Read Online Luke (Armed and Dangerous Book 2) by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online
Authors: Cheyenne McCray
Tags: Romance
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then the last four years in Europe. She’d practiced calf roping and barrel racing in those corrals to the northeast of the ranch house. Despite darkness shrouding the ranch she could easily make out the split-rail fencing and the water trough made from a fifty-gallon steel drum.
And over there, in that huge old barn, was where they kept Dancer, Trinity’s mare. Farther out back she could even see the bunkhouse where most of the ranch hands lived, and she smiled. When she was growing up on the ranch, she’d certainly had her fair share of crushes on hot cowboys.
At the thought of cowboys, one particularly tall and good-looking one came immediately to mind. Amazing—she’d finally been able to forget Luke Rider for all of what, three minutes?
As she brought the Mustang to a halt in front of the house and switched off the ignition, the knot in her belly rose into her chest, making even breathing difficult. Why was she so anxious about getting together with her sister after all this time? Maybe it was the combination of seeing Skylar, and what had happened earlier with Luke.
After she took a couple of deep breaths, Trinity climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her. A dog barked from inside the house and the tawny glow of lights spilled through the kitchen’s curtains.
She paused for a moment to look up at the now almost clear star-spattered sky. Wow. She’d missed the sight of all those stars. It was so dark out here in the middle of nowhere that stars were far more plentiful and brilliant, and the Milky Way was like white cotton candy spun across the universe.
Dirt and rocks crunched under her shoes as she made herself walk toward the house. Rain-fresh desert air filled her senses, along with the instantly familiar ranch smells of cattle and horses. The weeping willows and oaks had sure grown in the past four years.
Wooden stairs squeaked as she jogged up them to the plant- crowded porch, thick enough that it looked like a small jungle.
A porch light flicked on as Trinity reached the front door, and she blinked away the sudden brightness. The rattle of the doorknob caused the knots in her belly and chest to double. Then triple.
The door swung open, but Trinity couldn’t make out the shadowed figure in the entrance, until the person stepped onto the porch.
Skylar. She hadn’t changed much in four years—if anything she was more beautiful than ever. Her auburn hair flowed around her shoulders, her skin as flawless and perfect as it had always been.
Only she seemed happy. Happier than Trinity remembered ever seeing her.
“Yes?” Skylar cocked her head, a puzzled smile on her pretty face. “Can I—” Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Trinity?”
Trinity gave her sister a little smile, pleased that Skylar had remembered to use that name and not Madeline. “Hey, Skylar.”
“You brat! ” In the next moment Skylar had her arms wrapped around Trinity, hugging her so tight that the air whooshed out of her lungs. Skylar still smelled of orange blossoms, and her embrace was warm and loving. “I missed you so much, knothead,” Skylar whispered, her voice choked with emotion.
Trinity pulled away and smiled, swallowing hard and fighting back tears that she’d never expected. “I missed you, too, string bean. I didn’t realize just how much till now.”
“You look so—so different.” Skylar shook her head as she held Trinity by the shoulders and looked her up and down. “I thought you had to be someone who’d gotten lost or something. Until I saw your eyes. You have Mom’s eyes, you know.”
A dog barked as though in agreement, and Trinity reached down to pet the black-and-white Border Collie. “That’s Blue,” Skylar said as Trinity rubbed the dog behind his ears.
“What a gorgeous boy you are,” Trinity crooned.
“Think you might like to let her in out of the cold, Sky?” a masculine voice asked. Only one man had ever called Skylar “Sky.” Trinity’s gaze shot up
And over there, in that huge old barn, was where they kept Dancer, Trinity’s mare. Farther out back she could even see the bunkhouse where most of the ranch hands lived, and she smiled. When she was growing up on the ranch, she’d certainly had her fair share of crushes on hot cowboys.
At the thought of cowboys, one particularly tall and good-looking one came immediately to mind. Amazing—she’d finally been able to forget Luke Rider for all of what, three minutes?
As she brought the Mustang to a halt in front of the house and switched off the ignition, the knot in her belly rose into her chest, making even breathing difficult. Why was she so anxious about getting together with her sister after all this time? Maybe it was the combination of seeing Skylar, and what had happened earlier with Luke.
After she took a couple of deep breaths, Trinity climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her. A dog barked from inside the house and the tawny glow of lights spilled through the kitchen’s curtains.
She paused for a moment to look up at the now almost clear star-spattered sky. Wow. She’d missed the sight of all those stars. It was so dark out here in the middle of nowhere that stars were far more plentiful and brilliant, and the Milky Way was like white cotton candy spun across the universe.
Dirt and rocks crunched under her shoes as she made herself walk toward the house. Rain-fresh desert air filled her senses, along with the instantly familiar ranch smells of cattle and horses. The weeping willows and oaks had sure grown in the past four years.
Wooden stairs squeaked as she jogged up them to the plant- crowded porch, thick enough that it looked like a small jungle.
A porch light flicked on as Trinity reached the front door, and she blinked away the sudden brightness. The rattle of the doorknob caused the knots in her belly and chest to double. Then triple.
The door swung open, but Trinity couldn’t make out the shadowed figure in the entrance, until the person stepped onto the porch.
Skylar. She hadn’t changed much in four years—if anything she was more beautiful than ever. Her auburn hair flowed around her shoulders, her skin as flawless and perfect as it had always been.
Only she seemed happy. Happier than Trinity remembered ever seeing her.
“Yes?” Skylar cocked her head, a puzzled smile on her pretty face. “Can I—” Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Trinity?”
Trinity gave her sister a little smile, pleased that Skylar had remembered to use that name and not Madeline. “Hey, Skylar.”
“You brat! ” In the next moment Skylar had her arms wrapped around Trinity, hugging her so tight that the air whooshed out of her lungs. Skylar still smelled of orange blossoms, and her embrace was warm and loving. “I missed you so much, knothead,” Skylar whispered, her voice choked with emotion.
Trinity pulled away and smiled, swallowing hard and fighting back tears that she’d never expected. “I missed you, too, string bean. I didn’t realize just how much till now.”
“You look so—so different.” Skylar shook her head as she held Trinity by the shoulders and looked her up and down. “I thought you had to be someone who’d gotten lost or something. Until I saw your eyes. You have Mom’s eyes, you know.”
A dog barked as though in agreement, and Trinity reached down to pet the black-and-white Border Collie. “That’s Blue,” Skylar said as Trinity rubbed the dog behind his ears.
“What a gorgeous boy you are,” Trinity crooned.
“Think you might like to let her in out of the cold, Sky?” a masculine voice asked. Only one man had ever called Skylar “Sky.” Trinity’s gaze shot up