Read Online Diane R. Jewkes by The Heart You Own - Free Book Online
Authors: The Heart You Own
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herd this morning. He’s going to be happy to see Kara. He hasn’t had a chance to visit since she got back from school.”
An unfamiliar stabbing in his gut surprised Hawke. Was Austin Kara’s beau, or possibly her fiancé? He reminded himself that he’d come to conduct a business deal and track down Tompkins. He did not need to get tangled up with some woman, especially not with the prickly Miss Jonston, no matter how tempting the idea or seductive the fantasies.
The horse and rider galloped up to them. He saw the young man pull his horse into a sliding stop on its rear haunches and step off its back in one fluid movement. It was a neat bit of horsemanship, Hawke acknowledged grudgingly, but it was Kara’s reaction to the man that caught his complete attention.
“Kid!” Austin smiled broadly, approaching the women who had turned at his arrival. “You’ve gone and grown up on me!” Reaching the women, Austin grabbed Kara up in his arms and twirled her around. Her head fell back and she laughed as she clutched his shoulders to keep from falling. Smiling down at the man holding her, she snatched his hat off and thumped him on the top of the head with it. “Austin Roberts, you coyote, put me down now before you drop me.”
“Oh kid,” Austin pretended to stagger under the weight of her slight form. “I didn’t realize you’d become such a heifer since you went away! I’ve thrown my back out for sure.”
“You … you, put me down this instant,” she cuffed him lightly with her other fist. The young cowboy continued to twirl her around and she hugged him tightly around his neck.
A rush of unease raced up Hawke’s spine. Trying to ignore it he turned back towards the men on the porch.
• • •
Kara became aware of the men standing on the porch, watching the scene in front of them. Her eyes narrowed, seeing the look of annoyance — or was it disgust? — on Stoneham’s face. What was his problem? She probably insulted his oh-so-proper manners. Well, it didn’t matter to her. Did it?
Looking down at Austin’s smiling face, she realized he held her in a rather intimate fashion. Her face flamed with embarrassment. Blast! Now that odious man probably thought she had no manners at all, and she’d probably upset Papa with her wild display. Blast! How could she put Stoneham in his place if he thought her an uncouth, backwater idiot? It was bad enough he had already heard of her work on the ranch. Now this.
“Please, Austin,” she spoke softly, suddenly stiff in his arms, “please; you’re embarrassing me in front of Papa, your father, and the others.”
Austin set her down. Reaching up to cup her face, he replied softly, “Hey, kid, I’m sorry — I forgot you’re a young lady now.” A mischievous grin lit his face. “In spite of you hitting me in such an unladylike manner.”
She leaned her face into his work-worn hand and smiled, appreciating his attempt to ease her anxiety. Reaching up, she took his hand in hers, then stepped back, shaking off her dismay. “You grabbed me so fast I didn’t have an opportunity to look at you. My, my,” she admired his lean, tanned face, bright brown eyes and laughing mouth. “I’ll just bet the girls in White Oaks line up for a shot at you. Don’t they?”
“Why, Kara, stop!” He feigned embarrassment. “You might make me blush.”
Women had been throwing themselves at Austin since he was old enough to notice them.
She cuffed him on the arm, her good mood returning. Grabbing his hand in both of hers, she pulled him towards the house. Alicia joined them, taking Austin’s other arm. Leaning in, Kara whispered conspiratorially, “Wait till you meet Papa’s new partner, he’s been here all of one day, and already he has grandiose ideas about how to run a ranch.”
• • •
Running a ranch was the furthest thing from Hawke’s mind at that moment. A surge of jealousy and possessiveness raged through him as he watched Kara and the
An unfamiliar stabbing in his gut surprised Hawke. Was Austin Kara’s beau, or possibly her fiancé? He reminded himself that he’d come to conduct a business deal and track down Tompkins. He did not need to get tangled up with some woman, especially not with the prickly Miss Jonston, no matter how tempting the idea or seductive the fantasies.
The horse and rider galloped up to them. He saw the young man pull his horse into a sliding stop on its rear haunches and step off its back in one fluid movement. It was a neat bit of horsemanship, Hawke acknowledged grudgingly, but it was Kara’s reaction to the man that caught his complete attention.
“Kid!” Austin smiled broadly, approaching the women who had turned at his arrival. “You’ve gone and grown up on me!” Reaching the women, Austin grabbed Kara up in his arms and twirled her around. Her head fell back and she laughed as she clutched his shoulders to keep from falling. Smiling down at the man holding her, she snatched his hat off and thumped him on the top of the head with it. “Austin Roberts, you coyote, put me down now before you drop me.”
“Oh kid,” Austin pretended to stagger under the weight of her slight form. “I didn’t realize you’d become such a heifer since you went away! I’ve thrown my back out for sure.”
“You … you, put me down this instant,” she cuffed him lightly with her other fist. The young cowboy continued to twirl her around and she hugged him tightly around his neck.
A rush of unease raced up Hawke’s spine. Trying to ignore it he turned back towards the men on the porch.
• • •
Kara became aware of the men standing on the porch, watching the scene in front of them. Her eyes narrowed, seeing the look of annoyance — or was it disgust? — on Stoneham’s face. What was his problem? She probably insulted his oh-so-proper manners. Well, it didn’t matter to her. Did it?
Looking down at Austin’s smiling face, she realized he held her in a rather intimate fashion. Her face flamed with embarrassment. Blast! Now that odious man probably thought she had no manners at all, and she’d probably upset Papa with her wild display. Blast! How could she put Stoneham in his place if he thought her an uncouth, backwater idiot? It was bad enough he had already heard of her work on the ranch. Now this.
“Please, Austin,” she spoke softly, suddenly stiff in his arms, “please; you’re embarrassing me in front of Papa, your father, and the others.”
Austin set her down. Reaching up to cup her face, he replied softly, “Hey, kid, I’m sorry — I forgot you’re a young lady now.” A mischievous grin lit his face. “In spite of you hitting me in such an unladylike manner.”
She leaned her face into his work-worn hand and smiled, appreciating his attempt to ease her anxiety. Reaching up, she took his hand in hers, then stepped back, shaking off her dismay. “You grabbed me so fast I didn’t have an opportunity to look at you. My, my,” she admired his lean, tanned face, bright brown eyes and laughing mouth. “I’ll just bet the girls in White Oaks line up for a shot at you. Don’t they?”
“Why, Kara, stop!” He feigned embarrassment. “You might make me blush.”
Women had been throwing themselves at Austin since he was old enough to notice them.
She cuffed him on the arm, her good mood returning. Grabbing his hand in both of hers, she pulled him towards the house. Alicia joined them, taking Austin’s other arm. Leaning in, Kara whispered conspiratorially, “Wait till you meet Papa’s new partner, he’s been here all of one day, and already he has grandiose ideas about how to run a ranch.”
• • •
Running a ranch was the furthest thing from Hawke’s mind at that moment. A surge of jealousy and possessiveness raged through him as he watched Kara and the
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