Nature is hard to be overcome, but she must be overcome.
She kept begging to go away.
On that subject she was adamant.
She gets web hosting set up for the princely sum of $30 a month.
He did not even hear his mother's footsteps as she came into the room.
She stopped and gazed up at his face.
She and Dad would have loved Alex.
They knew the kitten, by this time, so they scampered over to where she lay beside Jim and commenced to frisk and play with her.
She laughed without humor.
She was due to foal in July.
She lay hidden among some rocks, and nothing could make her stir.
With these words she greeted Prince Vasili Kuragin, a man of high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at her reception.
She walked toward it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless, with its head hanging down almost to the ground.
She hires a contract programmer in Russia for $3000 to code it and advertises on Craig's List for a designer who will work for some stock.
Leaving her thoughts behind, she started up the hill to meet Alex.
Even so, she had accepted it in her mind to a degree.
When Carmen's father died, she thought she was alone in the world, yet all these people had been there for her.
She stopped in the kitchen when she spotted the skillet of scrambled eggs and a pan of biscuits beside it.
Strolling down to the footbridge, she leaned on the railing.
She shook her head to clear it.
She followed him out the door and watched as he hopped into the truck and started the engine.
She fed them and gathered the few eggs they had laid after she gathered them yesterday.
She would soon be ready for Jonathan to ride.
He slapped her on the backside playfully as she passed.
As busy as she was, time had to be set aside for play with Destiny.
Still, she didn't feel uncomfortable.
Dessalles wrote this letter to the Governor for Princess Mary, she signed it, and it was given to Alpatych with instructions to hand it to the Governor and to come back as quickly as possible if there was danger.
Would she ever outgrow the things mama had taught her?
Slowly carrying the full cups into the living room, she handed one to Alex.
She was a veritable garden of indecision.
She straightened and smiled at him.
No, she's playing in her room.
He was going to like the clothes she bought for the trip.
I only know that I sat in my mother's lap or clung to her dress as she went about her household duties.
This was a decision she had already made once - but not really.
The unknown can be worse than reality, and she had no idea what to expect on the flight.
Dorothy nearly went with them, but she was holding fast to the iron rail of the seat, and that saved her.
They entered the house and she glanced at the dark fireplace.
In the kitchen she removed two mugs from the holder and reached for the coffee pot.
Staring out the bay window at the old house, she abandoned her coffee cup on the window sill.
She glanced up at him as he stopped beside her.
Once again she sighed deeply.
Certainly she had been under a lot of stress.
Waking from her stupor, she blew him a kiss.
She gazed down at him as he knelt beside the fire.
She sighed and walked over to the window seat.
Alex walked into the room, smiling when he saw what she had done.
After dressing and freshening up, she found him in the kitchen wolfing down a sandwich.
Turning, she put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips.
As she left the kitchen, his voice followed her.
She would never have considered back-talking her parents.
Alex didn't know about her fear of flying and she'd just as soon he didn't learn.
She had to move a few things to make room, but that wasn't too hard.
She frowned as she unbuttoned her blouse.
He watched absently as she shrugged out of her blouse.
She is such a good seamstress.
She growled so loudly that the men and boys outside were frightened.
She was uneasy because she had never been on a plane before.
She sat up, pulling the blanket around her nightgown and shivered.
She slid over, cuddling close to him, her head on his pillow.
It wouldn't have been so much fun for him if she had reacted the way he did when she told him she was pregnant.
She could have asked, but that might tip her hand.
That night as they prepared for bed, she approached Alex about it.
His gaze traveled over her as she climbed out of her jeans.
Shucking the last of her underclothes, she reached for her nightgown.
Warmth crawled up her neck as she grabbed her nightgown and pulled it over her head.
She jerked her head up and stared at him, letting the nightgown fall loosely around her body.
It wasn't something she would normally do - buying clothes specifically for a trip.
She still held Jonathan's hand.
Alex tried to pay, but she wouldn't let him.
She wasn't contributing money, but she was certainly contributing her share.
She doesn't have any reason to be jealous of me.
Planting kisses on the corner of his mouth, she whispered.
She opted for the warm bath again.
She went upstairs and changed into Jeans and a fitted blouse.
The answer came swiftly - because she no longer thought of him as adopted.
Besides, it was time to replace some of the things she'd been wearing since before they were married.
He reached for her and she evaded his hands, playfully slapping him away.
