Deeanne Gist > Quotes

“He wants a fifteen thousand pound settlement."
"Fifteen thousand!"
"He says you're a great deal of trouble."
She hesitated for one startled moment before choking back a laugh.
"I am."
"I thought so." He leveled Drew a look. "If I pay you the fifteen thousand, do you swear to keep her?"
Drew reared back his head. "Forever?"
Her father scowled. "Forever."
"Oh, I suppose." He gave a long-suffering sigh. "If I must."
She bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing outright.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“She hated Mr. Meanie. But she'd gotten to know him and they'd reached an understanding of sorts. Now she was to have him for supper.
"Don't tell me you're feeling guilty?"
Breaking off a piece of the wing, she brought it to her lips and took a bite. It did taste good. Very good.
"I wonder if all grouchy males are this palatable."
Drew choked.
She looked up, tilting her head.
"Are you all right?"
He turned a dull red.
"Eat your supper, Connie.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“That first scream, my lord, was indeed your daughter, my wife, and if you kill me, your grandchild will be quite without a father. Won't you come in?”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“You were kidnapped not?"
"I was kidnapped."
"You were forced not into marriage?"
"I was forced into marriage."
"You want not an annulment?"
"I want not an annulment.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Where are you going?"
"To get my Bible."
"Right now? You can't get your Bible out right now! I'm, I'm, we're just about to..."
She'd never be able to go through with this if he got out his Bible. She wiped all humor from her face.
"I believe you. Proverbs 5:18. Rejoice, relish, and romp with your husband."
He chuckled. "I'm serious, Connie, and I won't have you feeling ashamed or unclean over anything we do in that bed, tonight or any other night."
"I won't. I feel unashamed and very clean. I promise. But please don't get out that Bible."
"What? Think you that God can't see us right now?"
Groaning, she slid off his lap and covered her face with her hands. He sunk to his knees in front of her, drawing her hands down.
"I love you. You love me. We are man and wife. God is watching, Connie, and He is very, very pleased.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Their daughter scrunched up her hands and legs, waving them wildly in the air. He opened his palm, allowing the babe to kick his hand.
"Is she like a puppy?"
Constance choked. "What!"
He looked up. "Will she get her spots later?"
Laughter bubbled up from within her as she playfully whacked him on the shoulder.
"Yes. Yes, I'm afraid she will. As soon as the sun touches her skin, the freckles will appear."
A delicious two-dimple grin spread across his face.
"Good. I find I'm rather partial to freckled redheads.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“You next," he said. "Out of those clothes and into bed."
She nodded but didn't move from Sally's side. The thought of undressing exhausted her. Where would she find the strength such a task would require?
"I'm filthy. I'll ruin the new bed."
"I'll bring you some fresh water."
"I've no clothes to change into."
His grin was downright wicked. "I know."
A short laugh escaped her.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Thought you didn't like red hair."
One of Drew's dimples kicked in as he draped an arm about Grandma's shoulder.
"Must have me confused with someone else, but I'm not surprised. Seems to happen to most of the older set at some point or other.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Bitter disappointment pushed tears from her eyes.
"Now what's wrong? I said you could wear it."
She drew in a shaky breath.
"I w-wanted you to l-like my dreeessssss."
He moved his gaze over her.
"The gown makes my mouth water, love.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“You could have arrived atop a wildcat and no one would have said a word. They will adore you.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Look. Isn't he beautiful?"
Drew's expression softened. "Ah, Nellie. He's bald, pink, and has no teeth. What's so beautiful about that?"
Nellie's laugh tinkled out like musical chimes while she covered the babe back up.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Lord Randall barreled inside, brandishing his cane in Drew's face.
"You beggarly knave, I was told this marriage was in name only! Who gave you permission to consummate the vows?"
"Theodore Hopkin, governor of this colony, representative of the kind, and it's going to cost you plenty, for that daughter of yours is nothing but trouble. What in the blazes were you thinking to allow her an education?"
Drew bit back his smile at the man's shocked expression. Nothing like landing the first punch.
Lord Randall furrowed his bushy gray brows.
"I knew not about her education until it was too late."
Drew straightened the cuffs of his shirt.
"Well, be prepared to pay dearly for it. No man should have to suffer through what I do with the constant spouting of the most addlepated word puzzles you could imagine."

