Read Online Honey Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #2) by Verna Clay - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Verna Clay
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until I can introduce him to the other cats? It may take a week
or so."
Ann lifted the kitten from his hands and stroked
its soft fur. "I'd love to watch him. What are you going to name him? I'm
assuming it's a boy because you said 'him'."
"Yep, it’s a boy. Why don't you name him?"
Ann looked up and smiled. "Okay, let me
think about it."
"I'll stop by Hank's Feed and pick up cat
litter and kitten chow later today. You can feed him hamburger meat until then.
I'll buy a little cat bed, too." Jackson stroked the kitten's head and
then turned to leave.
"Um, Jackson?"
He turned back around.
"I hope you don't mind, but I invited Dixie
to lunch on Thursday."
"Of course I don't mind. She's a great
lady."
"Well, I was wondering, would you like to
have lunch with us? I'm making spaghetti." Ann knew Jackson loved
spaghetti.
"Now I wouldn't want to intrude on you
ladies."
Ann quickly assured him, "You wouldn't be
intruding at all. We'd love to have you."
"What time?"
"Noon."
"I'll be there."
"Um, there's one other thing. My
grandmother Molly called and she wants to spend a week with me. Is that
okay?" The kitten meowed and Ann cuddled it close to her chest.
Jackson walked back and placed the tip of his
finger under her chin. He lifted her head to hold his gaze. "Annie, you
don't have to ask my permission to invite people to lunch or to visit. Do you
think I'm an ogre?"
"Goodness, no! Have I offended you?"
Jackson chuckled. "You are way too cute for
your own good. I doubt you could offend if you tried. He ran his finger down
her cheek and then swiftly turned and left through the mud room. She heard the
back door close.
Ann's heart pounded like she'd run a marathon.
Holding the kitten with one hand, she lifted her other one to touch her cheek
where Jackson had run his finger. The kitten squirmed. "I better feed you,
little one."
* * *
Ann twirled spaghetti around her fork tines and
listened to Jackson and Dixie laugh. They had both grown up in the area and
knew mutual friends, although Jackson was older by five years and so they
hadn't gone to high school together. Ann didn't feel like eating after
realizing again how well they hit it off. The new kitten, Spike, brushed
her leg. "Looks like Spike is on the loose again." She smiled and
reached to pick him up. I'll be right back.
Dixie laughed, "I see why you call him Spike.
That tuft of hair on his head is adorable."
Jackson laughed, too, "I was going to
introduce him to barn living, but Annie's taken such a likin' to him, I think
he's hers."
Ann said, "He follows me around all day and
goes to the cottage at night. I love animals, but Jerry would never let me
have…" Her voice trailed and she blushed. "I'll be right back." Quickly,
she turned and took Spike to his bed in the laundry room, shutting the door and
leaning against it. Now she felt stupid for revealing her personal baggage. She
also felt like crying. The more she was around Jackson the more she loved him.
She closed her eyes. No use denying it.
Bending and patting the kitten one last time,
she scooted out the door before he could follow. When she returned to the
terrace, Dixie and Jackson were laughing uproariously. Ann pasted a smile on
her face.
Saturday came on the wings of a summer shower
while she waited for the bus to arrive with Molly. The bus depot was as big as
a closet with a tiny ticket counter and a sleepy looking old man wearing a round
blue cap with a little black bill. She sat in one of the ancient plastic chairs
and watched a mother hum and rock her infant.
"How old is your baby?" asked Ann.
"She was born a month ago yesterday."
The woman lifted the blanket so Ann could see the sweet little girl's face.
"She's beautiful!"
The young woman laughed. "That's what I
thought the moment I saw her. You got kids?"
"Yes, I have a grown son. He just got
married, in fact."
"No way! You don't look old enough to have
a grown son."
Ann smiled at the woman's compliment.
"Thank you."
"I plan on
or so."
Ann lifted the kitten from his hands and stroked
its soft fur. "I'd love to watch him. What are you going to name him? I'm
assuming it's a boy because you said 'him'."
"Yep, it’s a boy. Why don't you name him?"
Ann looked up and smiled. "Okay, let me
think about it."
"I'll stop by Hank's Feed and pick up cat
litter and kitten chow later today. You can feed him hamburger meat until then.
I'll buy a little cat bed, too." Jackson stroked the kitten's head and
then turned to leave.
"Um, Jackson?"
He turned back around.
"I hope you don't mind, but I invited Dixie
to lunch on Thursday."
"Of course I don't mind. She's a great
lady."
"Well, I was wondering, would you like to
have lunch with us? I'm making spaghetti." Ann knew Jackson loved
spaghetti.
"Now I wouldn't want to intrude on you
ladies."
Ann quickly assured him, "You wouldn't be
intruding at all. We'd love to have you."
"What time?"
"Noon."
"I'll be there."
"Um, there's one other thing. My
grandmother Molly called and she wants to spend a week with me. Is that
okay?" The kitten meowed and Ann cuddled it close to her chest.
Jackson walked back and placed the tip of his
finger under her chin. He lifted her head to hold his gaze. "Annie, you
don't have to ask my permission to invite people to lunch or to visit. Do you
think I'm an ogre?"
"Goodness, no! Have I offended you?"
Jackson chuckled. "You are way too cute for
your own good. I doubt you could offend if you tried. He ran his finger down
her cheek and then swiftly turned and left through the mud room. She heard the
back door close.
Ann's heart pounded like she'd run a marathon.
Holding the kitten with one hand, she lifted her other one to touch her cheek
where Jackson had run his finger. The kitten squirmed. "I better feed you,
little one."
* * *
Ann twirled spaghetti around her fork tines and
listened to Jackson and Dixie laugh. They had both grown up in the area and
knew mutual friends, although Jackson was older by five years and so they
hadn't gone to high school together. Ann didn't feel like eating after
realizing again how well they hit it off. The new kitten, Spike, brushed
her leg. "Looks like Spike is on the loose again." She smiled and
reached to pick him up. I'll be right back.
Dixie laughed, "I see why you call him Spike.
That tuft of hair on his head is adorable."
Jackson laughed, too, "I was going to
introduce him to barn living, but Annie's taken such a likin' to him, I think
he's hers."
Ann said, "He follows me around all day and
goes to the cottage at night. I love animals, but Jerry would never let me
have…" Her voice trailed and she blushed. "I'll be right back." Quickly,
she turned and took Spike to his bed in the laundry room, shutting the door and
leaning against it. Now she felt stupid for revealing her personal baggage. She
also felt like crying. The more she was around Jackson the more she loved him.
She closed her eyes. No use denying it.
Bending and patting the kitten one last time,
she scooted out the door before he could follow. When she returned to the
terrace, Dixie and Jackson were laughing uproariously. Ann pasted a smile on
her face.
Saturday came on the wings of a summer shower
while she waited for the bus to arrive with Molly. The bus depot was as big as
a closet with a tiny ticket counter and a sleepy looking old man wearing a round
blue cap with a little black bill. She sat in one of the ancient plastic chairs
and watched a mother hum and rock her infant.
"How old is your baby?" asked Ann.
"She was born a month ago yesterday."
The woman lifted the blanket so Ann could see the sweet little girl's face.
"She's beautiful!"
The young woman laughed. "That's what I
thought the moment I saw her. You got kids?"
"Yes, I have a grown son. He just got
married, in fact."
"No way! You don't look old enough to have
a grown son."
Ann smiled at the woman's compliment.
"Thank you."
"I plan on
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