Ryelee's Cowboy Read Online Free Page B

table
between them and looked at Clint. “I hear it’s going to be a grand
Christmas wedding with all the fixins. Who she’d get to be her maid
of honor, I just don’t know.”
    “That explains a lot.” Obviously
neither of the women liked Dottie. “Okay, two women down, two to
go. How about staying and giving me your opinion?”
    Mrs. Harvy blushed. “Sorry, Clint, I’m
not getting involved with your women.”
    Annie laughed as Mrs. Harvy hurried
from the room. “She’s probably off to the phones.”
    Clint sighed. “On to the
next problem. Ryelee only has a handful of threadbare clothes, one
pair of shoes with holes in them, and she doesn’t even have a coat.
She says she doesn’t want to spend any of the money she’s made
because she’ll need it when I throw her
away .”
    “Wow. I knew she grew up poor. Maybe
she’s afraid of being on her own again.” Annie narrowed her green
eyes and frowned. “You weren’t planning to fire her, were you? Is
everything all right over there?”
    Clint shook his head in defeat. “It’s
fine. Even if I wanted to fire her, Rheenie loves her too
much.”
    “They do make quite the
pair.”
    “That they do. If I gave you the
money, could you buy Ryelee some jeans and stuff?”
    “You’ll have to get her
sizes.”
    Clint frowned. “How am I supposed to
manage that?”
    Annie started laughing and couldn’t
seem to stop. “I guess you’ll have to ask her or check the tags for
sizes.”
    “I did check. The clothes are so faded
that you can’t read the tags.”
    “Well I guess you’ll have to span her
waist with your hands and somehow measure her inseam.”
    “She’s awfully prickly when it comes
to me. Measuring her won’t be easy. I want the clothes to be gifts
from you—she wouldn’t take them from me.”
    “You’ll just have to be inventive I
guess.”
    “Now why do I get the feeling that
you’re enjoying my predicament?”
    When the baby cried, they both knew
that the visit had ended. “Find out soon,” Annie advised. “She
needs a coat.”
    Clint kissed her on the cheek and
thanked her. He watched as she left the room, glad to have her as a
friend.
     
    * * * *
     
    Ryelee could feel Clint’s warm gaze on
her all through dinner and wondered if she had upset him yet again.
It was nerve racking trying to eat with him studying her. He would
probably want to talk to her after dinner. Why couldn't she just be
like other people? People that didn't have constant judgment
looming over them. It seemed as though everything she did was
wrong.
    She often snuck looks at Clint,
finding him handsome, gentle, and loving to Rheenie. She'd never
known such a man existed. She had wanted to scratch Dottie’s eyes
out every time she saw them together. She hoped that Dottie
wouldn’t be around after today, but that was probably too much to
hope for.
    Ryelee was jarred out of her musings
when a biscuit hit her in the head. Shocked, she looked up to find
Rheenie standing up on her chair with her tiny hands on her hips.
Clint jump out of his chair, but she got to Rheenie
first.
    Ryelee laughed. “Are you trying to get
my attention, little one?”
    She scooped Rheenie up and sat back
down, putting Rheenie on her lap. She kissed the top of her head.
“What did you need, baby?”
    Rheenie looked at Ryelee with a sad
face, bordering on crying. “You wouldn’t answer me, and now I’m
going to be punished!”
    Ryelee held her close and gently
rocked her. “No, there will not be a punishment, but we have to
agree that we don’t throw food. Okay?”
    Rheenie sniffled and nodded her head.
“I’m sorry.”
    Ryelee stood up and carried Rheenie
back to her chair. She kissed her cheek and whispered, “I’m sorry
too.”
    “Well, let’s just finish our dinner,
shall we?” Clint suggested.
    “Yes, Daddy.”
    “What did you want to ask me?” Ryelee
asked
    “I wanted to know if I could have an
extra big piece of apple pie!” Rheenie smiled at the two
adults.
    Ryelee