For a moment she struggled with him until something changed in his eyes.
Her face warmed as she thought of it.
With everything going on, Carmen didn't have time to worry about flying, but when they were all sitting at the airport, she finally had time to stew over it.
While he showered, she straightened up the room.
Leaning her back against the wall, hands behind her back, she watched him in the mirror.
Placing her hands over his, she eagerly returned his kiss.
Finally she drew back, breathless.
Turning toward him, she melted into his warm embrace.
She cuddled close to him and lifted her face for his affection.
She pressed against him, moaning with delight.
Emerging from the bathroom an hour later half asleep, she put the new nightgown on and climbed into bed.
She slept so soundly that she didn't wake when Alex returned.
When she glanced at Alex, he was watching her intently.
Is it too far to go to Austin? she asked.
She glanced up in surprise.
She smiled up at him sweetly.
Of course, she knew Alex well enough now to know he didn't like people to hand out information about him.
That was the first time she had said it to anyone.
For a moment her heart beat overtime and it looked as though she might fall, but Alex smoothly caught her and stepped around, covering her fumbling so well that no one appeared to notice.
Alex hesitantly put an arm around her waist, relaxing when she caressed his hand.
What would be different this time was the fact that he couldn't deny the babies were his - that and the fact that this time she had no uterus to lose.
She met his searching gaze.
Linda thinks about this and decides she wants to keep it ad-free for now.
Still, she said, returning her attention to the old house.
She pushed the thought from her mind and turned to him.
Pulling his head down, she met warm lips again and surrendered to the passion he always managed to arouse.
Later, she lay in bed, tucked warmly under the covers as his boots clicked away from her on the hardwood floor - down the hall and into the den.
If Alex knew that, he gave no indication - and she had no intention of telling him.
In fact, at times she had been almost brutally clear that she was no longer interested in him.
She wasn't vain enough to think that turned him to drinking, though.
She placed the dish in the rack and glanced at Katie.
At ten years old, Jonathan was almost as tall as she was.
She was only a month into two years old, but she was big for her age.
He wouldn't have approved - of that she was certain.
But then, she hadn't approved of his drinking or the way he treated Lori either.
What was she making him disappointed about?
And so, if she couldn't have it in her head, she'd put it into his.
A long sigh escaped her lips as she slid back down under the covers.
She went to the coop first and watered the chickens.
When she opened the barn door, the Appaloosa mare lifted her head over her stall and nickered.
She scooped up some oats and fed each of the horses.
She picked up her coffee cup and took another sip, her eyes searching his over the rim.
She was an only child who had been very welcome.
She was equally certain that he would have loved them.
Assured that it had not, she turned back to him.
Maybe she would have if she hadn't been shoving it from her mind.
In fact, she had made a different decision about it so many times that his head must be spinning.
Did she have a window seat?
She retrieved them from her purse and handed them to him.
When she glanced at him, he was eyeing her, a wry smile twisting his lips.
He picked up the newspaper she had set out for him and started to read.
But right or wrong, she isn't his daughter.
She stepped forward and pulled the newspaper down with one hand.
Leaning forward, she lifted his chin with her other hand and kissed his lips.
He rolled up the newspaper and hit her playfully on the backside as she walked away.
She glanced down at the long flannel nightgown.
She shook her head soberly.
Had anyone actually told her that or had she merely assumed it?
She lifted a hand and caressed his cheek.
It was embarrassing to think she had let it go on this long without realizing he was troubled by it.
She caught her breath and glanced at him in the mirror.
She turned her head and kissed him on the cheek.
When she reached Destiny's room, Jonathan was already dressed and was helping Destiny.
When they finally got on the plane, she and Jonathan had a window seat - Jonathan in front of her.
As his fingers laced through hers, she opened her eyes and found Alex watching her.
Now he knew what a chicken she was.
In spite of her decision not to, she glanced out the window.
She squeezed Alex's hand.
As always, he had been there when she needed him.
When she glanced up at him, even his smile was reassuring.
If Felipa noticed her reaction, she gave no indication.
I doubt if she'll go to you.
She gazed out the window as if she hadn't noticed anything unusual.
In that moment she cringed inwardly.
This wasn't the Alex she knew.
She searched his face for some indication of comprehension, eventually finding it only in his voice.
Still feeling the sobering effects of that cool regard, she forced a smile.
She leaned back against his arm, watching his profile as he looked out the window.
