Читать книгу Rocky Mountain Match - Pamela Nissen - Страница 13

“If there’s one thing I cannot abide, it is an overbearing woman!” Julia proclaimed with a flourish. “Mrs. Duncan…why, the way that woman prattles on, you’d think she owned half the town. The woman is overbearing, I tell you. Overbearing!”

Joseph slid a hand across his mouth, masking his grin. He figured it took an overbearing person to know one, and Julia was close to an expert in the ways of overbearing women.

“Mrs. Duncan does—”

“She was nothing if not imperious,” she interrupted with a terse huff. “Out of the goodness of my heart, I offered my valuable expertise in helping to organize the box social and barn dance for the Glory Days celebration. And she refused! Flat-out refused, I tell you.”

“Maybe she already has things arranged,” he offered in a lame attempt to console her.

He couldn’t imagine why she’d come looking for consolation from him. Between the meal catastrophe when she’d stormed off mad and the indifference he’d shown her at church yesterday, he sure didn’t expect her to try and cozy up to him again. But from the minute she’d barged into his solitude some fifteen minutes ago, she’d been as much as crawling into him, mining for sympathy.

He’d been sitting on his porch awaiting Katie’s arrival to start a second week of training when Julia’s taut, brisk steps brought her up the walk. Funny, the second he realized the footsteps weren’t Katie’s, disappointment crept over him like a dark cloud blocking out the sun’s warmth.

Training his ear to the street, he listened for Katie’s approach, feeling a strange sense of regret knowing he wouldn’t really need her after his appointment next week. When his vision returned, Katie wouldn’t have to. He had to admit, having her around every day had been nice. She’d gotten under his skin with her sweet but confident disposition, her sunny encouragement and the way she made him feel so at ease. So much like himself again.