Read Online Claire, Angela - Heart of Stone (Siren Publishing Classic) by Angela Claire - Free Book Online

That’s the ranch that borders the Winthrop ’s place?”
    Jake and Jesse exchanged a meaningful look.
    “Yep,” Jesse said.
    “How did it happen?”
    For once, Jesse’s flirtatious manner was conspicuously absent. He answered straightforwardly as Jake poured them both another drink. “It’s downright mysterious, you might say. Bill turns old man Winthrop ’s offer down and won’t sell his place, and soon enough he almost doesn’t have a place to sell.”
    “You can’t know Winthrop had anything to do with it. He was in town just now when we were there, seemed like he was planning on staying there awhile, have dinner and all. So he wasn’t even around here,” Jake warned.
    “Sure he was in town. Got to have an alibi, doesn’t he? And you know he never does his own dirty work. Just seems real convenient, if you ask me. Anyway, Ike’s staying on Bill’s place tonight, just to help in case those real mysterious sparks start up again.” Jesse downed his whiskey and stood up. “I’m heading into town, but I’ll stop back here at the house on my way back tomorrow and let you know if there’s any more word in town about this.”
    “It’s awful late to be going into town, Jesse, even for a Saturday night. You’re welcome to stay here, I mean if you don’t mind, Jake.”
    Jake smiled and finished his whiskey. “I don’t mind, but I’m sure Jesse has real urgent business in town, don’t you, Jesse?”
    Jesse smiled, a little of his humor apparently restored, and donned his hat, tucking the collar of his jean jacket up around his ears to ward off the chill of the October night. “Urgent enough. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    As Jake barred the door after him, Melinda lingered. “It sounds like Jesse doesn’t trust Mr. Winthrop.”
    “He doesn’t.”
    “What do you think?”
    “I think Jesse has a hankering for Winthrop ’s daughter and that tends to cloud his judgment some.”
    “But if he likes Miss Winthrop, why would he want to think ill of her father?”
    “Because that father would no more allow a tumbleweed cowboy like Jesse to have a chance with his daughter than he’d allow somebody like Bill McGiver to interfere with his plans for expansion.”
    “Well, wouldn’t Regina have something to say about that?”
    “She’s a strong-minded miss, I’ll grant you that, but she does what her daddy tells her to.”
    “And her daddy tells her to romance you, not Jesse.”
    Jake smiled. “I don’t think romance has anything to do with it, Melinda. Anyways, I doubt Winthrop is quite the evil mastermind Jesse gives him credit for being. He’s just a vain old man with a little too much ambition for his own good or his daughter’s. You better get off to bed. I’ll stay up a while. You’ve no need to worry about what happened to McGiver’s place.”
    “Of course not. Winthrop likes you.”
    With that, she headed to bed. She’d found that, once Ginny was in her cradle, it was safest to stay in her room as well. If she and Jake were alone at night, she got to getting funny ideas. Like thinking about how handsome he looked with his shirt open, his jeans low on his slim hips. Like thinking how it felt to have his long lean body pressed on top of her when she had awakened him that first night. Or how he’d looked at her when she was in her shift that time at the creek. How it would feel if he touched her again. She could hear him moving in the front room as she undressed. As she pulled her nightgown on, she had the most wicked thought. She wondered what Jake would do if she just marched out there to him in the altogether. Would he kiss her, hold her, as he had when he’d been half dreaming? Or was it only somebody like Regina Winthrop, a rich girl like his dead wife, that he could love when he was awake?
    Yep, she was just the hired help. And she’d better remember that.
    The thought galvanized her somehow, and for the first time since the night she’d heard the grizzly, she ventured out of