Read Online Long, Tall Texans: Calhoun by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diana Palmer
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Love Stories, Texas, Short Stories (Single Author), Cowboys, Ranchers, Cowboys - Texas, Ranchers - Texas
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agreed. "You've already said that you didn't want me hanging around you like a lovesick calf, and I'm doing my best not to," she added, although it hurt terribly to try to make light of that hurtful remark.
His heavy shoulders made a jerky movement as he looked at her and away again, as if her answer made him uncomfortable. "Justin's too old for you."
"Bullfeathers," she replied, lifting her chin. "You've objected to every other man I've ever gone out with, but you
can't object to your own brother. Justin would never hurt me, and you know it."
He did know it, but that didn't help. He was dying at the thought of Abby and Justin together.
"Oh, for God's sake!" he burst out, lost for words.
She took a steadying breath, though her heart was still doing a tango in her chest. "Why should it matter to you what I do?" she challenged him. "And you're a fine one to sit in judgment on other people! My gosh, Calhoun, everybody in the world knows what a playboy you are!"
He glared at her, trying to keep his temper. "I'm not a playboy," he said tersely. "I may date women occasionally—"
"Every night," she returned. Even though she knew her assertion wasn't completely true, she was too angry to split hairs. "Not that I mind," she added with a cold smile. "I don't care who you go out with, as long as you stop poking your nose into my business. I'll date whom I please, Calhoun, and if you don't like it, you know what you can do!"
He started to tell her what she could do, but before he could get the words out she'd jerked the door open and gone out and up the staircase.
"If you stay out until two o'clock in the morning again, with or without Justin, I'll take a tree limb to you!"
Calhoun yelled up the stairs.
Abby made a sound that almost drove him crazy. He muttered something obscene and went back into the living room, slamming the door so hard it shook the room.
Damn women! He could have screamed at the effect she was having on him lately. She was ruining his love life, ruining his business life. All he did was think about her damned pretty breasts....
Abby cried herself to sleep. It had been a rotten evening altogether, and every time she thought of Calhoun kissing that model she got sicker. She hated him. She hated every bone in his body, and she most especially hated his possessiveness. She had to find an apartment. She had to get away. After tonight it was going to be just plain horrible trying to stay in the same house with Calhoun until her birthday.
The next morning she slept late. She usually got up and went to church, but this time she played hooky. She didn't want to risk running into Calhoun.
But as it was, there was nothing to worry about. When she finally went downstairs at lunchtime, wearing jeans and a beige knit top, her hair in a ponytail, Calhoun was nowhere in sight.
"Good morning," Justin said from the head of the table, smiling faintly. "How did it go last night?"
"Don't ask," she groaned. She sat down and glanced nervously at the door. "Is he here?"
He shook his head and filled his cup with coffee then passed the carafe to Abby. "He's still asleep," he said.
That was surprising, because Calhoun was usually up early. Justin actually grinned then. "What happened?"
"He thinks I should be in before two o'clock in the morning, even if he isn't," she said calmly. "And you're too old for me," she added with a faint grin, eyeing him.
He chuckled. "What else?"
"He's going crazy, Justin," she said. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately. It can't be his love life—his model seemed to be more than willing," she added cattily.
Justin looked at her, but he didn't reply. He poured cream into his coffee. "Oh, I almost forgot. Misty phoned. Something about having an apartment she wanted you to look at today if you want to go with her."
"Yes, I think I do," she murmured with a cold glance at the staircase.
"You know I don't approve of Misty as your prospective roommate," Justin told her honestly. "But
His heavy shoulders made a jerky movement as he looked at her and away again, as if her answer made him uncomfortable. "Justin's too old for you."
"Bullfeathers," she replied, lifting her chin. "You've objected to every other man I've ever gone out with, but you
can't object to your own brother. Justin would never hurt me, and you know it."
He did know it, but that didn't help. He was dying at the thought of Abby and Justin together.
"Oh, for God's sake!" he burst out, lost for words.
She took a steadying breath, though her heart was still doing a tango in her chest. "Why should it matter to you what I do?" she challenged him. "And you're a fine one to sit in judgment on other people! My gosh, Calhoun, everybody in the world knows what a playboy you are!"
He glared at her, trying to keep his temper. "I'm not a playboy," he said tersely. "I may date women occasionally—"
"Every night," she returned. Even though she knew her assertion wasn't completely true, she was too angry to split hairs. "Not that I mind," she added with a cold smile. "I don't care who you go out with, as long as you stop poking your nose into my business. I'll date whom I please, Calhoun, and if you don't like it, you know what you can do!"
He started to tell her what she could do, but before he could get the words out she'd jerked the door open and gone out and up the staircase.
"If you stay out until two o'clock in the morning again, with or without Justin, I'll take a tree limb to you!"
Calhoun yelled up the stairs.
Abby made a sound that almost drove him crazy. He muttered something obscene and went back into the living room, slamming the door so hard it shook the room.
Damn women! He could have screamed at the effect she was having on him lately. She was ruining his love life, ruining his business life. All he did was think about her damned pretty breasts....
Abby cried herself to sleep. It had been a rotten evening altogether, and every time she thought of Calhoun kissing that model she got sicker. She hated him. She hated every bone in his body, and she most especially hated his possessiveness. She had to find an apartment. She had to get away. After tonight it was going to be just plain horrible trying to stay in the same house with Calhoun until her birthday.
The next morning she slept late. She usually got up and went to church, but this time she played hooky. She didn't want to risk running into Calhoun.
But as it was, there was nothing to worry about. When she finally went downstairs at lunchtime, wearing jeans and a beige knit top, her hair in a ponytail, Calhoun was nowhere in sight.
"Good morning," Justin said from the head of the table, smiling faintly. "How did it go last night?"
"Don't ask," she groaned. She sat down and glanced nervously at the door. "Is he here?"
He shook his head and filled his cup with coffee then passed the carafe to Abby. "He's still asleep," he said.
That was surprising, because Calhoun was usually up early. Justin actually grinned then. "What happened?"
"He thinks I should be in before two o'clock in the morning, even if he isn't," she said calmly. "And you're too old for me," she added with a faint grin, eyeing him.
He chuckled. "What else?"
"He's going crazy, Justin," she said. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately. It can't be his love life—his model seemed to be more than willing," she added cattily.
Justin looked at her, but he didn't reply. He poured cream into his coffee. "Oh, I almost forgot. Misty phoned. Something about having an apartment she wanted you to look at today if you want to go with her."
"Yes, I think I do," she murmured with a cold glance at the staircase.
"You know I don't approve of Misty as your prospective roommate," Justin told her honestly. "But
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