Read Online The Bull Rider's Homecoming by Jeannie Watt - Free Book Online

to get back to your life.”
    His expression said more than words. It was killing him not to compete. Grady was the same way. Silence fell between them and Annie did her best to focus solely on her girls, but it wasn’t easy when she was so aware of the guy leaning on the fence a few feet away. And even more difficult when he said, “Would you like to go riding sometime?”
    Annie shot him a sideways look as red flags started to wave furiously. “Is that an invitation?”
    â€œIt is.”
    All right ... She hadn’t seen this coming. “Because you’re looking for company?”
    â€œPartly.”
    â€œThe other part?”
    His gaze traveled over her in a way that warmed her. “Because I wouldn’t mind going riding with you.”
    Her heart gave a couple of slow thumps as she grappled with this unexpected development. “I don’t know.” She spoke honestly. “I’m a full-time mom with a second full-time job.”
    â€œNo time for riding.”
    She went with the truth. Not sugarcoated. “No time for complications.”
    â€œMeaning me?”
    She felt the color rise in her cheeks. What if she was reading this all wrong? “I’m going to be honest here. I’m rusty.”
    â€œRusty?”
    â€œI can’t tell what kind of invitation you’re offering—” She looked over at the girls, who were shifting impatiently in their saddles, waiting for a new cue. “Reverse course and walk.”
    â€œI’m offering a friendly invitation with the full understanding that you are a full-time mom with a full-time job and no need of complications. I also understand that the girls would be along for the ride. Literally.”
    She felt a smile forming on her lips, but she wasn’t certain why.
    He smiled back. “Let’s go for a ride next weekend. You, me and your girls. We can follow the trail into the mountain. I’ll bring lunch.” He didn’t move closer, but it felt as if he had when he quietly repeated, “No complications.”
    Annie pushed her windblown tendrils that had escaped her ponytail back from her face as she fought with herself, trying to come up with a viable reason to say no. “Next Sunday?”
    â€œNext Sunday.”
    â€œMo-om!”
    Annie turned back to the arena and rested her arms on the second highest rail, her heart beating just a little faster as she called, “Figure eight at the jog!”
    She wanted to go for this ride with Trace. It astounded her, but she did. “All right,” she heard herself say. “It’s a date.”
    * * *
    â€œM OM , THE FURNACE is making that noise again.”
    Annie hated that noise. After resetting the furnace the previous weekend, the old beast had run well for almost forty-eight hours. Then it had made the noise again. Annie had pushed the red button and restarted the furnace, only to have it make the noise twelve hours later. Then six. Today she’d turned on the heat immediately after they’d returned home from riding—two hours ago.
    The heating system in her house was clearly edging toward a major problem, but it wasn’t there yet, which left Annie in a conundrum. Should she call in a repair guy now, three weeks before payday? Or check out a fix-it book from the library and tackle the repair herself? Fix-it book and positive thinking were her go-to options, but honestly? She was a little afraid of the furnace. Moving parts she didn’t mind. Moving parts that involved flames—not a fan.
    â€œDid you hear me, Mom?” Katie called from the living room, as if the clattering wasn’t readily apparent.
    â€œThanks, honey. I’ll take a look.” Push that red button. Hope for the best.
    She headed down the cellar steps, which no longer creaked under her weight, thanks to Grady. He’d done a lot of much-needed carpentry around the place when he’d returned home last summer to