Read Online Her Bucking Bronc by Beth Williamson - Free Book Online Page B

court.”
    “Shit.”
    “Yeah, that means their accounts are probably frozen too.”
    Hannah felt sick. “Damn them. They must’ve known they were in trouble when they took the money from me.”
    “You paid them by check, right?”
    “Yes. I’m not that stupid.” Although she felt pretty stupid right about then.
    “Go to your bank and tell them what’s happened. Maybe it’s not too late to do something.” He sipped from the thermos.
    “I called the bank on the way back to the ranch this morning and left a message. I’ll go by later.” She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “Thank you for helping me through this.”
    He nodded in response. “We can get the measurements from the kitchen area today so we make sure the appliances will fit.”
    “I took the measurements from the blueprints.”
    He chuffed a laugh. “You really do have your shit together. I’m not sure why you think you’re crazy. I know successful businessmen who couldn’t find their ass with both hands.”
    Her throat tightened at the surety in his voice. Not many people saw her as having her shit together. Everyone in her life considered her to be an OCD maniac who could bake like an idiot savant. Granted, her brother respected her gift with numbers, but he looked on her with pity. As though losing Phillip had turned her into less than she’d been, which wasn’t saying much.
    Dylan saw her differently. Perhaps because he hadn’t known her all her life. There was no history to cloud his judgment. Her heart fluttered and she found herself falling a little bit in love with him. How that could happen, she couldn’t even begin to explain. Dylan was not her type and she had a feeling she wasn’t his either. They were too much alike to be together.
    “Tomorrow we can go see my appliance guy and see what he’s got. I’ll email him a list.”
    “Thank you.” She started the truck. “I’d better get back to Tanger so you can get your ass to work. The daylight’s wasting. Can’t spend your day chasing pretty girls.”
    He smirked. “Smartass.”
    “I don’t think I could be anything else.”
    “I don’t have a hard time believing that.” He drank from the thermos again.
    The ride back to Tanger was a comfortable silence. The wind whistled through the cab and for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel the need to fill the air with words. Neither did Dylan.
    She wondered why the universe had thrown this man in her path and what would happen next.
    * * * * *
    Dylan checked the progress on the footings that had been poured the day before. Everything looked good. Today they’d be able to move forward with the floor joists. The sun was crawling up the sky when he heard a truck rumble to a stop behind him.
    When a pair of boots, female boots, appeared in the dirt, he glanced up. Hannah stood there looking very different than she had when he’d last seen her. She wore blue jeans, a clean T-shirt, her hair was brushed and back in a ponytail, and her eyes were clear. In her hands, she held a pie.
    The smell of sweet potato filled this nose. His stomach howled like a rabid dog.
    “Hello.” That husky voice of hers sent a shiver up his spine, even in the afternoon heat.
    “Miss Blackwood.” He got to his feet, and the fresh scent of soap and woman came to him on the breeze. “Decide to check on the progress?”
    A small frown appeared between her eyebrows. “I can’t let you build my restaurant without me.”
    “Of course not.”
    “Besides, we need to go to your appliance guy today.” She thrust the pie at him. “I made this for you.”
    He took the pie, surprised by the warmth from the tin plate. She must’ve pulled it from the oven and driven over. “Thank you. It, ah, smells good.”
    She put her hands on her hips and walked around him. “Now I need to do my inspection.”
    Dylan frowned at her back. “Your inspection.”
    “It is my property and my insurance money.” She proceeded to walk through, climb