Page 27 of Hometown Cowboy
A quick glance at the checkout slowed her mad pulse a little. While she knew who the guy behind the counter was, he was a lot younger than her, and they didn’t really know each other that well. Fingers crossed he wouldn’t blab to anyone about the unusual items that she had bought.
Darby unloaded everything as quickly as she could—her whole eight items—smiled and prattled on about the weather and how they were seeing a lot of tourists even compared to other years.
While Jacob scanned her items and popped them into her reusable bag, Darby let out a deep breath, a relieved smile tilting her mouth.
“Well, hello, Darby Jameson. I wouldn’t have expected to see you here at this time of day.”
Darby cringed inwardly, pasted an overly bright smile on her mouth and turned. “Good afternoon, Miss Appleton. Fancy seeing you here today.”
Mildred Appleton looked imperiously down her nose at Darby. The self-appointed matron of Kurrajong Crossing was dressed to the nines as if expecting to be invited to afternoon tea at any moment.
The hint of a smile drifted over Miss Appleton’s mouth. “I see Gabriel and Emma are back from their honeymoon. I expected them to be away a lot longer than a mere few weeks.”
“They only took a short break. Gabe has his animals to look after and he didn’t feel right being away too long.”
Miss Appleton’s smile turned smug. “I suppose it’s for the best considering Ryan was left in charge.”
Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Mildred Appleton certainly knew which buttons to push with everybody in town and she never hesitated in stabbing as hard as she could.
“Why, Miss Appleton, I’m sure Ryan would be heartbroken if he knew you thought so little of his skill with cattle.”
The comment managed to elicit a slight laugh, surprising Darby. “I have no doubt that the man is extremely skilled with cattle. You can see how he has turned that farm around in such a short period. It was extremely rundown, and he is definitely a credit to himself and the town in how he has stepped up to create such a thriving herd. No, you know very well that I have no issue with his farming practices. His moral standards, on the other hand…”
Darby’s stomach somersaulted. So, it was going to be like that?
“Doesn’t it get tiring? Fretting about what everyone else is doing all the time? Surely that’s as time-consuming as hell? What did Ryan, or anyone else for that matter, ever do to you to make you so determined to pull them down?”
Mildred’s cheeks pinked behind her carefully applied make up. The light violet of her lipstick glistened as she pursed her lips.
“I always thought you to be a rather polite, smart young lady. Perhaps your time in Ryan’s company has diminished this?” Mildred nodded her pointed chin at the items sitting in Darby’s grocery bag without taking her eyes from Darby. “That boy is nothing but trouble. It’s not in his nature to stay. Mind you don’t get caught in the aftermath of the heartache he leaves behind. It would be a shame to see you hurt.”
Darby opened her mouth to reply but found that she didn’t know what to say.
Had Miss Appleton seen the pregnancy tests? Surely not?
She tapped her card to pay and bit her lip, frowning.
It didn’t matter anyway. It would be negative. She was only a little late because she was so stressed.
There was no possible way that she was pregnant to Ryan Thomas. They’d used protection, all except that one time. She was just being paranoid.
“Better to be safe than sorry,” she muttered.
She headed back down the boulevard toward the bakery, smiling absently at people who acknowledged her.
She refused to think about what she would do if it came back positive, because it wouldn’t. Itcouldn’t.
Darby breathed deep to try and suppress her churning stomach.
Everything would be fine. She just knew it.
*
Darby placed thebread rolls, loaf of bread, and various goodies left over from the bakery onto the kitchen bench and walked down the back couple of steps into the screened porch area where Gabe was barbecuing some mouth-watering lamb chops.
Emma glanced up from setting the table and sent her a questioning smile. She motioned to Amy on the other side of the table.
“Hey, Amy, would you come and help me choose a bottle of wine?” Emma asked. She jerked her head in the direction of the kitchen and hurried off, Amy following along behind, strangely subdued from her normal exuberant self. Emma jerked her chin in the direction of the men.