Read Online Reckless Territory by Kate Watterson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Watterson
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feel… We don’t have a lot of secrets between us. Riding the trail will do that.”
After a moment, she said quietly, “I’m flattered.”
“I’m not the only one,” he imparted in the same laconic tone, but there was nothing casual about how he looked at her. “Robert’s pretty sweet on you too. And Cole, hell, he won’t ever say it, but he’d walk through fire for you. We all would.”
People she’d known her whole life repudiated her because of her father’s debts. It was a different world, and she hadn’t been dramatic earlier, she was glad to be free of the prejudices of her class. These men hadn’t known her all that long, but they had a loyalty that moved her. “What happened at the river wasn’t exactly planned.” She was determined to be as honest with Jace as he had been with her. “But it wasn’t an accident either.”
“We know.”
Of course they did. She wasn’t at all experienced, and she didn’t need to be told the three of them were not sexual novices. Victoria couldn’t help it, she blushed, well aware of Cole and Robert following behind them, the soft thud of the horses’ hooves a reminder of their presence. Helplessly, she gestured with her gloved hand. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Who said you have to say anything?” Jace flashed a wicked smile, touched his spur to his horse and clattered down the steep descent into the valley, so at one with the animal he looked as if he were a part of it.
An hour later they rode into the shaded courtyard of the Crescent Moon Ranch. The house itself, she saw, was made from peeled, weathered pine logs, the façade low and the building simple but sprawling, a wide porch across the front. The corral fences were in need of repair even to her inexperienced eye, and as they rode up, she noted the stone chimney had half fallen over on the roof.
“Needs some work,” Cole commented as he slid from the saddle. “I expected it would.”
“Structure is sound, though.” Robert dismounted and went to politely assist Victoria from the saddle. “And you can’t find a better place to run cattle.”
He smiled at her, the slanting sun touching his chestnut hair and his hazel eyes warm. “Welcome home, my lady. What do you think of our little valley?”
“Little?” She smiled back. “It’s about half the size of England as far as I can tell, and I think it is extraordinarily wild and beautiful.”
“I am not sure about wild, but yes…beautiful.” His hands lingered at her waist, their gazes locked. “Very beautiful.”
He didn’t mean the landscape. Victoria wasn’t sure how she might have responded, but she had learned that Robert was ever conscious of how others felt and he didn’t disappoint. Instead, he let her go and took the reins of her horse. “Don’t let the inside of the house shock you. We’ll get it fixed up nice in no time for you.”
For you .
How odd was it, she wondered as she walked up the steps to the porch, to be a commodity all her life, and to so suddenly find herself home . This was a strange country, yet she was comfortable here, even with the wildness of her surroundings, even with the questionable pasts of her companions. She knew they were good men, and that was enough.
He was right, she discovered as she pushed open the door, the interior was less than ideal. Dusty, with only a few sticks of rickety furniture, the main room wasn’t appealing except for the huge hearth made of what looked like all kinds of smooth rocks, not at all like the brick fireplaces in England. The ceilings were higher also, and wide, dusty windows faced the vista of rangeland with the mountains in the background.
There were bedrooms, she discovered down the hallway—three plain spaces with sparse furnishings. That was the extent of the house except for what looked like a kitchen on the other end, complete with an iron stove and low windows under a slanted roof.
It wasn’t an elegant London town house. Neither was it
After a moment, she said quietly, “I’m flattered.”
“I’m not the only one,” he imparted in the same laconic tone, but there was nothing casual about how he looked at her. “Robert’s pretty sweet on you too. And Cole, hell, he won’t ever say it, but he’d walk through fire for you. We all would.”
People she’d known her whole life repudiated her because of her father’s debts. It was a different world, and she hadn’t been dramatic earlier, she was glad to be free of the prejudices of her class. These men hadn’t known her all that long, but they had a loyalty that moved her. “What happened at the river wasn’t exactly planned.” She was determined to be as honest with Jace as he had been with her. “But it wasn’t an accident either.”
“We know.”
Of course they did. She wasn’t at all experienced, and she didn’t need to be told the three of them were not sexual novices. Victoria couldn’t help it, she blushed, well aware of Cole and Robert following behind them, the soft thud of the horses’ hooves a reminder of their presence. Helplessly, she gestured with her gloved hand. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Who said you have to say anything?” Jace flashed a wicked smile, touched his spur to his horse and clattered down the steep descent into the valley, so at one with the animal he looked as if he were a part of it.
An hour later they rode into the shaded courtyard of the Crescent Moon Ranch. The house itself, she saw, was made from peeled, weathered pine logs, the façade low and the building simple but sprawling, a wide porch across the front. The corral fences were in need of repair even to her inexperienced eye, and as they rode up, she noted the stone chimney had half fallen over on the roof.
“Needs some work,” Cole commented as he slid from the saddle. “I expected it would.”
“Structure is sound, though.” Robert dismounted and went to politely assist Victoria from the saddle. “And you can’t find a better place to run cattle.”
He smiled at her, the slanting sun touching his chestnut hair and his hazel eyes warm. “Welcome home, my lady. What do you think of our little valley?”
“Little?” She smiled back. “It’s about half the size of England as far as I can tell, and I think it is extraordinarily wild and beautiful.”
“I am not sure about wild, but yes…beautiful.” His hands lingered at her waist, their gazes locked. “Very beautiful.”
He didn’t mean the landscape. Victoria wasn’t sure how she might have responded, but she had learned that Robert was ever conscious of how others felt and he didn’t disappoint. Instead, he let her go and took the reins of her horse. “Don’t let the inside of the house shock you. We’ll get it fixed up nice in no time for you.”
For you .
How odd was it, she wondered as she walked up the steps to the porch, to be a commodity all her life, and to so suddenly find herself home . This was a strange country, yet she was comfortable here, even with the wildness of her surroundings, even with the questionable pasts of her companions. She knew they were good men, and that was enough.
He was right, she discovered as she pushed open the door, the interior was less than ideal. Dusty, with only a few sticks of rickety furniture, the main room wasn’t appealing except for the huge hearth made of what looked like all kinds of smooth rocks, not at all like the brick fireplaces in England. The ceilings were higher also, and wide, dusty windows faced the vista of rangeland with the mountains in the background.
There were bedrooms, she discovered down the hallway—three plain spaces with sparse furnishings. That was the extent of the house except for what looked like a kitchen on the other end, complete with an iron stove and low windows under a slanted roof.
It wasn’t an elegant London town house. Neither was it
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