Read Online Cole's Montana Bride (Sweet,clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series Book 7) by Maya Stirling - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maya Stirling
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is going to get sick while on my ranch and in my safekeeping," he asserted.
"Who says I'm in your safekeeping?" she demanded.
Cole's mouth tightened and he gave Victoria a firm look. "I say. This is my land and you're my guest."
He ran his gaze up and down Victoria's defiant figure. "If you're not going to dry yourself off completely, then at least take your boots off and dry your feet," he said looking down at Victoria's feet.
Victoria shifted on her heels and felt the damp squelch of her soaking feet inside her boots.
Cole glanced over at the bed. He went across and lifted the blanket that covered the single bed. Coming back to the stove he looked up at the wooden beam which stretched above his head.
"If you insist on maintaining at least a semblance of decency I'll hang this blanket from the beam. That way you can dry your feet off in privacy. How does that sound?"
Victoria looked at the blanket draped over his arm and nodded. "That's a fine idea, Cole," she agreed.
Cole rose up on his toes and slung the blanket over the beam. The blanket was long enough so that it stretched down and created a narrow barrier alongside the stove.
Victoria went across and sat down on the wooden chair in front of the stove. The heat from the small fire made a surprisingly large difference to how she felt. She stretched out a hand and felt the warmth spread along her fingers and up into her arms.
She turned and saw Cole peer around the side of the drooping blanket. "How does that feel?" he asked.
Victoria smiled. "That's much better," she answered.
"See? I told you," Cole said with a grin. "Now lets get your boots off," he said moving around the blanket. Victoria felt herself stiffen.
Cole paused. "What? You want to take your boots of by yourself?"
Victoria reached down and tried to tug on her right boot. The damp leather slipped in her fingers. The boot refused to respond to even the strongest force that Victoria could muster.
"I thought so," Cole said kneeling down and grasping her booted foot.
Victoria tried to pull her foot away from Cole but he held on tight. "I can do it myself," she asserted.
"I don't think so," Cole stated, reaching over to take her foot in his hand.
"Really, Cole I can do it myself," Victoria tried to state again, but for the last time, and this time more insistently, Cole took her foot in both of his large, rugged hands and started to tug. Hard.
Victoria grasped onto the side of the chair and with a final wrench the boot slid off her foot. Cole staggered back and landed on his rear with a surprised thump.
Victoria tried to contain the smile that immediately leapt to her face, but she completely failed. Looking at Cole, and the expression on his face, she let out a loud peel of laughter. Cole ran a hand through his hair and smiled back at her. "Now the other one," he said reaching out both hands and kneeling once again at her feet. In a moment the other boot was removed, this time without Cole ending up on his rear.
Victoria saw her damp white cotton stockings cling to her feet. She reached down to start to remove them, but after a moment she paused and glanced at Cole. His gaze was fixed on her, his eyes narrow with appreciation and a pleased expression on his face.
Seeing Victoria looking at him Cole quickly pulled himself back to the moment. "I'll get behind the blanket. Give you some privacy," he said.
Victoria smiled. "I'll be fine, once I get these off," she said rubbing her stockings. Cole paused and she saw his face pale slightly. Then he quickly stood and, just as rapidly, made his way to the other side of the barrier he'd erected to ensure she had all the privacy she needed.
Victoria took off the stockings and laid them down on the wooden floor. She heard a gust of wind and the boarded window shook.
"Don't worry about that," Cole reassured her. "That window will hold. It's bolted down strong."
The heat from the stove was starting to really warm Victoria up. She heard Cole milling
"Who says I'm in your safekeeping?" she demanded.
Cole's mouth tightened and he gave Victoria a firm look. "I say. This is my land and you're my guest."
He ran his gaze up and down Victoria's defiant figure. "If you're not going to dry yourself off completely, then at least take your boots off and dry your feet," he said looking down at Victoria's feet.
Victoria shifted on her heels and felt the damp squelch of her soaking feet inside her boots.
Cole glanced over at the bed. He went across and lifted the blanket that covered the single bed. Coming back to the stove he looked up at the wooden beam which stretched above his head.
"If you insist on maintaining at least a semblance of decency I'll hang this blanket from the beam. That way you can dry your feet off in privacy. How does that sound?"
Victoria looked at the blanket draped over his arm and nodded. "That's a fine idea, Cole," she agreed.
Cole rose up on his toes and slung the blanket over the beam. The blanket was long enough so that it stretched down and created a narrow barrier alongside the stove.
Victoria went across and sat down on the wooden chair in front of the stove. The heat from the small fire made a surprisingly large difference to how she felt. She stretched out a hand and felt the warmth spread along her fingers and up into her arms.
She turned and saw Cole peer around the side of the drooping blanket. "How does that feel?" he asked.
Victoria smiled. "That's much better," she answered.
"See? I told you," Cole said with a grin. "Now lets get your boots off," he said moving around the blanket. Victoria felt herself stiffen.
Cole paused. "What? You want to take your boots of by yourself?"
Victoria reached down and tried to tug on her right boot. The damp leather slipped in her fingers. The boot refused to respond to even the strongest force that Victoria could muster.
"I thought so," Cole said kneeling down and grasping her booted foot.
Victoria tried to pull her foot away from Cole but he held on tight. "I can do it myself," she asserted.
"I don't think so," Cole stated, reaching over to take her foot in his hand.
"Really, Cole I can do it myself," Victoria tried to state again, but for the last time, and this time more insistently, Cole took her foot in both of his large, rugged hands and started to tug. Hard.
Victoria grasped onto the side of the chair and with a final wrench the boot slid off her foot. Cole staggered back and landed on his rear with a surprised thump.
Victoria tried to contain the smile that immediately leapt to her face, but she completely failed. Looking at Cole, and the expression on his face, she let out a loud peel of laughter. Cole ran a hand through his hair and smiled back at her. "Now the other one," he said reaching out both hands and kneeling once again at her feet. In a moment the other boot was removed, this time without Cole ending up on his rear.
Victoria saw her damp white cotton stockings cling to her feet. She reached down to start to remove them, but after a moment she paused and glanced at Cole. His gaze was fixed on her, his eyes narrow with appreciation and a pleased expression on his face.
Seeing Victoria looking at him Cole quickly pulled himself back to the moment. "I'll get behind the blanket. Give you some privacy," he said.
Victoria smiled. "I'll be fine, once I get these off," she said rubbing her stockings. Cole paused and she saw his face pale slightly. Then he quickly stood and, just as rapidly, made his way to the other side of the barrier he'd erected to ensure she had all the privacy she needed.
Victoria took off the stockings and laid them down on the wooden floor. She heard a gust of wind and the boarded window shook.
"Don't worry about that," Cole reassured her. "That window will hold. It's bolted down strong."
The heat from the stove was starting to really warm Victoria up. She heard Cole milling
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