Calico Canyon Quotes

“Is there a baby?” Her eyes went blank, as if he’d spoken the question in Apache. “A baby,” he repeated, “on the way. Is that why you hid out in my wagon? To trap me?” She gasped. Daniel heard the boys gasp, too, though he doubted they knew what he was really asking. She knew all right, because she unwound from the little ball she’d curled herself into and slapped him hard across the face. The boys all jumped, but they stayed under cover. Smart boys. She packed quite a wallop for a little thing. His face burned. His temper rose. Her chin began to quiver. The sparkle in her eyes blazed into fire. She pulled her hand back to paste him again. He caught her hand with a smart slap of flesh on flesh, surprised at how furious he was. He should have been sorry. He should have been begging her pardon for asking such a thing. But he wasn’t. And her anger might be over getting caught rather than being insulted. “Sorry, Mrs. Reeves, but that’s no answer.” The sting on his cheek came out in his voice. She jerked against his grip. He held fast. She raised her other hand—this one clenched in a fist—and he caught that, too. He leaned close. “You are well and truly trapped, Mrs. Reeves. Just like I am.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“You really pounded him, Ma,” Ike said. He dropped a heavy hackberry branch and ran over and threw his arms around her, nearly knocking her farther down the hill. Abe slammed into her from the other side, thus balancing her again. The rest of the boys swarmed her. “Wow, Ma, we saw you beating that man up. I never knew you were tough like that.” Mark looked up at her, his eyes shining with admiration. Grace thought of all the times she’d tried to get this little scamp to respect her when she was teaching school. Apparently all she’d needed to do was get in a fistfight on Mosqueros’s Main Street and he’d have behaved.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“You want to throw up and you’re dizzy. What else is different, Grace? Are you having any other symptoms?” Daniel hadn’t blinked since she’d grabbed her stomach. He looked terrified. “Symptoms? What are you talking about? Symptoms of some sickness?” “No, Grace.” Daniel sounded wound up as tight as a pocket watch. She could almost hear him ticking with tension. “Symptoms of carrying a baby.” “A…a b-baby?” Grace was stunned. “Does fainting come with that?” “And a sour belly first thing in the morning.” Daniel dropped to his knees beside the bed. “What’re we gonna do with a new batch of babies?”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“Are you carrying my child?” Grace dropped her hands. In the darkened bedroom, moonlight streamed in through the cracks in the shuttered window. Her tears ran unchecked down her face. “Quit crying. I can’t abide a woman’s tears.” He tightened his grip on her shoulder. “How could I know such a thing?” she whispered. “I wasn’t even aware that…well, what I mean is, I’ve never had a mother to explain things. And…for a child to begin…I’ve never given it a thought.” “You’ll know because your…” Daniel fell silent. He had to force the words past his throat. “Y-your…uh…lady’s time—” He lapsed into silence. She gasped. “I’ll not discuss such with you, sir.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“They were all shouting and shoving at each other when Grace turned from the chaos. Daniel caught the wicked gleam in her eye just before she charged him. She ran smack into him with her shoulder and slammed to a stop. Daniel looked down at her, feeling her arms around his waist and seeing her upturned face just inches below his. She weighed just slightly more than the average feather. “You’re a moose,” she pouted. “How am I supposed to knock you into the snow?” Daniel couldn’t help grinning down at her impish exasperation. “Boys, how about a little help?” Grace shouted. In a split second, all five boys pounced. With a shout of protest, Daniel went down in a flurry of arms and legs and snow. They continued the battle until they had nearly turned themselves into a family of snow-people. Finally, Grace plowed a huge armload of snow into Daniel’s face. “Give up, big man. We’ve got you. Admit it.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“A fist, delicate and lily white, punched out of the snow and smacked Daniel in the nose. He jerked backward, his feet slipped, and he landed on his backside. He looked at the hole in the snow made by the fist and saw Grace’s cherry-red nose poking out of the snowdrift. He suspected his nose was now the same color, and not because of the cold. “Well, it’s certainly nice to see you boys.” Grace smiled and pulled her nose back out of sight.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“But I need a ride back to town,” Grace called after them. “You’re not getting a ride back to town, woman. You’re married!” Daniel might as well have been a cougar trapped in this cave with her. She’d have felt no safer. “I’m what?”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“Well, yes,” Daniel said. “We did spend the night together, but—” “Daniel,” Grace gasped in horror. Daniel looked away from the parson, his skin now fully flaming red. “Well, we did. Do you want me to add lying to the parson in on top of having you in bed…I mean, sleeping together…I mean, having you here without your clothes…I mean…” Daniel lapsed into silence. “Pa brung her home to be our ma, but he tried her out for the night and he decided to return her,” Mark said.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“Clay looked at Sally and crouched in front of her. “Let me see your hand, darlin’.” Sally held her palm up. The bruising was dark, and there were several cuts in her tender flesh. Pa gave her hand a kiss then lifted her into his strong arms as he rose and hugged her tight. He pulled back far enough to look her square in the eye. “You could have told me. I’d’ve listened. You’re not a little girl to tell lies, and I’d’ve trusted you.” Sally’s eyes filled with tears, and she flung her arms around her pa’s neck. Beth thought Sally might squeeze the life out of him. “Now you know better ’n to cry, Sally.” Pa patted her on the back. “Remember rule number one.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“Daniel’s huge, work-roughened fingers closed around her wrist. His voice sounded husky. “I told you to stop touching me, woman.” “Why are you angry at me?” She jerked her hand loose and poked him again, even though she had the strangest feeling that he wasn’t angry anymore, and she wasn’t exactly angry anymore, either. “I’m warning you.” He caught her hand again. This time when she pulled against him, he didn’t let go. He tugged her by her forearm until she bumped up against him. “Answer me, then.” She poked him with her free left hand. “What is the matter with you?” He caught her left hand. He pulled her closer. He leaned over her. “Why are women like this? Why do they torture a man? Dear God, why?”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“No, Grace, it’s not ‘Miss Calhoun.’” Daniel had heard her say those words many times. They’d always set his teeth on edge. “It’s Mrs. Reeves.” Daniel added with angry triumph, “And guess what? I’m calling you Grace and the boys are calling you Ma.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“I can’t be out here alone with you wearing a nightgown.” Grace clutched the blankets until her fingers hurt, thinking of the scandal of it all. “It’s not proper.” Daniel’s fair skin turned an alarming shade of pink as he stared at her. “I’ll bet it wasn’t proper of us to sleep together, either.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon

“The man had the intelligence of the average fence post, the personality of a wounded warthog, and the stubbornness of a flea-bitten mule. Grace silently apologized to all the animals she’d just insulted.”
― Mary Connealy, Calico Canyon