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Authors: Joannie Kay
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have thought so, too, because she didn't try to get away, and he was sure that when he tried to pull away, she was the one who deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart he said, "You turn me inside out, Amanda Chambers."
Amanda smiled. "You do the same to me, Robert Thorne."
"I had best be getting you home. Your father will have words with me if he arrives before we do." He reluctantly put the pretty redhead on her feet, and after he mounted his stallion again, he carefully lifted her and sat her sideways in front of him. "Is this more comfortable?" he asked.
"Yes," she lied. Her poor bottom was throbbing and she had no one but herself to blame. She did her best not to complain for the rest of the ride home, but was more relieved than she permitted to show when Rob helped her down. "Would you like to come inside and wait for Papa, Rob?"
"No, Amanda. I will ride out and see if they have captured Striker. Do yourself a favor and get out of those pants before your father comes home. And, Amanda, do not let me catch you dressing inappropriately again. You will not like what happens if you do so."
To her surprise he dropped another quick kiss on her lips, and then took off at a gallop.
* * *
It was well after dark when Matt Chambers walked into the house. He was tired and hungry and not looking forward to dealing with Amanda. He was surprised when she came running down the steps and hurried toward him. He'd expected her to be asleep by now. "Why aren't you asleep, girl?" he growled.
"Because I was worried about you," she answered, and then gave him a hug before saying, "Come into the kitchen and I will heat some stew for you."
"Thank you, daughter," he said tiredly.
"Did you catch Striker?" she asked as she hurriedly worked to heat food. She poured a cup of coffee for Matt, and carried it over to the table, and put some biscuits on a small plate and sat it in front of him, too.
"No, he got away. Rob ain't a bit happy about it, either."
"Who do you suppose hates him so much he would hire someone to rustle his cattle?"
"How do you know that?" Matt looked at her in surprise.
"It was what that horrid man said before he died. He told Rob he had someone who hated his guts."
"I didn't know about that," Matt admitted while she dished up his stew. "Thank you, Mandy," he said appreciatively.
"Papa, I know I was foolish today. I was tired of being cooped up and I let my temper talk me into going riding alone. I thought I would be safe dressed like a boy and taking a gun with me," she added, pouting.
"Girl, those pants were so tight they were like a second skin on you. You'd best burn the damn things and give me your word here and now you won't be wearing them again, or I'm gonna have to paddle you."
"Please don't even threaten to do that right now, Papa. I acted like a complete idiot with Rob and he lost his temper with me. I can't sit right now!" she said, blushing. "I am sorry I disobeyed you and rode out alone, and you don't need to worry about the pants. Rob hates them, too."
Matt stuffed a biscuit in his mouth so he wouldn't get caught smiling. His eyesight was still better than most people's, and he'd seen the two of them kissing. He wouldn't mind at all having Rob for a son-in-law... at least as long as he wasn't too quick to put a hand to Mandy!
"You'd best get on up to bed, daughter. It's late."
"Okay, Papa. You need to get some sleep, too," she told him.
"Darn right I do, but I'm gonna finish my coffee first, honey. Now go on... Oh, Mandy, I seen that Glimmer is in her stall. She come back on her own?" he asked.
"Yes, she did. Whitey and I looked her over and she's fine, thank goodness."
"I don't want you riding out alone, Amanda. That is a firm order until I say otherwise."
There was no mistaking the threat behind his words and Amanda knew it was a time for compliance. "Yes, Papa," she answered as meekly as possible, and then went on up to bed.
The girl would have had a regular fit if she knew
Amanda smiled. "You do the same to me, Robert Thorne."
"I had best be getting you home. Your father will have words with me if he arrives before we do." He reluctantly put the pretty redhead on her feet, and after he mounted his stallion again, he carefully lifted her and sat her sideways in front of him. "Is this more comfortable?" he asked.
"Yes," she lied. Her poor bottom was throbbing and she had no one but herself to blame. She did her best not to complain for the rest of the ride home, but was more relieved than she permitted to show when Rob helped her down. "Would you like to come inside and wait for Papa, Rob?"
"No, Amanda. I will ride out and see if they have captured Striker. Do yourself a favor and get out of those pants before your father comes home. And, Amanda, do not let me catch you dressing inappropriately again. You will not like what happens if you do so."
To her surprise he dropped another quick kiss on her lips, and then took off at a gallop.
* * *
It was well after dark when Matt Chambers walked into the house. He was tired and hungry and not looking forward to dealing with Amanda. He was surprised when she came running down the steps and hurried toward him. He'd expected her to be asleep by now. "Why aren't you asleep, girl?" he growled.
"Because I was worried about you," she answered, and then gave him a hug before saying, "Come into the kitchen and I will heat some stew for you."
"Thank you, daughter," he said tiredly.
"Did you catch Striker?" she asked as she hurriedly worked to heat food. She poured a cup of coffee for Matt, and carried it over to the table, and put some biscuits on a small plate and sat it in front of him, too.
"No, he got away. Rob ain't a bit happy about it, either."
"Who do you suppose hates him so much he would hire someone to rustle his cattle?"
"How do you know that?" Matt looked at her in surprise.
"It was what that horrid man said before he died. He told Rob he had someone who hated his guts."
"I didn't know about that," Matt admitted while she dished up his stew. "Thank you, Mandy," he said appreciatively.
"Papa, I know I was foolish today. I was tired of being cooped up and I let my temper talk me into going riding alone. I thought I would be safe dressed like a boy and taking a gun with me," she added, pouting.
"Girl, those pants were so tight they were like a second skin on you. You'd best burn the damn things and give me your word here and now you won't be wearing them again, or I'm gonna have to paddle you."
"Please don't even threaten to do that right now, Papa. I acted like a complete idiot with Rob and he lost his temper with me. I can't sit right now!" she said, blushing. "I am sorry I disobeyed you and rode out alone, and you don't need to worry about the pants. Rob hates them, too."
Matt stuffed a biscuit in his mouth so he wouldn't get caught smiling. His eyesight was still better than most people's, and he'd seen the two of them kissing. He wouldn't mind at all having Rob for a son-in-law... at least as long as he wasn't too quick to put a hand to Mandy!
"You'd best get on up to bed, daughter. It's late."
"Okay, Papa. You need to get some sleep, too," she told him.
"Darn right I do, but I'm gonna finish my coffee first, honey. Now go on... Oh, Mandy, I seen that Glimmer is in her stall. She come back on her own?" he asked.
"Yes, she did. Whitey and I looked her over and she's fine, thank goodness."
"I don't want you riding out alone, Amanda. That is a firm order until I say otherwise."
There was no mistaking the threat behind his words and Amanda knew it was a time for compliance. "Yes, Papa," she answered as meekly as possible, and then went on up to bed.
The girl would have had a regular fit if she knew
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