Read Online The Rancher by Lily Graison - Free Book Online

The child
despised her and wouldn't appreciate being told what to do outside
of school. The fact her father had asked her along for the picnic
was upsetting to the girl enough as it was. She'd seen the look on
Alexandra's face when she reached the wagon. She hadn't been the
least bit happy. Laurel couldn't really blame her. She probably
wouldn't have wanted her teacher along for a family outing either,
especially one her father seemed to spend his time trying to talk
to.
     
    Alexandra turned to look at her
as if she could hear Laurel's thoughts. Laurel stared at her, her
facial expression passive. Alexandra's blonde curls swayed in the
breeze and Laurel knew with just a glance, the girl took her looks
after her mother. She shared none of the dark looks her father had,
except for the blue of her eyes. When Alexandra didn't move, or
blink, but continued to stare at her, Laurel sighed. "It's rude to
stare, Alexandra."
     
    "I know. My pa told me that
years ago." She turned and started out of the water, climbing onto
the bank, the hem of her dress dragging on the ground and
collecting bits of grass and dirt. When she stood on solid ground,
she lifted her chin, her eyes narrowed. "You like my pa, don't
ya?"
     
    Laurel wasn't sure how to
answer. "Define like."
     
    Alexandra lifted one eyebrow.
"You want him to court you?"
     
    "No." There, the first question
she'd been asked where she could give an honest answer. "Why do you
ask?"
     
    "Cause I think he wants to court
you."
     
    He wants more than that, Laurel
thought to herself. Thinking of him saying he intended on marrying
her caused her heart to slam against her ribcage and those
butterflies in her stomach danced in erratic patterns until she
felt dizzy. That little voice in her head she'd been trying to
ignore, yelled at her to let Holden know it was okay to come
calling on her and that she'd be waiting with bated breath until he
did.
     
    Laurel blinked instead and
chased the thoughts away, choosing to ignore his whispered
admission. "What makes you think that?"
     
    "Cause he's always looking at
ya. He goes all funny too. He don't listen to me when I talk and
when he does answer, he makes no sense."
     
    "That doesn't mean he wants to
court me, Alexandra. Maybe he's just preoccupied."
     
    She shook her head, her curls
bouncing across her shoulders. "No, he likes you. I can tell. He's
never courted a woman and as far as I know, he don't go near the
saloon and those women who live there and I know from what my uncle
Tristan told me that every man wants a wife. So my pa likes you all
right but what I want to know is, if he tried to court you, would
you let him."
     
    Laurel stared at Alexandra and
the first answer to pop into her head was, yes. She shook her head
and said, "No," instead. "I have no desire to court anyone so rest
assured, you'll not have to worry about me being any part of your
life other than the few hours you spend in my classroom."
     
    Alexandra stared at her for long
minutes, nodding her head after finding Laurel's answer sufficient.
"Good, cause you're all wrong for my pa. He needs a woman who isn't
mean. My ma was as sweet as a flower and my pa loved her with all
his heart. Why, I think that's why he ain't never remarried. He
can't find another woman as pretty and sweet as she was."
     
    "You're probably right."
     
    Alexandra gave her one last look
and took off running toward the wagons. Another was coming across
the prairie and Laurel watched the man and woman in the seat while
Alexandra's words rattled around in her head.
     
    The girl didn't like her, which
was obvious, but knowing Holden had never courted since his wife's
death was intriguing. She couldn’t help but wonder why. Had he
without Alexandra's knowledge?
     
    She thought back to the night
they shared in Missoula, to the attention he showed her. How…
devoted he'd seemed to the task of making love to her. Now that she
thought about it, it did seem as if he'd been determined to make