Read Online Cowboy Heart (Historical Western Romance) (Longren Family series #3, Kitty and Lukes story) by Amelia Rose - Free Book Online Page B

of."
                  Not that I'd spent a lot of time going to Piper's in Virginia City, or even to plays in Gold Hill.  Johnny more often took me to see sunsets and for picnics and once, memorably, to visit a den of baby cotton tail rabbits.  All we'd done that afternoon was sit on a dry riverbank where grasses grew and watch the family of rabbits from a distance just far enough away that the mother didn't panic.
                  "It would be a pleasure to accompany you, Mr. McLeod," I said and cursed the blush that had already started. 
                  He smiled, then, a long, slow smile that sent my heart racing, and said he'd call for me late afternoon before he put his hat back on and tipped it to me, then to Sarah, who was coming up past him carrying handfuls of carrots and broccoli.  "Ma'am," he said to Sarah, as if they hadn't just been discussing livestock and water rights in the dooryard hours earlier.
                  Sarah nodded after him and gave me a curious look as she handed me off greens for the calves that were already nosing round my skirt.
                  "What did Mr. McLeod want?" 
                  Sarah trying to sound casual is Sarah desperately wanting to know something.
                  "He asked me to accompany him to Redding this evening, for a meal," I said, trying not to sound as if my heart was skipping and I wanted to.
                  Sarah didn't say anything and, when I turned, she was frowning hard at the smallest of the calves, which was doing its best to eat all of the lettuce she held.
                  "Sare?"
                  Her brow smoothed and she nodded without looking at me.  "I have no objection to you accompanying Mr. McLeod," she said, and I certainly hadn't thought to ask her permission or even consult her about what I was doing.  "But be careful, Kitty."
                  Of my heart?  My honor?  No, because, with the latter, she'd have told me and with the former, she had no way of knowing how it turned.
                  "He—"  She started, stopped, looked at me and then looked out of the barn from where there was shouting and commotion as William and Mike returned from the farther pastures.  She gave the calves the rest of the greens and started for the men.
                  "Sarah?  Mr. McLeod?"
                  She looked back, backlit by the sun as Robert had been, her dark hair curling wildly in the heat.  For an instant, I didn't think she was going to answer, then she said, "He isn't constant, Kitty.  And I don’t want to see you get hurt."
                  Then she was gone and, for a heartbeat, my delight died down.  Then I thought of his smile and my anticipation rose.  I was giddy again, and giggly, and in need of a girlfriend to share with.
                  Twilight was vastly too far away.
     
                  As the afternoon wore on, when Sarah didn't need me and no one was around to talk to and most of everything I could do to help out I'd already done, I took a walk to pass the time, heading up the creek that had been dammed up, the same walk I'd taken with Luke, because at least that way, I couldn't get lost.             
                  When I got to the cottonwoods, I pushed on a short distance, but the trees were thick there and there wasn't much of anything to see.  I was about to turn and make my way back along the creek to the ranch house when I caught sight of a figure in the woods.  Sudden fear chilled my face and hands.  I shouldn't have gone there.  I shouldn't be out alone in countryside I didn't know.
                  The figure was a woman, coming quickly towards me, wearing a hat and carrying a blue crocheted shawl.
                  "Hello!"  She hailed me, one hand up and then wavered as