Page 8 of A Bride for Brodie
But I’m not frightened of Brodie…maybe he’ll teach me and it will be pleasant. I can only hope. He seems like a good man and one that would put family before money.
As they rode out of town, a little boy darted into the street toward the horses. Brodie was off his mount and grabbed the child as he ran under the horse’s hooves.
He rolled with the child and the horse stepped on Brodie’s shoulder rather than the boy’s.
Lottie grabbed Dusty’s reins and held him while Brodie lay on the street, holding the youngster.
She dismounted and gave Bluebell and Dusty’s reins to Maisie. Then she went to Brodie.
Ross and Tucker were already on the ground, running back to their baby brother.
Lottie was closest, and she crouched over her new husband and touched his uninjured shoulder. “Brodie. You can let go now. The boy is safe.”
He nodded and rolled onto his back.
The little boy scrambled up and ran crying to his mother.
Brodie stood and brushed his pants off with his hands.
The woman picked up her wayward son and walked over dto Brodie. “Thank you so much, Brodie. Timmy could’ve been trampled if not for you.”
“You’re welcome, Essie. No problem at all.”
The woman walked away from the youngest Campbell brother, with her child unharmed because of Brodie’s bravery.
Lottie had never been so proud of someone in her life. She walked over to hug him, but he stepped back. “What’s wrong?”
He looked around. “Don’t act like anything is wrong. Dusty’s hoof scraped my shoulder. It’ll be good and bruised for a while.”
“Do you want to go to the doctor?” She thought if he couldn’t stand a hug that he should definitely go see the doctor.
“No, I just want to get home. Agatha will take care of me when we get there.”
“Who is Agatha?”
“She’s the heart of the Circle C. She keeps us fed, clean, and we don’t know what we’d do without her.”
“I can’t wait to meet her. Have you had sufficient time to recover enough to mount up?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Let’s go.”
She admired Brodie. He’d just proved to her he was a good man. He saved that child from what would have been a killing blow and took it himself. She was suddenly very proud to be married to Brodie; he was an honorable man and an honorable man would not put money before family, like her father had done when he sold Maisie.