She met his gaze and smiled.
When her attention returned to the others, she caught Señor Medena and Felipa watching them.
Alex retrieved her from Felipa and shifted her so that she sat on his arm, one of her arms around his neck.
Actually, she hadn't thought how it looked to others - and there had never been any doubt in her mind that she was fortunate to have Alex.
Carmen refrained from looking at Alex or displaying the shock she felt at the introduction of two more siblings he had never mentioned - an entire family.
And yet, there was something about her that suggested she was in uncharted waters - maybe body language.
I think she was merely directing the comment at you because she thought you might want to know.
Someone knocked on the door and when she answered it, a man brought in their luggage.
Popping it open, she started hanging their things in the closet.
For a moment she surrendered to his warm lips and secure embrace, clinging to him as her heart stepped up pace.
She handed him a light blue shirt.
She'd start feeling more comfortable with the room.
Tonight, when it was dark, she could pretend they were at home.
Never had she seen Alex so hostile - not even with Josh.
She turned her head to watch him.
Her lower lip pushed out and then she started to cry.
She will have the baby for us because I have no womb, but it is our baby.
She had enough for the entire family.
When the kids were settled in their room, she turned on Alex.
And yet, she was reluctant to say anything to church members - even family members.
And now she was even resenting Alex for telling his father.
She'll be closer to her age.
She rolled over and sat up, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
Looking down at him, she sighed.
She hesitated as his troubled gaze ran over her face.
She urged her mount a safe distance away, motioning for Jonathan to follow.
She said something and then rode ahead.
When no one said anything she sighed, her attention on Carmen.
Maybe that was what Felipa was talking about - that she fussed over him too much.
She certainly didn't feel any different.
She has already apologized and I have accepted her apology.
She hesitated at Señor Medena's desk and he glanced up at her expectantly.
In that moment she was certain she saw something in his eyes - something akin to remorse.
For another moment she hesitated, and then joined Alex.
She slipped eagerly into his arms and their lips met hungrily.
With nothing more to do, she wandered in to watch him shave.
She gazed up into his smooth features.
Right now she didn't care where they were.
Not because she wanted the money, but because it might become an issue.
If she was invited, it was as a guest of Alex, so he would tell her when and if he decided to go.
Felipa tipped her head to the side, as if she was considering that information.
Maybe Felipa had a love she wasn't sure about.
Both were watching her as if she had something earth-shattering to say.
She swallowed down a crisp reply.
It was the way she wanted it as well.
She would like to have so much attention.
Felipa smiled as she expertly tied a big red bow.
Since you arrived, she is not sure this is the way.
She shouldn't have encouraged Alex to come down here.
On the other hand, when the issue finally came to a head, she would have been in the middle of it all anyway.
She should discuss all this with Alex.
Hopefully she wasn't offended.
As she glanced up, Morino and Alex started down the stairs, the tall lanky foreman taking two at a time.
Then she ran straight into the fence - like she didn't see it.
Even so, Alex wasn't back by the time she got out.
Slipping into the new nightgown, she slid between the sheets.
It wasn't the first time she had gone to bed while he was out on a call, but it was the first time she had done so away from home.
If this was what defined a vacation away from home, she'd just as soon stay at home.
She was still awake an hour later when Alex came through the door.
He stumbled over something and exclaimed before she turned on the lamp beside her bed.
Better. I think she was foundered.
For a moment she lay waiting, and then realized he had fallen asleep.
She kissed his lips softly and rolled away from him.
In the morning she showered and dressed before he woke.
A few minutes after they left, Felipa arrived with an older woman she introduced simply as Maria.
Her calculating gaze ran over Carmen from head to toe and she smiled.
She is the best seamstress in Houston!
Finally she spotted him, plastered against the fence, watching Alex.
She reached out and brushed dirt from his shoulder without commenting.
She was so worn out that she fell asleep at the table.
Remembering what Felipa had said about the girls being out of a home if Alex refused the inheritance, she smiled.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Alex watching her.
Alex shot her a stern look and she made a face.
If he thought Alex was warming to him, he saw more than she did.
She sighed, gazing up at him.
Sliding her arms around his neck, she pressed against him.
When his warm lips met hers, she returned his kiss passionately.
In the morning she opened her eyes to find Destiny's face only inches away from hers.
She lifted her head, copper curls falling across her eyes.
It wasn't something she had considered before, but another thought followed his.
