Free Beloved Texas Bride by Ginny Sterling Page B

shook her head no and muttered to him that they were for him. He muffled a laugh once again and realized that she simply did not know anything about cooking.
    “Thank you for saving the beans for me, but I will wait until they are cooked. If beans are eaten raw, it can give you a horrific case of the quickstep. You know, the trots?” he elaborated more at her blank, uncomprehending look.
    “Raw beans will give you diarrhea,” he said bluntly, watching her pale cheeks turn vibrantly pink with embarrassment.
      Elizabeth was not sure what to say, she was so mortified. “That is quite enough description, thank you. I would not recommend those beans then. You are more than welcome to the wheel of cheese that I cut,” she offered, trying to recover the situation. Last thing she wanted to do was look like she did not know what she was doing.
    “The cheese is safe, right?” she asked sarcastically, but in all truth she really wanted to know because she had eaten several slices already. The idea of her stomach cramping due to illness was not welcomed at all.
      Cole smiled at her question, “Yes the cheese is more than safe to eat. The beans will be as well once we cook them tonight. Why don’t you put those back in the bowl to soak and well talk about your future,” he said carefully. He needed to go into town and find someone else to house Elizabeth, hire a chaperone, or find a solution to their housing situation. It dawned on him he could stay in the barn loft if need be.
      He watched as Elizabeth clasped her hands tightly in front of her and pursed her lips. She was putting up a front to do battle. Apparently her future was a touchy subject with the little woman in front of him. Her five-foot frame was ramrod straight and in a decidedly defensive position.
    He grabbed two mugs and poured them each a cup of coffee from the small pot. Shaking his head, he realized he had to go into town regardless for supplies. He would not do without his coffee in the mornings and this pot finished up his small ration he had left over from the trip across country. He sat down, took a large sip and, once again, invited her to join him. Cole was surprised to see her shake her head and not move from the spot.
    “I’m not going to bite you. I just want to talk. Have a seat,” he offered again politely.
      Watching her stare at him, he pointed at the other bench and the cup. “Elizabeth, sit” he barked sternly and held back a groan. That was a bit more roughly said than he had intended and he could see her retreat, once again, as she stepped backwards.
      It would not do to have her frightened of him or to have her ignoring him. Life out on a remote farm, you had to follow orders, sometimes for your safety. He watched as she eventually sat down quietly across from him, but would not meet his eyes.
    “So tell me about what brought you here… what really brought you here to Texas. Why were you trying to become a nanny so far away from your home?” he asked gently, trying to get her to open up and talk with him. Women did not travel alone over one thousand miles without having a damn good reason and he would like to hear hers. When she did not answer, he cleared his throat and nudged the coffee cup towards her.
     
     
    Elizabeth was not sure how much to tell him. Could she trust him? She had trusted him so far and he had helped her at every turn. So far, Cole had been a perfect gentleman but would that gentleman feel the need to return her to her family? Going home was the last thing she wanted to do. She heard him clear his throat when she did not respond. As a reflex, she automatically grabbed the coffee mug wincing at the heat coming thru the metal sides. The small, spotted tin cup was extremely hot and took her by surprise. It was far from the bone china floral cups her mother served tea in.
    This was meant for a different environment in a different setting. It would be out of place on her mother’s linen tables, just as the