Read Online Saddled and Spurred: A Blacktop Cowboys Novel by Lorelei James - Free Book Online
Authors: Lorelei James
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little bit of sass.
Luckily, she held on to the wire tight enough so by the time he reached her it was a quick tie-off and then he could go to the next post. She walked to the broken section of fence line without being told.
Everything would’ve been fine and dandy if the woman hadn’t felt the need to hum all the damn time. If he’d wanted to listen to tunes, he would’ve worn his iPod. But Harper wasn’t whining, complaining, or, God forbid, chattering like a squirrel, so he let it go.
By the time they finished repairing the fence, a cold front had moved in and fine snow drifted down like powdered sugar, cutting visibility.
“Let’s head back before it gets worse out here.”
Harper helped him pick up his tools without him asking her, which he appreciated. As she headed to her ATV, she lost her footing. Bran snagged the back of her coat, keeping her upright. “Be careful.”
She skidded sideways and latched onto the straps of his overalls to retain her balance. “Sorry. I’m not especially graceful.”
“Not a problem.” Her brown eyes were nearly gold in this light. Bran couldn’t look away. But he knew if he didn’t force himself to step back, he’d be tempted to brush the tiny flakes of snow from her pink cheeks. Or press his mouth to hers to see if he could warm up her cold-looking lips.
Her gaze dropped to his throat and she released him first, backing up. Way up. “Ah. Yeah. I’d better get a head start since I’m so slow.”
Bran signaled for her to follow him. They cut across the sloped field to the cattle shelter. She stayed on her ATV while he took a quick count of how many cows he had in labor. Four. It’d be an easy night. But an easy night was always followed by a hard night.
The frigid air bit through his layers of clothes and he sped toward home. He was busy thinking about things he had yet to finish, when he heard a whining crunch behind him. He cranked his head and watched in shock as Harper was ejected off the ATV. She landed hard, her body crumpling, and the machine abruptly quit.
He jerked the steering wheel and raced back to her, panic flooding his chest. He’d barely gotten his ATV stopped before he skidded on his knees beside her on the frozen ground.
She was sprawled flat on her back. She wasn’t fucking moving. Mouth dry, heart racing, fear ripping at his insides, Bran tried to remember what to do.
Check her pulse. Check her breathing. Check for injuries.
After tearing off his gloves with his teeth, he unzipped her jacket to the middle of her chest. He placed his shaking fingers on the pulse point of her neck.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Beating heart. Thank God.
Harper’s neck wasn’t twisted at a weird, broken angle. But she’d been knocked out cold. Probably had the wind knocked out of her too. He lightly laid his head on her chest to hear her breathing.
Her chest lifted beneath his ear. Her lungs appeared to be working fine. He mapped the planes of her cold face and loosened her hood, running his hands over her scalp to see if she’d sustained a head injury.
No blood. No bumps.
“Harper? Sweetheart, can you hear me?”
Was it his imagination or did her nose wrinkle?
When he leaned near enough to feel her exhalations on his upper lip, her eyes opened.
Being a hairsbreadth away from Harper sent a shot of adrenaline straight to his groin. Holy hell, the woman was even more beautiful up close. He found his voice, although it didn’t sound like his voice. “You okay?”
“I think so. What happened?”
“I don’t know. I heard a noise and then saw you hit the ground. What’s the last thing you remember?”
She stared at him. A look of comprehension entered her eyes. “The ATV got stuck in a lower gear. I glanced down at the RPMs and tried to shift, but it wouldn’t budge. When I looked back up . . . I . . . umm . . .”
“What?”
“A bunny jumped in front of me and I swerved to miss it. Then I went sailing through the air. Guess I must’ve
Luckily, she held on to the wire tight enough so by the time he reached her it was a quick tie-off and then he could go to the next post. She walked to the broken section of fence line without being told.
Everything would’ve been fine and dandy if the woman hadn’t felt the need to hum all the damn time. If he’d wanted to listen to tunes, he would’ve worn his iPod. But Harper wasn’t whining, complaining, or, God forbid, chattering like a squirrel, so he let it go.
By the time they finished repairing the fence, a cold front had moved in and fine snow drifted down like powdered sugar, cutting visibility.
“Let’s head back before it gets worse out here.”
Harper helped him pick up his tools without him asking her, which he appreciated. As she headed to her ATV, she lost her footing. Bran snagged the back of her coat, keeping her upright. “Be careful.”
She skidded sideways and latched onto the straps of his overalls to retain her balance. “Sorry. I’m not especially graceful.”
“Not a problem.” Her brown eyes were nearly gold in this light. Bran couldn’t look away. But he knew if he didn’t force himself to step back, he’d be tempted to brush the tiny flakes of snow from her pink cheeks. Or press his mouth to hers to see if he could warm up her cold-looking lips.
Her gaze dropped to his throat and she released him first, backing up. Way up. “Ah. Yeah. I’d better get a head start since I’m so slow.”
Bran signaled for her to follow him. They cut across the sloped field to the cattle shelter. She stayed on her ATV while he took a quick count of how many cows he had in labor. Four. It’d be an easy night. But an easy night was always followed by a hard night.
The frigid air bit through his layers of clothes and he sped toward home. He was busy thinking about things he had yet to finish, when he heard a whining crunch behind him. He cranked his head and watched in shock as Harper was ejected off the ATV. She landed hard, her body crumpling, and the machine abruptly quit.
He jerked the steering wheel and raced back to her, panic flooding his chest. He’d barely gotten his ATV stopped before he skidded on his knees beside her on the frozen ground.
She was sprawled flat on her back. She wasn’t fucking moving. Mouth dry, heart racing, fear ripping at his insides, Bran tried to remember what to do.
Check her pulse. Check her breathing. Check for injuries.
After tearing off his gloves with his teeth, he unzipped her jacket to the middle of her chest. He placed his shaking fingers on the pulse point of her neck.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Beating heart. Thank God.
Harper’s neck wasn’t twisted at a weird, broken angle. But she’d been knocked out cold. Probably had the wind knocked out of her too. He lightly laid his head on her chest to hear her breathing.
Her chest lifted beneath his ear. Her lungs appeared to be working fine. He mapped the planes of her cold face and loosened her hood, running his hands over her scalp to see if she’d sustained a head injury.
No blood. No bumps.
“Harper? Sweetheart, can you hear me?”
Was it his imagination or did her nose wrinkle?
When he leaned near enough to feel her exhalations on his upper lip, her eyes opened.
Being a hairsbreadth away from Harper sent a shot of adrenaline straight to his groin. Holy hell, the woman was even more beautiful up close. He found his voice, although it didn’t sound like his voice. “You okay?”
“I think so. What happened?”
“I don’t know. I heard a noise and then saw you hit the ground. What’s the last thing you remember?”
She stared at him. A look of comprehension entered her eyes. “The ATV got stuck in a lower gear. I glanced down at the RPMs and tried to shift, but it wouldn’t budge. When I looked back up . . . I . . . umm . . .”
“What?”
“A bunny jumped in front of me and I swerved to miss it. Then I went sailing through the air. Guess I must’ve
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