Some might think Dulce didn't know what she was missing, but Carmen suspected she did.
How sad that she would be too proud to have fun.
Her figure was not as well developed as Alondra or Dulce, but she looked nice in the style and color.
She smiled as Carmen put hands to her mouth in surprise.
She helped Carmen into the new dress.
She hiked it up and Felipa rolled her eyes.
Carmen swirled around, enjoying the feel of the skirt as she eyed her image in the mirror.
Stopping suddenly, she caught her breath.
Lifting the skirt slightly with one hand so she wouldn't trip on it, she let the other hand slide lightly down the banister for added balance.
As she rounded the curve in the staircase, the room became silent.
For a moment she almost panicked.
In the sea of faces, she didn't see Alex.
She stood frozen, searching for him.
Slipping her hand through his extended elbow, she let him lead her into the center of the room.
She leaned back and looked up at his face.
It was something she had always liked about him, mostly because he was sincere about it.
Certainly she wanted to feel special to Alex - and did.
She was beginning to see why Alex wasn't impressed with Señor Medena.
She scanned the room, but didn't spot him.
There were so many people she had never seen - lots of good looking women.
She smiled up at him as his hand found her waist.
She rested one hand on his upper arm and surrendered her other to a hand that engulfed hers.
Warmth ran up her neck and she bit her lower lip.
If Alex felt the need to protect her from Gerald, maybe she shouldn't be dancing with him.
What would Alex have done if she had talked?
She nodded, searching the room again for Alex.
She smiled up at him, feeling a sudden need for levity.
She pulled her hand back, her face growing warmer.
For a moment she watched them gracefully move across the room - totally in sync.
She looked too proper to be considered beautiful, and her expression was lofty.
Even as she thought it, she knew her anger had nothing to do with their heritage.
Finally she spotted him talking to his father.
Focusing on his profile, she willed him to look her way.
Of course, she could have used sign language, but that would have been distracting - and it wouldn't have been as personal.
Something about the way Felipa was smiling up at him suggested she was anticipating a good night kiss.
She turned to find Alex smiling down at her.
She stared up at his face, but he ignored her.
Her smile was wry as she gazed up at his face.
She sighed, leaning back and gazing into his eyes.
She didn't come here to talk to me.
She was invited to the party.
By whoever invited all these other people - I suppose because she was someone I knew.
As the dance came to an end, she gazed up at him.
She stood silently watching him until he looked uncomfortable.
Hands on hips, she smiled up at him dryly.
Even as tired as she was, his arms were a welcome haven.
Snuggling close, she lifted her face to accept his kiss.
She had to grab it to keep it from falling to the floor.
She pushed him back, speaking as firmly as she could without talking loud enough for the children to hear.
In fact, what she felt was pity.
She removed his Tux and shoes, rolling him around the bed in the process.
Changing into her night gown, she decided to sleep on the love seat.
Being groped by him again wasn't something she was looking forward to.
In spite of the uncomfortable sleeping accommodations and the situation, she fell asleep almost instantly.
She rubbed a sore spot in her lower back.
And then she remembered seeing Dulce watching her when she accepted the drink.
At the time she had thought Dulce was annoyed because she didn't like the punch.
They crawled into bed and she rolled on her side with her back to him.
She rolled over to face him, sliding eagerly into his embrace.
She was no longer tired - no longer concerned about the children or the strange room.
Her gaze left his face as she considered the idea.
She glanced up at his face.
She had an interesting perspective, and she made him think about things differently.
She snickered at the unintentional pun and Alex frowned, his gaze an unspoken question.
Dulce motioned to Carmen from a hallway, so Carmen told Alex to take the children up and she would be up shortly.
She let her gaze fall sternly on Dulce's face.
She shrugged and then walked away.
She would have thought Dulce adored her father, but obviously not.
She dropped the picture in his lap and watched his reaction.
I think everyone was guilty of staring at her at least once - if for no other reason, wondering if she was going to fall out of her dress.
She reached out and took the picture from his hand.
She had no particular concern about that part.
Maybe she thought it was funny.
In fact, she said it was for me.
I've been getting the feeling she is trying to break us up.
Why would she want to do that?
When I realized she intended to get you drunk it went all through me.
Dulce had hands on her hips, leaning slightly forward as she spoke to him in Spanish.
What was Dulce upset about tonight when she was talking to you?
Well, she must have thought it was something.
