With Autumn's Return (Westward Winds Book #3): A Novel Read Online Free Page A

of skirts. And so he’d been surprised. Shocked. It wasn’t simply that he hadn’t been expecting a woman; it was that Elizabeth Harding was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen.
    Even though her light brown hair had been pulled back into a sensible coil, the curled fringe on her forehead softened her face and drew attention to her eyes. When he’d recovered from the initial shock of discovering that E. M. Harding was a woman and had drawn close enough to study her face, Jason had discovered that her eyes were blue, a clear blue that reminded him of Sloan’s Lake on a sunny day. At first those eyes had been warm and welcoming, but then they’d begun to flash with anger, anger that was directed at him.
    He’d done nothing more than speak the truth. It wasn’t simply that men would not accept her. Everyone knew women did not have the constitution to be doctors. How would she amputate a limb? Even the formidable Mrs. Moran couldn’t have done that. Jason frowned. Today of all days, he did not want to think of his father’s housekeeper. He was still frowning when he heard the front door open. Pasting a welcoming smile onto his face, he walked into the waiting room, his smile becoming genuine when he recognized his visitor. If anyone could lift Jason’s mood, it would be Richard Eberhardt.
    “I came as soon as I heard the news,” Richard said as he carefully placed his hat on the stand. The forty-year-old merchant was noted for his conservative demeanor. Unlike Jason, he’d never toss his hat in a fit of anger. A couple inches shorter than Jason’s own six feet, Richard was thinner than average with medium brown hair and brown eyes. Jason had once heard someone say that Richard was so ordinary looking that it was easy to overlook him. That, Jason knew from firsthand experience, was a mistake, for the man had been blessed with a keen mind and almost unfailing business acumen. They’d first met when Richard sought legal advice, but they’d quickly become close friends. That was why Richard’s absence from the courtroom had been so unexpected.
    “I thought you were going to come for my closing remarks.”
    Richard nodded. “I had planned to, but Miriam wasn’t feeling well this morning.” In a move that had surprised Cheyenne society, Richard had married the former Miriam Taggert a few months ago. Though it was clear to Jason that Richard and Miriam were deeply in love, others claimed that Miriam had sold herself short, that she should have chosen a younger, more handsome man. That was nonsense, for Jason doubted anyone would care for her more than Richard.
    “Did Miriam consult Dr. Worland?” Richard’s wife hadn’t struck Jason as one of those women who were constantly complaining about their health, and so if she was ill, it was probably something serious.
    Richard shook his head. “It didn’t seem that serious. It must have been something she ate, because she recovered by noon, but by then it was too late to go to the courthouse.”
    “I’m glad she’s all right.” While Miriam was not the typeof woman he planned to marry, Jason felt genuine affection for his friend’s wife.
    “You and me both, but Miriam’s not the reason I’m here.”
    Jason nodded as he gestured toward the door to his office. There was no reason to remain standing in the long hallway that divided his office. The right side held a good-sized waiting room in the front with a slightly smaller library behind it. The left side of the building contained only one room: the office itself. Though narrower than the other chambers, Jason liked the long rectangular space.
    “So you heard the news,” he said as he closed the door behind him. He wouldn’t bother asking who had told Richard. It didn’t matter. “I assume you heard how Bennett fooled me.”
    Settling into one of the two client chairs, Richard raised an eyebrow. “That’s what I believe happened.” He emphasized the pronoun. “Not everyone agrees. Some