Read Online Josh's Justice, Cowboy Romance (Bad in Boots, Book 4) by Patrice Michelle - Free Book Online

He nodded to a woman with shoulder length auburn hair sitting next to him. “My grandpa—his name’s Kenneth—is outside already since he’s a real early riser.”
    “Good morning, Ben, and thank you for the welcome.” Sabrina gave him an appreciative smile for the introductions before she sat down and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with Josh’s family. After breakfast, she’d wandered outside to check on the horses.
    Where had Josh run off to? she wondered as she watched Ben and his father setting up bulls-eye signs at varied heights in what appeared to be some kind of elaborate target practice in the open pasture area next to the barn.
    She’d just turned, intending to head back to the house to find Josh, when she saw him strolling her way, brown cowboy hat pulled low. Sabrina’s mouth went dry as she watched him approach. Did he have any idea just how sexy he was in boots, low-slung jeans and a navy t-shirt that showed off the defined muscles in his arms?
    When their gazes met and his lips crooked slightly, she inwardly sighed. Yeah, he knew. She suddenly felt incredibly dowdy wearing a pair of borrowed jeans two sizes too big. They were held up by a belt on its last loop and a plain white button down shirt tucked in the pants’ waist to fill the gaps the belt couldn’t. She hadn’t bothered to put on the borrowed tennis shoes since they were a couple sizes too small. Great, that made her barefoot and dowdy.
    “Good morning, beautiful,” he said softly, his eyes crinkling in a smile.
    “Morning, Josh. Do you always get up so early?”
    “Yeah,” he said, shrugging. “Lots of stuff to take care of.” He nodded toward his brother and nephew. “Today’s the Double K’s turn to host the kid’s camp.”
    “Oh yeah, I remember you and Elise talking about that,” Sabrina said, trying to hide her disappointment that she wouldn’t be spending the day with him. “Well, I’ll get out of the way if you wouldn’t mind taking me home.”
    He gave a decisive nod and folded his arms. “That’s what I planned to do.”
    She swallowed the sudden knot in her throat, mad at herself for assuming he’d want to spend the day with her too, especially after last night. So much for not thinking ahead. Shifting her gaze to his boots so he wouldn’t see the hurt in her eyes, she said, “Let me get my clothes and I’ll meet you at your truck—”
    “But Nan wouldn’t let me.”
    Her gaze snapped to his. “Huh?”
    Josh reached out and traced a finger along her jaw, sending goose bumps scattering along her arms. “I went to the Lonestar this morning to collect some of your clothes so you could stay with me,” he began, then lowered his hand to his side and pressed his mouth in annoyance. “Nan refused to let me have anything of yours. Said she wanted to see for herself how you are doing. I’ve been ordered to bring you back to the Lonestar this morning.”
    His frown made her snicker. When it deepened, she sobered. “She’s just looking out for me, Josh.”
    A serious look settled on his features. “That’s my job.”
    Sabrina spread her hands and shrugged. “It’s no one’s job.”
    Josh’s brow furrowed and he started to speak when Ben peered around the side of the barn, calling out, “Uncle Josh!”
    “Yeah, Ben?”
    Swiping sweaty bangs from his eyes, his nephew ran up. “Can you help us nail up the backboard Grampa built? Dad needs someone taller to help him hold it up while Grampa nails it to the stand.”
    Josh sighed and nodded. “Let me run Sabrina home, then I’ll come help.”
     
    * * *
     
    “You really like Josh, don’t you?”
    “Huh?” Sabrina peered over the clothesline as she straightened a bed sheet for Nan.
    “You heard me.” Nan set a couple pins in place on the sheet, then lifted a fitted sheet and laid it across the line too.
    “I like how he makes me feel.” Sabrina moved to pull her freshly laundered clothes off the line. Just as Nan had promised, the warm Texas