She let the conversation drop that night, but early the next morning Dulce caught him in the hallway and it was clear that she didn't think anything was settled.
She thinks Alex is abandoning us.
Surely it didn't take that long to tell him she felt abandoned.
Alondra leaned forward on the couch so she could see Carmen.
Señor Medena was watching her as if she were talking about something truly interesting.
She was so fortunate to have such a wonderful family.
When she got to the room, Alex was sitting on the love seat reading a newspaper.
She immediately told him about the incident with Jonathan and Alfonso and he simply nodded.
She opened it to find Señor Medena waiting outside.
Well, she certainly couldn't deny that.
Immediately she was alert.
He watched anxiously as she dialed the number.
Alex didn't answer and it went to his voice mail, so she left a message.
She flipped the phone shut and put it back in the sheath.
She should probably listen to her gut feeling about this.
Choking down fear, she climbed inside and sat down in the luxurious leather seat.
Actually, it was way too much house as far as she was concerned, but she wasn't buying it.
At his disappointed expression, she gave herself an attitude adjustment.
Following Señor Medena up the stairs, she ran her hand along the smooth wood, enjoying the cool silky soft feel of it.
Señor Medena was watching her again in that strange way, as if it truly mattered what she thought.
She followed him down the hall and down the stairs.
She twisted her arm from his grip.
Alex assisted her as she swung up behind him.
She gripped his waist as he turned the horse around and headed back toward the hacienda.
Alex had raced to her rescue because he knew she was too naïve to realize what his father was doing.
Her face flamed as she thought of how it must have looked to Morino.
She clamped her arms around his waist again.
Yet, what about the uneasy feeling she had today?
Worse, he had again assumed she was a willing participant.
She was the one who had insisted on waiting until they were married.
Other than an infatuation with Josh before she met Alex, there had been no one else.
By the time they reached the barn, she had a different perspective of the entire situation.
When Alex lowered her to the ground, she jerked her hand free and marched off to the house.
She climbed the stairs and entered their room.
She headed for the door, ignoring the question.
He reached out and grasped her arm as she walked by.
She stopped, her cool gaze meeting his.
She met his gaze defiantly.
He flinched visibly as if she had slapped him, his fingers tightening on her arm.
She gently twisted her arm free.
She left him there to think about his actions - only he would probably stew on hers instead.
Sure, he'd had some rough times, but she had never done anything to make him think she would be unfaithful.
If he trusted her, he wouldn't have been snapping at her as if she had done something wrong.
She found Felipa and Destiny in the dining room where they were having an ice cream snack.
She wasn't looking forward to being in the room with Alex right now - especially so with the children there to listen.
She stepped closer to Alex, her hands balled into fists at the end of stiff arms.
Dulce stopped the attack as suddenly as she started it.
Dropping her arms, she stepped back and wiped her mouth, staring up at him as though he had initiated the incident.
When she spotted Carmen, her eyes widened, but she kept walking.
She'd deal with him later.
Right now she wanted to talk to Dulce.
She caught up with Dulce at the top of the stairs.
Dulce turned, and for a moment Carmen thought she might strike her.
If Katie hadn't disclosed that incident to her before she met Alex, would he have revealed that facet of his past?
Finally she wiped her eyes and glared at Carmen.
She waved a hand at the house and leaned toward Carmen.
She felt as though a cold hand grasped her stomach and squeezed hard.
She eyed Dulce distastefully.
If he had passed Dulce over, it was because she wasn't what he wanted.
Dulce was beautiful, but she would forever be trying to run his life.
Alex was pacing the room when she returned.
She pulled the suitcase out and placed it on the bed.
She took out some of his and hers so he wouldn't think she was packing to leave him.
She silently folded them and put them in the suitcase while he watched.
She continued to pack in silence.
They couldn't leave here soon enough as far as she was concerned.
She finally looked up at him.
Right now she'd like to kiss those smooth lips - and she might if she didn't know where they'd been last.
She slammed the suitcase shut and glared at him.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor.
She was jealous of Dulce, but she had no reason to be.
Alex had trust issues, and they were there before she married him.
No matter what she said, getting him back meant financial security - a roof over her head and everything that went along with it.
She had been the one who pushed him back into it.
She fell asleep again and didn't wake until they reached NXA in Arkansas.
The car warmed quickly and she fell asleep again.
She was faintly aware when they reached home and Alex carried her to their bed.
