Katie jogged across the yard, "There's a man here to see you!"
Beth swallowed hard, then chewed her bottom lip. She nodded and started towards the house, but paused and looked over her shoulder. “Um, what about the saddle?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Beau answered, as he loosened the girth and tugged the saddle from his horse. He mumbled under his breath. Just like a city girl. Worried about the expensive leather saddle, but no thought for the horse.
Or him.
He slung the heavy saddle over the top rail of the hitching post, then watched Beth march towards the house. Her pace slowed and he wondered about the visitor in the Mercedes.
“So, you guys went for a ride.” Katie pursed her lips and frowned.
“Yup,” Beau answered, taking the halter Katie offered him and slipping it over Digger’s neck.
“What’s she like?” Katie asked as she rubbed Digger’s nose.
“OK, I guess. But we need to keep an eye on her. Don't know whether to trust her or not,” Beau answered as he unbuckled the bridle and slipped the bit out of the horse’s mouth. He pulled the halter up and fastened it in one fluid motion. Katie frowned, then turned to the horse Beth had ridden.
“Hey, why's there dried sweat all over Dingo's neck?” She scratched the old horse's neck and got a lip curl from him in response.
“Rattlesnake spooked 'im.”
Katie turned to look at Beau, her right hand perched on her hip. She peeked around Beau’s horse and watched Beth walk across the driveway, then looked back at Beau. "While she was riding him?"
"Yep, she took a saddle horn in the gut." He ignored her raised eyebrows and turned his attention to Dingo, quickly removing the dusty saddle and tossing it over the top rail.
"Did she fall off?"
"Yes."
"You caught her then?"
Beau nodded, but kept his attention on his horse. He could see Katie out of the corner of his eye as she watched him, waiting for more details. She finally shrugged and led Dingo into the barn. He watched her go, then shook himself as he realized he was admiring the girl. She was just a kid, for Pete's sake. Then he glanced over his shoulder. The redhead was gone.
CHAPTER TEN
B eth marched towards the side of the house, knowing that Beau and Katie were watching her. She desperately hoped that car in the driveway did not belong to who she thought it did. Surely it couldn't be him.
At the side door to the kitchen, Beth kicked her boots off and slipped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible.
“Miss Beth? Is that you? How was the ride?” Charlotte pushed herself up from her seat at the big table and waddled towards Beth.
“It was fine,” Beth said. Beau would probably tell the whole table later that she had fainted.
Charlotte's eyebrows crept up, wrinkling her forehead. She tilted to her head slightly and flicked her eyes towards the front room. It was nice of the woman to try to warn her.
“Hello, Beth.” She froze when she heard that voice. That cultured, controlled, smooth voice.
“What are you doing here, Quinn?” Beth asked, looking past Charlotte to face the dark haired man standing in the hallway.
As soon as she saw him, she flashed back to the morning she broke off their engagement. There had been laughter coming from the break room, which usually signaled a birthday party. She popped in with a smile on her face. It faded when her eyes settled on the flat screen television used for watching depositions. A grainy video played of Quinn and the firm’s receptionist on the polished mahogany conference room table. In the sudden quiet, the lustful grunts coming from the television seemed amplified, and the room closed in on her.
She shook her head to clear the image. That was behind her, part of the life she left behind. Yet here was Quinn, at the Diamond J.
He stepped into the kitchen and opened his arms. “Is that any way to greet your fiancé?” His smile was dazzling, as always, perfect and white. His dark chocolate eyes
Beth swallowed hard, then chewed her bottom lip. She nodded and started towards the house, but paused and looked over her shoulder. “Um, what about the saddle?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Beau answered, as he loosened the girth and tugged the saddle from his horse. He mumbled under his breath. Just like a city girl. Worried about the expensive leather saddle, but no thought for the horse.
Or him.
He slung the heavy saddle over the top rail of the hitching post, then watched Beth march towards the house. Her pace slowed and he wondered about the visitor in the Mercedes.
“So, you guys went for a ride.” Katie pursed her lips and frowned.
“Yup,” Beau answered, taking the halter Katie offered him and slipping it over Digger’s neck.
“What’s she like?” Katie asked as she rubbed Digger’s nose.
“OK, I guess. But we need to keep an eye on her. Don't know whether to trust her or not,” Beau answered as he unbuckled the bridle and slipped the bit out of the horse’s mouth. He pulled the halter up and fastened it in one fluid motion. Katie frowned, then turned to the horse Beth had ridden.
“Hey, why's there dried sweat all over Dingo's neck?” She scratched the old horse's neck and got a lip curl from him in response.
“Rattlesnake spooked 'im.”
Katie turned to look at Beau, her right hand perched on her hip. She peeked around Beau’s horse and watched Beth walk across the driveway, then looked back at Beau. "While she was riding him?"
"Yep, she took a saddle horn in the gut." He ignored her raised eyebrows and turned his attention to Dingo, quickly removing the dusty saddle and tossing it over the top rail.
"Did she fall off?"
"Yes."
"You caught her then?"
Beau nodded, but kept his attention on his horse. He could see Katie out of the corner of his eye as she watched him, waiting for more details. She finally shrugged and led Dingo into the barn. He watched her go, then shook himself as he realized he was admiring the girl. She was just a kid, for Pete's sake. Then he glanced over his shoulder. The redhead was gone.
CHAPTER TEN
B eth marched towards the side of the house, knowing that Beau and Katie were watching her. She desperately hoped that car in the driveway did not belong to who she thought it did. Surely it couldn't be him.
At the side door to the kitchen, Beth kicked her boots off and slipped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible.
“Miss Beth? Is that you? How was the ride?” Charlotte pushed herself up from her seat at the big table and waddled towards Beth.
“It was fine,” Beth said. Beau would probably tell the whole table later that she had fainted.
Charlotte's eyebrows crept up, wrinkling her forehead. She tilted to her head slightly and flicked her eyes towards the front room. It was nice of the woman to try to warn her.
“Hello, Beth.” She froze when she heard that voice. That cultured, controlled, smooth voice.
“What are you doing here, Quinn?” Beth asked, looking past Charlotte to face the dark haired man standing in the hallway.
As soon as she saw him, she flashed back to the morning she broke off their engagement. There had been laughter coming from the break room, which usually signaled a birthday party. She popped in with a smile on her face. It faded when her eyes settled on the flat screen television used for watching depositions. A grainy video played of Quinn and the firm’s receptionist on the polished mahogany conference room table. In the sudden quiet, the lustful grunts coming from the television seemed amplified, and the room closed in on her.
She shook her head to clear the image. That was behind her, part of the life she left behind. Yet here was Quinn, at the Diamond J.
He stepped into the kitchen and opened his arms. “Is that any way to greet your fiancé?” His smile was dazzling, as always, perfect and white. His dark chocolate eyes
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