-----------------------------------------
"I require fifteen thousand pounds."
Lord Randall spewed ale across the floor. "What! Surely drink has tickled your poor brain. You're a FARMER, you impudent rascal. I'll give you five thousand."
Drew plopped his drink onto the table at his side, its contents sloshing over the rim. A satisfied smile broke across his face.
"Excellent." He stood.
"When will you take her back to England with you? Today? Tomorrow?"
The old man's red-rimmed eyes widened.
"I cannot take her back. Why, she's already birthed a child!"
Drew shrugged. "Fifteen thousand or I send her AND the babe back, with or without you.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Oh, they'll never believe a woman could solve such puzzles. They'll just assume I'm humoring you by editing it myself and allowing you to put your name to it."
She raised her eyebrows. "But you wouldn't be."
He humphed. "They'll never hear me admit it."
"I will," she said, a smile curving her lips.
He shrugged. "They'll believe me, not you.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Judge Rountree holds half my property in the palm of his hand." Denton's growl broke the silence. "I'd appreciate if you didn't insult him at all, much less in his own home."

"He named his children One, Two, Three, and Four," she said. "He deserves to be insulted.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride in the Bargain

“Freedom didn’t always equate with coming and going as he pleased. Or to living out in the open. Or to doing whatever he wanted. Sometimes, it was simply a matter of being free to laugh. Free to help others. Free to fulfill his calling.”
― Deeanne Gist

“Sneezeweed, Drew?"
He grinned. "Jealous?"
"Surprised."
"Remind me, and I'll have a talk with Gerald. Give him a few tips."
"Promise?"
"Absolutely.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Ho! Wise men say, 'He who hath not a good and ready memory should never meddle in telling lies.'"
Drew smiled. "I have a good and ready memory.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Fir, cedar, pines, oaks, and maples densely timbered this section. But it was the redwoods that never failed to fill him with awe. Their feathery-looking needles and reddish bark. The way they stretched up to incredible heights and the sheer magnitude of their circumferences. How long ago had God planted their seeds? Hundreds of years? Thousands? As he stood amongst those mighty giants, he realized the land wasn’t his at all. It was God’s. God had formed and planted the seeds. He’d tended the soil and caused it to rain. He’d needed no man. Least of all Joe. Yet over and over Joe had thought of this as his own. My land. My logging camp. My house. My woman. My everything. Picking up his ax, he returned to his work. But in his mind, he reviewed a list of men in the Bible who’d left everything they held dear for parts unknown. Abraham. Jacob. Joseph. Moses. Even a woman. Esther. In every case, their circumstances were much more severe than his. God hadn’t commanded Joe to leave his land, though he’d prayed for guidance. Fasted. Read his Bible. But God had remained silent. Joe simply assumed God was letting him choose. But no matter what he chose, none of it was really his. It was all God’s. And God was sharing it with him. So which did he want? Both. Like a spoiled child, he definitely wanted both. But if he could only have one, wouldn’t he still be a man blessed? Yes. And he’d praise God and thank Him. But that didn’t immediately make the grief shrivel up and blow away. Eyeing where he wanted the tree to fall, he adjusted his stance. I want Anna, Lord. I choose Anna. Yet as long as he lived, he’d always miss this land. He’d miss the Territory. He’d miss the logging. He’d miss his friends. The cypress began to pop and splinter. Jumping away, he braced his feet, threw back his head, and shouted with everything he had. “Timber-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r!” The tree wavered, then crashed to the forest floor. Noise resounded through the copse. The ground shook. Debris flew. Before any of it settled, Joe fell to his knees, doubled over, and sobbed.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride in the Bargain

“Tillie studied her mother’s face. The face which had seen thirty-seven years of life. Twenty-one years of marriage. The birth of ten babies. The death of one.”
― Deeanne Gist, Maid to Match

“What’s going on in your backyard?” He heard her chair creak. “Mr. Bluebird’s nowhere in sight. He must be out hunting for food. Mrs. Bluebird is incubating her eggs.” “They’re married?” “Of course.” “How do you know?” “Because . . . they’re, you know, they’re having a family.” “Did Audubon’s publication tell you birds who nest are married?” “I’ll have you know, sir, bluebirds mate for life.” “They do?” “They do.” “Well, then. I stand corrected.” Across the room a pair of carved cuckoo birds in an ornate clock poked out to announce the quarter hour. “Are cuckoo birds monogamous?” “Mostly.” “In that case, Mr. and Mrs. Cuckoo say hello.”
― Deeanne Gist, Love on the Line

