Anna: Bride of Alabama (American Mail-Order Bride 22) by Lily Graison

tightened.
    A soft touch to his shoulder brought his head up. Anna was there, a comforting smile on her face.
    “I’m overreacting, aren’t I?”
    She shook her head. “No, you’re acting like a concerned father who saw his child get hurt. Its understandable.”
    He reached up and took her hand in his, pulled it to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Thank you, Anna.”
    “I didn’t do anything.”
    He folded her hand in both of his. “You were the calm one when it should have been me. If it weren’t for you, we’d still be on that riverbank with Julia screaming and bleeding and me running around like I’d lost my head.”
    “Has she never been hurt before?”
    “Nothing like that.” He sighed and released her hand. “When I find out who threw all those bottles out there against those rocks…”
    Franklin cleared his throat and they looked toward the door. He was carrying Julia, her foot now cleaned, the deep gashes in her foot sewn closed and bandaged.
    Relief washed over him so fast, he was dizzy with it when he stood. He crossed the room and took her from Franklin’s arms. “You scared me half to death, young lady.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and carried her to the stairs, then up to her room, placing her on her bed.
    “I’m sorry, papa. I didn’t mean to scream. It just hurt so bad.”
    “I know, love. Its okay.” He smiled and brushed her hair away from her face. “You had a nice time before stepping on the glass, didn’t you?”
    “Yes.” She rubbed her hand across her quilt. “Did you and Anna have a nice talk before I ruined it?”
    “You didn’t ruin anything and yes, we had a nice talk.”
    She tilted her head and smiled. “Do you like her?”
    “Yes, I like her very much.”
    “Then why won’t you marry her?”
    He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Marriage is a little more complicated than just being fond of someone. There’s other things to take into consideration.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like things you’ll find out about one day soon,” he said, poking a finder into her side until she laughed. “Now stop trying to manage my love life.”
    She got her giggles under control and said, “But if you like her, what’s the problem? She’s sweet and kind and prettier than Francesca Grant and so lovely in the gown at the Elliot’s dress shop today it nearly hurt my eyes to look upon her.”
    Gabriel laughed. “You’re getting very dramatic in your old age.”
    “But she was lovely. Didn’t you think so?”
    “Yes, she was a vision.” The look on Anna’s face when they came out of the dress shop nagged at his memory. “Speaking of the dress shop, Anna looked a bit upset when you came out. Did something happen after I left?”
    She lowered her brows as if thinking then said, “Oh! Yes. She tried to get the sisters to lower the price of the dress. When they wouldn’t she tried to get me to change my mind about that dress and go with the green one, the cheaper of the three she tried on. She was worried about the cost.”
    “She shouldn’t be.”
    “I know. I told her that. She didn’t want to accept the dress but I refused to let her go without. That’s probably why she looked so unhappy so if she mentions it to you tell her its already been paid for.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, Julia.”
    “Goodnight, papa.”
    He left her to get ready for bed and headed to his room. It had been a long and exhausting day and he felt every bit his age as he trudged down the hall.
    He paused by Anna’s door. A dim light shinned underneath it. He raised his hand to knock, to thank her for being so level-headed today when he clearly hadn’t been, but decided against it. He was supposed to be avoiding her, he reminded himself. Every moment he spent with her was just a reminder of the fact she was his for the taking, all he had to do was say, I do, and for some idiotic reason, he wasn’t ready to do that