”
In a harshly breathing manner, he said kindly, “I’ll adjust them.”
She inquired perfectly logically, “How?”
His reply was never solid conversation or instructions. He’d say, “I’ll...think of...something. I’ll... work on them. Exercise.”
But they didn’t do much else. However, exercise is exercise. He didn’t sleep much, since he mostly thought about her. And thinking about her did not put him to sleep. He begged the doctors that he could again jog. They gave him rubber pullers to use as muscle builders. It didn’t help very much. He was skinny.
She slept the sleep of repletion.
One day as they met in the hall, she smiled at Tom, as she stood in front of him and his crutches with her hands behind her back.
He growled inside his throat. “What are you up to...now.”
Not even a question.
She said, “I want to marry you.”
His eyes slowly became naked. How many times had he asked her that very thing? He had to breathe through his mouth because his nose wouldn’t take that much air and his lungs needed the air or he’d faint.
She understood that he was boggled. She smiled and tears filled her eyes. “I love you.”
“My God, Ellen. I’m not sure I can handle all this standing up thisaway. I think I ought to sit down.”
“I’ll go find you a chair—”
“Let’s go to the floor library—”
She laughed so softly. “Okay.”
That’s where they found Ciggie, researching some word.
“Hi, you kids. Whatcha looking for?”
Ellen said, “He’s going to propose.” She said that as if it was the most natural thing ever!
Ciggie whooped—
Ellen put a finger up to her mouth. “Don’t tell... yet.”
Ciggie swatted Tom’s shoulder and she went on out of the library.
Tom closed the door after her. He turned his naked eyes over to his love as he took a key out and locked the door.
She said, “Oh-oh.”
He finally smiled. He sighed. He said, “I gotcha.”
“Yep.”
“Oh, Ellen—”
“You haven’t proposed as yet. Not officially.”
“How do I do that?”
“You have to get down on your knees—”
They both looked at his not quite healed leg.
She said, “Well, we’ll postpone that for a while. It can just be verbal.”
“I love you. I want to marry you.”
She sighed with rolled eyes and instructed him, “You’re supposed to say that I’m the most gorgeous woman you’ve ever seen and you’ll die without me.”
“How’d you know that?”
“Don’t you read anything?”
“Tell me what all to say to—”
She did that. And he said all those things right after she did. Then he went off on his own. He told her how beautiful she was. How he’d watched her when she was so ill. How he cared about her.
Tears came but her smile just went on and on. Her hands on him were so gentle. She loved the feel of his body on hers. That was when she understood that she was flat out on the sofa, mostly naked and being—loved.
The whole entire Keeper Place went berserk. It was like they’d all been surprised! How could they be? Who all didn’t know?
The celebration of the engagement was a buster. The huge Keeper house was jammed! Now, how could that many people get there that quick? They just did.
It was almost a riot. All the men insisted on a kiss. Ellen gave tiny little cheek kisses. She explained, “He’ll kill any man who tries for my mouth.”
Well, the guys could all understand that selfishness.
By the time the wedding gown was made-to-order and delivered, Tom was out of the splints. Of course, he walked carefully. His arm worked quite well. He could use it to hug his bride.
His leg was—well—it was coming along. It didn’t deter him in any way with Ellen.
The whole, entire area was vulnerable to emotion and love. It was a happy time...for them all.
Watch for Lass Small’s next book in March ’99 from Silhouette Desire.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6514-1
THE LONE TEXAN
Copyright © 1998 by Lass Small
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Parent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Table of Contents
Celebrate Lass Small’s 50th title for Silhouette Books with another unforgettable story in her series:
Letter to Reader
Title Page
Books by Lass Small
About the Author
Letter to Reader
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Copyright
