Read Online Southern Spice (Southern Desires Series Book 1) by Jeannette Winters - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeannette Winters
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simmered down. Oh, Derrick. Even when you’re not here, you’re here. But it wasn’t necessarily respect she saw in their eyes. They’d seemed in good humor before his name was mentioned. Once referred to, they lost some of their openness and jesting. Does he treat them like he treats me? With contempt and lack of interest? Who would work for such a man?
She served heaping plates of food and watched them devour it. It reminded her of being home with her brothers. “Bottomless pits,” her mother called them. Casey liked being on the move most the time, but at times like this, she missed being home with family.
“Save room for dessert. One of the ladies brought strawberry rhubarb pie.”
“Always room for dessert, ma’am,” the one called Bubba said.
She had spent enough time in the south to know better, but she hated being called ma’am. Maybe it was because she was going to turn thirty in two days, but ma’am was making her feel old today. “There’s ice cream, too, if you guys agree to call me Casey.”
“Sure thing, ma’am, I mean, Miss Casey.” Bubba laughed.
Casey smiled. Miss Casey was at least better than being called ma’am.
After their pie, she made a fresh pot of coffee, and enjoyed time sitting around the table chatting. She knew nothing about horses but these men didn’t seem to mind. They told story after story about a new foal, or breaking the wild one. She smiled and humored them.
She’d only been on one horse, and that was yesterday. A day she’d never forget.
The actual accident was a blur. It had been so dark, and her vision had been poor due to the lashing rain against the windshield. When the lightning struck so close to her she felt as thought she’d been zapped with a small current of electricity. If it wasn’t for that jolt, she never would have swerved the way she had. It started the chain reaction of what now was the most terrifying ordeal she’d ever faced.
When her tires lost traction and she began slipping down the bank, she froze in fear, more terrified than she’d ever been. She wasn’t one for small spaces, and being trapped in her truck was her worst nightmare.
It seemed as though she had been trapped forever, unable to free herself from the seatbelt. When she’d first noticed Derrick, she had screamed. It had been so dark; the only time she could see his face was when the sky lit with another bolt of lightning. How he managed to pull her out and what happened next she couldn’t really recall. One moment she was trapped, the next she was on his horse. But she remembered his warmth. The solid beat of his heart against her back. She should’ve been paralyzed with fear, but she’d felt calm. She should have been a mess earlier when the sheriff had proclaimed her purse, clothes, and laptop all beyond help, but due to Derrick’s no-nonsense presence, despite his bitterness and anger, she again had felt calm. Incensed, but calm. How could I feel that way around him? A complete stranger.
“Are you okay, ma’am? You look—”
“I’m fine. It’s been a long day,” Casey answered Bubba. She could feel the flush of her cheeks.
A gruff husky voice came from the doorway. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have invited the entire town to my ranch.”
The four men jumped from their seats. Only McLean looked at Derrick then back to Casey. “Casey, we appreciate dinner and the company.” Then he got up and turned to his men. “Head ’em out, men.”
As they protested under their breath, she heard Derrick say, “If you don’t have enough work on the ranch, I’ll find you some.”
McLean only shook his head. “We have plenty for tomorrow.”
“You should have plenty for the week,” Derrick said, glaring at McLean.
McLean turned back to Casey and said, “Casey, if you find you need anything, you can always reach me on the two-way on the wall over there. I’m never far.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Derrick clench his fist. Why was he so
She served heaping plates of food and watched them devour it. It reminded her of being home with her brothers. “Bottomless pits,” her mother called them. Casey liked being on the move most the time, but at times like this, she missed being home with family.
“Save room for dessert. One of the ladies brought strawberry rhubarb pie.”
“Always room for dessert, ma’am,” the one called Bubba said.
She had spent enough time in the south to know better, but she hated being called ma’am. Maybe it was because she was going to turn thirty in two days, but ma’am was making her feel old today. “There’s ice cream, too, if you guys agree to call me Casey.”
“Sure thing, ma’am, I mean, Miss Casey.” Bubba laughed.
Casey smiled. Miss Casey was at least better than being called ma’am.
After their pie, she made a fresh pot of coffee, and enjoyed time sitting around the table chatting. She knew nothing about horses but these men didn’t seem to mind. They told story after story about a new foal, or breaking the wild one. She smiled and humored them.
She’d only been on one horse, and that was yesterday. A day she’d never forget.
The actual accident was a blur. It had been so dark, and her vision had been poor due to the lashing rain against the windshield. When the lightning struck so close to her she felt as thought she’d been zapped with a small current of electricity. If it wasn’t for that jolt, she never would have swerved the way she had. It started the chain reaction of what now was the most terrifying ordeal she’d ever faced.
When her tires lost traction and she began slipping down the bank, she froze in fear, more terrified than she’d ever been. She wasn’t one for small spaces, and being trapped in her truck was her worst nightmare.
It seemed as though she had been trapped forever, unable to free herself from the seatbelt. When she’d first noticed Derrick, she had screamed. It had been so dark; the only time she could see his face was when the sky lit with another bolt of lightning. How he managed to pull her out and what happened next she couldn’t really recall. One moment she was trapped, the next she was on his horse. But she remembered his warmth. The solid beat of his heart against her back. She should’ve been paralyzed with fear, but she’d felt calm. She should have been a mess earlier when the sheriff had proclaimed her purse, clothes, and laptop all beyond help, but due to Derrick’s no-nonsense presence, despite his bitterness and anger, she again had felt calm. Incensed, but calm. How could I feel that way around him? A complete stranger.
“Are you okay, ma’am? You look—”
“I’m fine. It’s been a long day,” Casey answered Bubba. She could feel the flush of her cheeks.
A gruff husky voice came from the doorway. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have invited the entire town to my ranch.”
The four men jumped from their seats. Only McLean looked at Derrick then back to Casey. “Casey, we appreciate dinner and the company.” Then he got up and turned to his men. “Head ’em out, men.”
As they protested under their breath, she heard Derrick say, “If you don’t have enough work on the ranch, I’ll find you some.”
McLean only shook his head. “We have plenty for tomorrow.”
“You should have plenty for the week,” Derrick said, glaring at McLean.
McLean turned back to Casey and said, “Casey, if you find you need anything, you can always reach me on the two-way on the wall over there. I’m never far.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Derrick clench his fist. Why was he so
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