The Unexpected Wife. Mary Burton
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Tommy started to whimper and reached out to his father. “No.”
Mrs. Clements kept moving toward the door. “I’ve a new horse you two boys haven’t seen yet.”
Tommy stopped whimpering immediately. “Horse.”
“That’s right,” she said as she opened the door. “I bought him off an Indian. He’s got white and brown spots.”
The door closed behind them. Abby could still hear Mrs. Clements’s cheery voice but it quickly faded until nothing remained but an uncomfortable silence.
Abby shifted her gaze from the door to Mr. Barrington. Dark circles smudged under his eyes and three or four days’ growth of beard covered his square jaw.
“I thank you for what you’ve done for my boys, but I don’t want a wife.”
She was used to not being wanted. But she understood her value. “But you need one.”
He shoved out a deep breath. “I’ll make it without one.”
“Pride is a wonderful thing, Mr. Barrington, but there is a time and place for it. Believe me, mine has taken a sore beating today. This is not how I pictured our first meeting.”
Frowning, he shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry for that, Miss Smyth. If I’d known what Mrs. Clements and the others were up to, I’d have stopped it instantly. But that doesn’t change anything.”
She shrugged, trying to look casual when she felt anything but as she watched her dreams fall apart. “I have spent the last ten years swallowing my pride and doing what was practical. I’d leave now if I had any other options. I severed all my ties with my family to move out here. Going back is not a choice for me, even if I did have the money to finance the trip.”
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