Free His Tempting Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 5) by Merry Farmer Page B

her wistful thoughts. She jumped and spun to face him.
    “There are a lot of things about Madame Kopanari that people wouldn’t think to look at her.” Miriam was far more breathless than she should be. Maybe it was the sight of Cody’s strong forearms poking out from under his rolled-up sleeves. Or maybe it was his outdoorsy scent. It could have been his easy smile as he glanced from Madame Kopanari to her too.
    “Such as?” he asked.
    It took her a moment to remember that they were having a conversation about someone else, not indulging in flights of heated fancy about each other.
    “Well, for one, Madame Kopanari speaks excellent English, but she prefers to keep to her native language unless she’s on stage.”
    “Huh.” Cody shifted his weight to one hip and rubbed his chin. The gesture drew attention to his hands and the soft line of his lips. What would it be like to kiss those lips? To have those hands trace the lines of her body? “I guess that makes sense,” he went on. “Heck, Miles doesn’t have so much as a hint of an accent.”
    “He does when he’s upset or excited.” Focus. Miriam had to focus. She cleared her throat. “Madame Kopanari is also an excellent cook. There have been times when we haven’t been near a town with a restaurant or hotel, or even a saloon, and have had to rely on her skills. She can do things with common supplies over an open fire that I’m sure the finest chefs in San Francisco would die for.”
    “Must be handy if you find yourself traveling.” Cody smiled with a far-off look that said he was imagining just that. “I suppose it makes sense, her being a gypsy and all.”
    “It does, doesn’t it?” She met him smile for smile.
    A larger part of her wanted to lean into him, take his hand. More than that, she wanted to fold herself into his arms and stay there forever. She may never have had a sense of what it was like to have a family around her, but baffling as it sounded in light of her past decisions, she thought there was a chance she might actually feel safe with Cody.
    As soon as the idea struck her, she recoiled from it, going so far as to take a step away. No, the last time she had let herself be lulled into a sense of security, she’d paid the price. It didn’t matter how sweet Cody seemed, she would not let herself be tricked into diving into water deep enough to drown her again.
    “She has a lot of stories,” she said, focusing on Madame Kopanari and wringing her hands.
    Cody watched her with eyes that were narrowed just a bit. “I’m sure she does.”
    Miriam’s heart thumped. Oh, dear. He was talking about her now.
    “So, I was wondering,” Cody started.
    That was as far as he got.
    “Come, come.” Across the room, the circle of children around Madame Kopanari had twisted to look at Cody and Miriam. Madame herself was gesturing for them to join the group.
    Miriam was more than happy to flee the situation that had started out so pleasantly and left her feeling so off-balance. She grabbed Cody’s hand and skipped across the room toward the others. Cody shuffled along, his expression unreadable.
    “And then there were the two lovers,” Madame Kopanari said as soon as Cody and Miriam stood with the children.
    Miriam blushed, dropping Cody’s hand as if it had turned flame-hot. The children giggled, glancing from Miriam and Cody to Madame Kopanari. Cody cleared his throat and squirmed.
    “Once, there were two young people,” Madame Kopanari began in her rich, mysterious accent. “Two young lovers who were promised to each other.”
    “It’s Mr. Cody and Miss Long, isn’t it?” tiny Millicent Strong piped up.
    The others giggled. Madame Kopanari held up her finger, and they stopped, spell-bound.
    “The young man was strong and true. He was a farmer with vast, rich lands.”
    “Mr. Cody doesn’t have a farm,” one of the other children—a red-head boy who could only be a Murphy—said.
    “Yeah, but he works on Paradise Ranch, and