Sabrina's Man Read Online Free Page B

his head and turned away muttering, “Just once.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you do it, then?”
    Will’s voice was no more than a whisper. “She favored another man.”

    â€œCome along, Alice. I’ve got something to show you.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Alice had been standing outside the hardware store when Waco had walked up with a smile on his face. “Come along. I’ll show you.”
    Alice looked puzzled but walked along. They cleared Front Street and turned and walked to where a few houses had been built on large lots.
    â€œCome on and look at this.” Waco led the way up on the porch of a painted frame house with gables and two windows covered by curtains.
    When Waco reached for the door, Alice exclaimed, “You can’t just walk in there, Waco!”
    â€œWhy can’t I?”
    â€œBecause we’d be trespassing.”
    Waco laughed. “No, we wouldn’t. This is our house.”
    Alice stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean
our
house?”
    â€œI took what was left of the money from the sale of the horse ranch and put it on this house. It’ll take awhile to pay for it, but it’s for us, Alice. Come on in and let’s see if you like it.”
    Alice followed Waco inside. They went through the house room by room, and finally when they got to the spacious living room with the large fireplace, he walked over and put his elbow on the mantel and stared around the room. “I wonder if there was ever a murder in this room.”
    â€œA murder?” Alice stared at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œWell, lots of things happen in houses, Alice.”
    â€œBut not murders.”
    â€œMaybe so. No telling what the history of this place is. Might have been a fellow standing right here where I am. A woman came in the door. He took one look at her and fell in love. They married and had children and grandchildren.”
    â€œThat’s much nicer than a murder.”
    â€œI just imagine things like that sometimes. Maybe there was a couple that lived here, and one of them was unfaithful and ran off with the hardware salesman or an insurance salesman.”
    â€œYou know, Waco, you’re a much deeper thinker than most people take you for.”
    He came to her and brought her to him with a quick sweep of his arm. He’d kissed her before, but lightly. This time he felt not only the desperate hunger of her lips, but running through him was an emotion almost like wildfire. She had this power over him, lifting him to a wild height so that he could know the vague hints of glory a woman and a man might know. When he lifted his lips, he said, “Marry me, Alice. I’ll make you happy.”
    Alice put her hands behind his neck, drew him down, and kissed him again. “All right,” she whispered. “I’ll marry you.”

    â€œAlice has agreed to marry me, Will.”
    Will was adding up figures in a book. He looked up and said, “Well, that’s fine. Of course that’s no surprise to me. My congratulations. You’re getting a fine girl.”
    â€œYou mentioned you loved a woman once, but you didn’t explain what happened.”
    Will shook his head, his lips clamped together. “No sense talking about things like that. When is the date of the wedding?”
    â€œAs soon as we get the house ready.”
    Will closed the book. “All right,” he said. “Are you sure you love her?”
    â€œI am.”
    â€œAnd are you sure she loves you?”
    Waco did not speak for a moment, and Will saw uncertainty in his face. Finally Waco said, “She doesn’t care for me like I do for her, but I can make her love me, Will. You just wait and see!”

CHAPTER 3
    A violent rain had swept through Little Rock earlier, leaving the pungent odors of spring that followed a downpour. It was late in the afternoon, and there was a small light in the sky.