brides for brothers 03 - cowboy groom Read Online Free

school?”
    “No, ma’am. And all my teachers were glad to see me go, I can assure you.”
    “I believe you. I can’t imagine those teachers facing all four Randalls.”
    He grinned again. “They couldn’t, either.” After a pause, he returned to his question she’d avoided. “So, what happened to your parents?”
    His question broke Anna out of the cocoon of the intimacy in the quiet kitchen, the web of caring Brett had casually spun. She never talked about her parents, didn’t want to remember those years. Maybe she should tell Brett Randall. It would emphasize the difference between the Anna O’Briens and the Randalls of the world. It would remind her that she was here for a job, not as a part of the Randall clan.
    It was all too easy to forget.
    Especially with the man sitting there dressed only in jeans and a snug T-shirt, his broad shoulders and chest clearly outlined. The temptation to touch him was almost irresistible.
    “My mother died in childbirth, like your mother, only she wasn’t in a hospital, and my father drank himself to death afterward.” She stared at him, watching for his reaction.
    He returned her look, concern on his face, and she had to look away.
    “How old were you?”
    “Six.”
    “And when your father died?”
    “Seventeen.”
    “Is that why you became a midwife?”
    His perception shot through her like a knife. Even Doc Jacoby, her staunchest supporter, didn’t know about her mother. He thought she liked babies and pregnancy. Why was she confessing everything to this cowboy?
    “It doesn’t matter. I need to get to bed.” She abandoned the rest of her meal and pushed back her chair to stand, but a hand on her arm held her in the chair.
    “Were you with your mother when she died?”
    He was getting so close, invading her private space, and she felt the familiar anger fill her again. “Yes. Were you with yours?”
    “No. What happened?”
    His rapid-fire response almost had her answering him, but she drew a deep breath and responded in reasonable tones. “I’m really tired, Mr. Randall. If you don’t mind, I’ll go to bed.”
    “Do you call my brothers Mr. Randall, too? If so, it must be really confusing around here.” His smile invited her to forget their previous conversation and relax.
    “No, but they told me to call them by their first names.”
    “Good. Call me Brett. And finish your dinner.”
    “Thank you, but I have finished.”
    “You didn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive.”
    He still held her arm, keeping her in place. She knew she could get away from him, but she didn’t want another wrestling match with the man. “Fortunately I’m not a bird. If you’ll excuse me…” She stared pointedly at his hand.
    “Just a few more bites? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    She was torn between escaping the kitchen and proving to Brett Randall that she hadn’t let his conversation disturb her. Though she suspected she was making a mistake, she relaxed and picked up her fork.
    “Good girl.”
    “You’re trying to take care of me again, Brett. I’ve been on my own for quite a while.”
    “I guess you have. When did you move to our county?”
    “Last year. After I trained, I worked at a hospital in Casper for five years while I specialized in midwifery.” Safe topics.
    “Why move out here, away from the big city and bright lights?” He watched her even as he took a bite of cake.
    She found those brown eyes hard to resist.
    “I like the country. And there’s more need for a midwife out here. Doc can’t cover the entire county.”
    “He doesn’t have any problem with you working here?”
    His question raised her hackles again. “Here? Do you mean here in your house or here in the county?”
    He grinned, shaking his head. “Now, don’t get angry with me again, Red.”
    “Red? Red is the housekeeper. My name is Anna.”
    “I know, but you have a temper. It matches your red hair.”
    She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I do not have