BlackWind: Viraiden and Bronwyn Read Online Free Page A
Author: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
embarrass me.”
Bronwyn opened the door for her mother. “Then tell me about Dr. Hesar and the loafers.”
Deirdre ducked her head. “You know we have been friends for many, many years.”
She glanced at her daughter. At Bronwyn’s nod, she took a deep breath. “He’s asked me to marry him.”
“Good. You’re too young and vital to live alone the rest of your life.” She patted her leg. “Come on, Stuffie.”
Brownie trotted out the door in front of them.
“Is that your grandmother’s old locket?” Deirdre asked, casting a look at her daughter.
Bronwyn touched the locket that had somehow worked its way from beneath her blouse. She tucked the gold chain back where it belonged. “Yes, ma’am.”
“It needs cleaning.”
“I suppose it does, but I never take it off.” Bronwyn arched a brow at her mother.
“And stop trying to change the subject. What about Dr. Hesar?”
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Charlotte Boyett-Compo
“Your father wouldn’t have approved,” Deirdre said quietly as she stepped into the hall.
“Yes, well, Daddy was jealous of Dr. Hesar, as I remember.” She closed Sage’s door.
“May I ask what happened to his wife? Rosemary, wasn’t it?”
“They’ve been divorced for four years. Neal took your father’s job after—” She cut herself off. “Rosie didn’t like Iowa. She gave him an ultimatum—her or the job. Since they hadn’t been getting along for quite some time and didn’t even share a bedroom, he chose the job and she got his parents’ house at Doubletree in Albany.”
“Wow,” Bronwyn said with a whistle. “That was some house. Is he gonna build you something like that? If so, I got dibs on an east-facing bedroom.”
Deirdre stopped walking and looked at her daughter. “Do you have any objections to the marriage, Bronnie? Any at all?”
“None whatsoever.” Bronwyn embraced her mother. “I’m thrilled for you. I wish you two all the happiness in the world.”
The two women commenced walking.
“East-facing, huh?” Deirdre asked.
“It was a joke, Mom. I’m too old and too set in my ways to live with my mother ever again.”
“Well, you’ll have to bunk with me tonight at least. How much furniture are you having brought in?”
Bronwyn shrugged. “I have about fifteen boxes of junk, an old overstuffed chair and a futon. That’s the extent of my household goods. Everything came from Goodwill, and most of it, including my dishes, went back to Goodwill when I left Pensacola. I figured I’d start fresh out here.”
“Oh, good!” Deirdre exclaimed. “We’re going to have a ball shopping!”
Bronwyn grinned. “I thought that would make you happy.”
“We’ll get up early and zip over to Des Moines. There’s an absolutely delightful furniture store out near Valley West mall.”
Brownie padded down the long corridor and turned a corner, disappearing from view.
“Wrong way, Goldfarb!” Bronwyn called. “Here’s the elevator.” When Brownie didn’t come trotting back, Bronwyn sighed and called her again.
“I’ll hold the elevator,” Deirdre said, pushing the button.
Bronwyn jogged to the end of the corridor, whistling for her dog. “Brownie, come on!” As she rounded the corner, she saw Brownie far down the hall, sitting in the middle of the corridor, staring up at a tall man unlocking one of the doors.
“Brownie!” Bronwyn called. “Come here, sweetie!”
The dog turned to look at her mistress then swung her head back toward the man.
She let out one of her excited barks, the kind she used when she wanted to play.
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BlackWind: Viraiden and Bronwyn
Exasperated, Bronwyn clucked her tongue, patting her leg as she walked. “Brownie, come here!” she said, her voice tight.
The man never once looked in Bronwyn’s direction. He opened the door and went inside, closing the portal behind him with a snap.
Brownie whined and trotted to the door behind which the man had disappeared.
She lifted her paw and scratched at the metal.
“No!”
Bronwyn opened the door for her mother. “Then tell me about Dr. Hesar and the loafers.”
Deirdre ducked her head. “You know we have been friends for many, many years.”
She glanced at her daughter. At Bronwyn’s nod, she took a deep breath. “He’s asked me to marry him.”
“Good. You’re too young and vital to live alone the rest of your life.” She patted her leg. “Come on, Stuffie.”
Brownie trotted out the door in front of them.
“Is that your grandmother’s old locket?” Deirdre asked, casting a look at her daughter.
Bronwyn touched the locket that had somehow worked its way from beneath her blouse. She tucked the gold chain back where it belonged. “Yes, ma’am.”
“It needs cleaning.”
“I suppose it does, but I never take it off.” Bronwyn arched a brow at her mother.
“And stop trying to change the subject. What about Dr. Hesar?”
17
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
“Your father wouldn’t have approved,” Deirdre said quietly as she stepped into the hall.
“Yes, well, Daddy was jealous of Dr. Hesar, as I remember.” She closed Sage’s door.
“May I ask what happened to his wife? Rosemary, wasn’t it?”
“They’ve been divorced for four years. Neal took your father’s job after—” She cut herself off. “Rosie didn’t like Iowa. She gave him an ultimatum—her or the job. Since they hadn’t been getting along for quite some time and didn’t even share a bedroom, he chose the job and she got his parents’ house at Doubletree in Albany.”
“Wow,” Bronwyn said with a whistle. “That was some house. Is he gonna build you something like that? If so, I got dibs on an east-facing bedroom.”
Deirdre stopped walking and looked at her daughter. “Do you have any objections to the marriage, Bronnie? Any at all?”
“None whatsoever.” Bronwyn embraced her mother. “I’m thrilled for you. I wish you two all the happiness in the world.”
The two women commenced walking.
“East-facing, huh?” Deirdre asked.
“It was a joke, Mom. I’m too old and too set in my ways to live with my mother ever again.”
“Well, you’ll have to bunk with me tonight at least. How much furniture are you having brought in?”
Bronwyn shrugged. “I have about fifteen boxes of junk, an old overstuffed chair and a futon. That’s the extent of my household goods. Everything came from Goodwill, and most of it, including my dishes, went back to Goodwill when I left Pensacola. I figured I’d start fresh out here.”
“Oh, good!” Deirdre exclaimed. “We’re going to have a ball shopping!”
Bronwyn grinned. “I thought that would make you happy.”
“We’ll get up early and zip over to Des Moines. There’s an absolutely delightful furniture store out near Valley West mall.”
Brownie padded down the long corridor and turned a corner, disappearing from view.
“Wrong way, Goldfarb!” Bronwyn called. “Here’s the elevator.” When Brownie didn’t come trotting back, Bronwyn sighed and called her again.
“I’ll hold the elevator,” Deirdre said, pushing the button.
Bronwyn jogged to the end of the corridor, whistling for her dog. “Brownie, come on!” As she rounded the corner, she saw Brownie far down the hall, sitting in the middle of the corridor, staring up at a tall man unlocking one of the doors.
“Brownie!” Bronwyn called. “Come here, sweetie!”
The dog turned to look at her mistress then swung her head back toward the man.
She let out one of her excited barks, the kind she used when she wanted to play.
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BlackWind: Viraiden and Bronwyn
Exasperated, Bronwyn clucked her tongue, patting her leg as she walked. “Brownie, come here!” she said, her voice tight.
The man never once looked in Bronwyn’s direction. He opened the door and went inside, closing the portal behind him with a snap.
Brownie whined and trotted to the door behind which the man had disappeared.
She lifted her paw and scratched at the metal.
“No!”