Free Cinderfella by Linda Winstead Jones Page A

from hereabouts. Verna’s not a reliable gossip, not at all dependable.”
    Charmaine’s mouth snapped shut, her eyes hardened until they were positively frosty, and the color rushed to her face. “No. It makes perfect sense. My father is bound and determined that one of his daughters stay here and since Felicity and Jeanette are married, well, that leaves me. Gullible, dim-witted Charmaine.”
    She took a long step forward. “Every fortune hunter for three hundred miles will be at this dratted masked ball. Every man who ever dreamed of having a ranch the size of Daddy’s, every man in East Kansas!”
    Ash definitely didn’t like the way she said man, as if she wouldn’t give two cents for any one of them. “Well, you’re bound to get married sooner or later, so you might as well —”
    â€œI’m not getting married, not sooner or later,” she snapped forcefully. “Daddy just refuses to accept that as fact.”
    He wanted to ask her why, but decided he was better off keeping his mouth shut. It looked like he’d done enough damage already.
    As they reached the walkway to the Haley house, Charmaine snatched the box from him, muttered a curt and very ungracious thanks, and stormed toward the front door. That gray skirt moved as ominously as any storm cloud he’d ever seen, and this one was definitely dangerous.
    When she reached the steps she turned to face him. Some of the anger had faded from her face, but her eyes were still like ice.
    â€œAre you coming to the party?”
    Ash shook his head slowly. This was as close to the Haley house as he wanted to be. Ever.
    â€œI wish you would.”
    For a second, a brief and ridiculously wonderful moment in time, he believed her. I wish you would. And then she shattered his belief.
    â€œThat would show Daddy, wouldn’t it,” she said, more thoughtful than angry, “if I spent the entire evening dancing with a Coleman.” She thanked him again, turned her back, and blazed through the front door and into the house.
    The walk back to the mercantile was quick, since his long stride was unchecked and his speed steadily increased until he was practically running. People got out of his way, and this time there were no friendly greetings. They took one look at him and knew better.
    â€œThat would show Daddy. . . . ”
    Nathan was waiting in the wagon, and the supplies were loaded into the bed. All Ash had to do was jump aboard and head for home. The next time Verna forgot supplies she would damn well make another trip to town herself.
    He didn’t so much as look at Nathan as he set the wagon in motion.
    â€œOh, dear,” Nathan said as they headed at a quick clip out of town. “I’m guessing things didn’t go well.”
    Ash didn’t respond, didn’t so much as glance to the side.
    â€œToo bad. She is fabulously gorgeous, with that fair hair and those magnificently elegant features, and those striking blue eyes. Forgive me for interfering, but it was just so obvious. She likes you, you like her —”
    Nathan shut his mouth quickly as Ash turned a cold glare his way. “That’s the dumbest notion I ever heard.”
    â€œI knew it the moment I walked into the mercantile.” For some reason there was a wide smile on Nathan’s face. “She wasn’t breathing, you weren’t breathing, you both jumped out of your skin when I said hello.” The smile widened to a ridiculously broad grin. “I could have lit all of Kansas if I could’ve harnessed the electricity in the room.”
    Ash snorted and turned his eyes to the road. “You were mistaken.”
    â€œBut —”
    Ash gave Nathan one more cold glare. “You were mistaken,” he said again, and with a sigh Nathan was blessedly silent.
    Â 
    If her father had been home when she’d returned with the masks, Charmaine would’ve certainly let him have a