“Texas Rangers are men who cannot be stampeded. We walk into any situation and handle it without instruction from our commander. Sometimes we work as a unit, sometimes we work alone.” He turned his attention to the jurors. “We preserve the law. We track down train and bank robbers. We subdue riots. We guard our borders. We’ll follow an outlaw clear across the country if we need to. In my four years of service, I’ve traveled eighty-six thousand miles on horse, nineteen hundred on train, gone on two hundred thirty scouts, made two hundred seventeen arrests, returned five hundred six head of stolen cattle, assisted forty-three local sheriffs, guarded a half dozen jails, and spent more time on the trail than I have in my own bed. We’ve been around since before the Alamo, and”—he turned to Hood, impaling him with his stare—“we’re touchy as a teased snake when riled, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”
― Deeanne Gist, Fair Play

“Mack stared at him, aghast. “So I’m just supposed to stand there and do nothing?”
“That’s not what I said, son. I said you can’t use your fists. Besides, for every Scripture you could recite on defending the fatherless, I could respond with a verse on pursuing peace.”
“Peace,” Mack scoffed. “While he’s beating defenseless children?”
“I’m just saying, when you attack Sloop it appears you are the problem, not him.”
“So just what do you suggest I do?”
Vaughan’s expression gentled. “Recognize that the problem is much deeper and bigger than you or even Sloop. And give God a little credit. He doesn’t need your fists to bring Sloop down. He needs your cooperation. So intercede with prayer and petition, trust in the Lord, and keep your eyes open and your hands behind your back.”
― Deeanne Gist

“I give up, God. You made me. You know how I am. I cannot keep my distance. Nor can I keep those I love alive. Only you can do that. Only you are God. I give over. I fall prostrate before you. What you see fit to bless me with I will rejoice over. When you takest away, I will turn to you for solace. For you are the one and only God.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“Drew had never before shot like he did that day, nor has he since. It was something to see. The contest had just begun when he walked up, aimed, and felled a cluster from the very top of the boughs.”
― Deeanne Gist, A Bride Most Begrudging

“I do know,” she continued, “finches sing to us from March to October.” Leaning forward, her eyes picked up the lantern’s flame. “You should see them when they go a-wooing.” “A-wooing?” “Yes. The male springs into the air singing to his ladylove while going higher and higher.” Clasping her hands, she pressed them against her chest. “That’s when his song reaches its highest ecstasy. Why, I’ve seen him go fifteen—no, twenty feet above his mate before dropping exhausted at her side.” Raising a brow, he lowered his voice. “And did he get what he was going after?” She gave a soft smile. “He certainly did, Mr. Palmer. He most certainly did.”
― Deeanne Gist, Love on the Line

“And so you should.” He again assessed the newly replaced windows and repaired roof, then clapped Mack on the shoulder. “It’s a good thing you’re doing. And if you take time to share your knowledge with the boys, it’ll give them much more than a skill. It’ll give them hope.”
― Deeanne Gist, Maid to Match

“Fine. You’re Lucious Landrum and I’m Annie Oakley. Can I go now?”
― Deeanne Gist, Love on the Line

“Still, he’d kept up his membership in the Gun Club. Had taken the girls hunting every chance he could. And still went everywhere with Odysseus—having retired Penelope the day they were married, for Georgie was now closest to his heart.”
― Deeanne Gist, Love on the Line

“There’s a big difference in reaching for the best we can be and in trying to be something we are not and never will be.” “So women can’t do everything men can?” Tina clarified. “I’m afraid not.” A slow grin began to form. “Women can do more.” “Georgie,” Lucious admonished. Laughter bubbled up within her. “Some things are just different, that’s all.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. “I think, Bettina Landrum, your mama is full of sass from getting that piece of legislation named after her.” “She is?” Tina asked. “She is.” He looked over his brood of girls. “But the truth is, your mama can do anything she sets her mind to.” Georgie gave him a playful push. “Don’t tease, Lucious. They’ll believe you.” “And well they should.” Leaning over, he gave her a kiss flush on the lips.”
― Deeanne Gist, Love on the Line

“Those weren’t the pantalets-trousers you were wearing last time. Those were . . . I like those. Not that I didn’t like the other ones. I did. But these . . . are they new?” She blushed. “I bought them back in May. I sort of ruined my other ones when I went through that cellar window.” He pushed himself away from the wall. “You’ve been wearing those see-through things this whole time? Throughout the whole fair?” She nodded. He groaned. “Good thing I didn’t know that.”
― Deeanne Gist, Fair Play