When he pulled the covers over her, she stretched out and fell asleep again.
Once she woke when something tugged under her ear.
She fell asleep again when he left the room.
When she woke again, the room was dark.
She tried to identify a sound.
When the bed sagged on the other side, she realized the sound was Alex changing into his night clothes.
She rolled toward him as he lay down and sighed contentedly as she snuggled against him.
At the moment, all she wanted was to be snuggled close.
She hadn't brushed or rinsed her mouth out since being sick on the plane.
She turned her face away from him.
For some reason it struck her funny and she giggled.
She crawled out of bed, snapping on the light as her stocking feet hit the floor.
She shrugged with as much elegance as she could muster, and eyed him with deliberate interest.
She headed for the bathroom.
Three weeks ago she would have been embarrassed by such a conversation.
In the bathroom she brushed her teeth and removed her clothing.
If only she could conquer these mood shifts.
When she re-entered the bedroom, he was propped up on a pillow, his eyes closed and the blankets tucked around his neck.
She lifted the blankets and crawled into bed feeling disappointed.
She turned off the light and pulled the covers up.
It was how she felt about Alex.
Of course she loved him, but somewhere inside she still cringed at that sinful word.
She forced her lips to expel it.
She pulled the covers up to her chin and met his gaze solemnly.
She sat up slowly, clutching the blanket to her chest.
She stared absently at the blanket.
She looked up at his intent features.
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
They say she has a family of young wolves up there; and that is why she kills so many lambs.
My Muse may be excused if she is silent henceforth.
She feared for her brother who was in it, was horrified by and amazed at the strange cruelty that impels men to kill one another, but she did not understand the significance of this war, which seemed to her like all previous wars.
When she had done so Princess Mary looked inquiringly at her father.
Folks,' she says, 'are all gone, so why,' she says, 'don't we go?'
She refused to go away and her father's fury broke over her in a terrible storm.
She sat by the window listening to his voice which reached her from the garden.
With that behind her, she turned to another subject - one equally disturbing.
Carmen let go of the blanket she had been clutching to her chest and turned to shut her light off.
She walked into the den twice and stared at the computer.
Alex had invited her to look at his financial files any time she wanted, and yet it seemed an intrusion on his privacy.
Would she ever reach the point that she felt comfortable about spending the money he had earned before they met?
Finally she worked up the courage and turned on the computer.
Using the path he had given her, she found his financial folder.
For a moment she stared at it.
Her savings and checking accounts combined had never exceeded $3,000 - not even before she paid the bills.
Clicking from one spreadsheet to another, she was shocked at the extent of his investments.
When he talked of investments, she had assumed he was talking about 401K.
No wonder he thought she didn't want to be burdened with the details.
Backing out of that file, she went into another.
After a mind boggling search through more investment files, she found his savings account.
She blinked and read it again, counting the zeros to assure that she had read it properly.
So why did she feel so threatened?
She might have lost the baby anyway, but the way he treated her couldn't have helped.
If they hadn't been fighting, he might have been there when she started hemorrhaging.
She shook her head and stood.
He had apologized for what he had done and she had forgiven him.
She simply hadn't looked.
She was no stranger to private personalities.
In fact, if she confronted him now and then, he might be more inclined to volunteer information before she found out about it.
There was nothing she could do about it until he got home, so she might as well not think about it.
She waited while he poured a cup of coffee.
She paused while he sipped his coffee.
When he continued to watch her without response, she sighed.
When she called it his money, he always corrected her and said it was theirs.
Now it was suddenly all his, and she was spending it for him.
A cold wind tore at her hair as she stomped across the courtyard and out to the chicken coup.
He was right about the coat, but she wasn't about to go back and get it.
He didn't care if she got cold.
Alex didn't like any kind of discord, which generally meant that she shouldn't contest anything he said or did.
Then again, maybe he figured she wouldn't understand them if she did look.
Considering the problems they presented, she could hardly blame him for that.
By the time she reached the chicken coop, her fit of temper was mellowing.
She stopped at the coop door and frowned.
She jerked the door open, sending frightened chickens flopping against the coop walls.
Stepping in quickly, she shut the door.
The Alex she knew loved her and the children.
If that Alex returned to his roots, there was no reason she couldn't be at his side.
After feeding and watering the chickens, she gathered the eggs and headed for the house.
Alex was removing supper from the oven when she walked into the kitchen.