Read Online The Bodyguard's Return by Carla Cassidy - Free Book Online
Authors: Carla Cassidy
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hadn’t spent so much time at the West house she might have gotten her feelings hurt by Smokey’s cantankerous attitude. But she’d been around often enough to know he talked that way to almost everyone. He seemed to take perverse pleasure in being irascible.
“Actually, I’m here on behalf of the paper,” she said. “I’d like to interview you for my column on notable people in Cotter Creek.”
Smokey stared at her over the edge of the paper. “Now what in God’s creation makes you think I’d be interested in such nonsense.”
“Give her a break, Smokey.” Joshua came into the kitchen and a ridiculous wave of pleasure swept through her. He took a seat at the table opposite Savannah. “She’s had a rough couple of days.”
She flashed him a surprised, but grateful smile and tried to ignore the way the sight of him made her heart dance. “Come on, Smokey. I promise I’ll make it as painless as possible.” She tried to focus on the old man and not on Joshua, but found it impossible not to shoot surreptitious glances at the attractive cowboy.
This morning he wore a pair of jeans and a navy-blue knit shirt that clung to him in all the right places. She willed her attention back to Smokey.
He huffed a sigh and set the paper aside. “All right, but if you think you’re going to make me crylike Barbara Walters always makes people cry in her interviews, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Great.” She pulled a miniature tape recorder from her purse. “Even though I take notes, I like to make a recording as well. Is that all right with you?”
Smokey eyed the tape recorder like it was a piece of smelly trash that had somehow made its way to the table, but he nodded his head in agreement.
Savannah opened her notepad and began the interview. Initially she felt self-conscious with Joshua seated at the table, watching her with his dark green eyes.
Within minutes she forgot his presence as she talked to the cook who was not just a wounded cowboy who had no longer been able to ride the range, but a man who had stepped in for a family who was desperately in need.
She’d instinctively known the old man’s story would be a good one and as he talked about the special place he’d found for himself in the West family her heart was melting for the old rascal.
It took almost an hour to get what she needed and by that time Smokey was showing definite signs of impatience to be finished.
“Thanks, Smokey. I’ll just get these notes typed up and next Sunday morning everyone in town will be reading about you.”
He got up from the table with a grunt. “All I care about is getting you out of my kitchen so I can get to the business of making lunch.”
“You’re good at that,” Joshua said, falling into step with her as she left the kitchen. “You got him to talk about stuff I didn’t know about him.”
She smiled, a wealth of warmth sweeping through her at his compliment. “Thanks, that’s my job.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asked.
“My first order of business is to get to the office and get this interview turned in,” she replied. “Why?”
They stepped out on the front porch. “I was thinking maybe I’d hang out with you. You know, get an idea of a day in the life of a reporter.”
She eyed him with disbelief. “You’re interested in maybe becoming a reporter?”
His gaze didn’t meet hers, but instead shifted out to the pastures. “No, but I’m just back in town after being gone for a while. You’re relatively new to town. I just thought it might be fun to hang out together.”
For just a brief second a flutter of pure feminine pleasure swept through her, but it quickly vanished beneath a dose of harsh reality.
He thought it might be fun to hang out together? This from the man who hadn’t even returned her phone calls in the first three days he’d been back in town. “That’s the biggest bunch of crap I’ve ever heard,” she said flatly.
His
“Actually, I’m here on behalf of the paper,” she said. “I’d like to interview you for my column on notable people in Cotter Creek.”
Smokey stared at her over the edge of the paper. “Now what in God’s creation makes you think I’d be interested in such nonsense.”
“Give her a break, Smokey.” Joshua came into the kitchen and a ridiculous wave of pleasure swept through her. He took a seat at the table opposite Savannah. “She’s had a rough couple of days.”
She flashed him a surprised, but grateful smile and tried to ignore the way the sight of him made her heart dance. “Come on, Smokey. I promise I’ll make it as painless as possible.” She tried to focus on the old man and not on Joshua, but found it impossible not to shoot surreptitious glances at the attractive cowboy.
This morning he wore a pair of jeans and a navy-blue knit shirt that clung to him in all the right places. She willed her attention back to Smokey.
He huffed a sigh and set the paper aside. “All right, but if you think you’re going to make me crylike Barbara Walters always makes people cry in her interviews, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Great.” She pulled a miniature tape recorder from her purse. “Even though I take notes, I like to make a recording as well. Is that all right with you?”
Smokey eyed the tape recorder like it was a piece of smelly trash that had somehow made its way to the table, but he nodded his head in agreement.
Savannah opened her notepad and began the interview. Initially she felt self-conscious with Joshua seated at the table, watching her with his dark green eyes.
Within minutes she forgot his presence as she talked to the cook who was not just a wounded cowboy who had no longer been able to ride the range, but a man who had stepped in for a family who was desperately in need.
She’d instinctively known the old man’s story would be a good one and as he talked about the special place he’d found for himself in the West family her heart was melting for the old rascal.
It took almost an hour to get what she needed and by that time Smokey was showing definite signs of impatience to be finished.
“Thanks, Smokey. I’ll just get these notes typed up and next Sunday morning everyone in town will be reading about you.”
He got up from the table with a grunt. “All I care about is getting you out of my kitchen so I can get to the business of making lunch.”
“You’re good at that,” Joshua said, falling into step with her as she left the kitchen. “You got him to talk about stuff I didn’t know about him.”
She smiled, a wealth of warmth sweeping through her at his compliment. “Thanks, that’s my job.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asked.
“My first order of business is to get to the office and get this interview turned in,” she replied. “Why?”
They stepped out on the front porch. “I was thinking maybe I’d hang out with you. You know, get an idea of a day in the life of a reporter.”
She eyed him with disbelief. “You’re interested in maybe becoming a reporter?”
His gaze didn’t meet hers, but instead shifted out to the pastures. “No, but I’m just back in town after being gone for a while. You’re relatively new to town. I just thought it might be fun to hang out together.”
For just a brief second a flutter of pure feminine pleasure swept through her, but it quickly vanished beneath a dose of harsh reality.
He thought it might be fun to hang out together? This from the man who hadn’t even returned her phone calls in the first three days he’d been back in town. “That’s the biggest bunch of crap I’ve ever heard,” she said flatly.
His
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