Read Online The Rancher by Lily Graison - Free Book Online Page A

it
last. Had she been the first woman he'd bedded in a while? The
thought caused a shiver to race up her spine.
     
    The wagon she'd been watching
came to a stop, the man at the reins hopping to the ground before
turning to help the woman and child down. He turned to face her and
Laurel's breath caught. She blinked twice, widening her eyes to
make sure she was seeing what she thought she was.
     
    The man looked exactly like
Holden.
     
    She turned and found Holden near
the creek, smiling at something the man in the first wagon said and
she looked back and forth between the two men for long minutes
before the woman she'd met at the festival, Abigail, joined her.
Laurel opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.
     
    "They're twins." Abigail's light
laughter caught on the breeze and Laurel exhaled the breath she'd
been holding. "It's a bit shocking the first time you see them but
it's easy to tell them apart once they're side by side." She
grabbed Laurel's arm, turning her attention to where Holden and the
other man stood. "That's Morgan, Holden's oldest brother and my
husband." She turned them back to Holden's twin and the woman. "And
that's Colton, but everyone calls him Colt. His wife is Sarah and
that's their daughter, Emma. She's one and Sarah is expecting
another come spring."
     
    Laurel turned to face Abigail
and wondered what Holden had told his family about her. Meeting
Abigail at the festival and having her rescue her from Edna seemed
a bit pre-planned now that she thought about it. She narrowed her
eyes and asked. "Holden's told you about me?"
     
    Abigail looked surprised.
"Nothing other than you're the new school teacher." She laughed
suddenly. "The look on his face when he talks about you made it
obvious to us all that he likes you. Which is why we insisted he
invite you our picnic. I've never seen the man blush but he did
today."
     
    Her giggles were constant and
Laurel wondered why Holden's reaction was so comical. She had an
uneasy feeling, wondering if she was the butt of their jokes and
mortification burned in her chest.
     
    When Abigail turned to look at
her, her smile vanished. "I've upset you. What did I say?"
     
    "Nothing."
     
    "I did, I can tell by the look
on your face." Abigail turned to look back at the men where they
were spreading blankets and placing the baskets she assumed
contained the food. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you
uncomfortable. It's just that I've known Holden for nearly two
years and this is the first time I've ever seen him the slightest
bit interested in a woman. According to his brothers, he's lived
like a hermit since his wife Maggie died.
     
    Laurel's face burned from
embarrassment but hearing Abigail say she wasn't making fun of her
caused the ache to subside. "That's what Alexandra told me, too,
but I wasn't sure if she was correct or not."
     
    Abigail smiled at her and looped
her arm through Laurel's. "I'm sorry if I upset you but please,
come join us. I know Sarah is dying to meet you and when Tristan
and Emmaline get back from Idaho, they'll have questions we can't
answer." She paused and grinned. "Tristan is Holden's baby brother
and Emmaline is his wife. You'll get a chance to meet them soon,
I'm sure."
     
    "Are there anymore family
members I should know about?"
     
    Abigail shook her head. "No. No
one other than their father, James, but he doesn't talk much. Well,
he talks to Sarah but we think that's because she favors their
mother. There's just the four brother's and all their wives." She
quirked an eyebrow up at Laurel. "And adding one more to the family
wouldn't be frowned upon."
     
    Laurel's heart kicked in her
chest. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that isn't going to
happen. Well, not with me."
     
    "So sure already? But you don't
even know Holden."
     
    I know enough, Laurel thought,
but kept the knowledge to herself.
     
    Abigail escorted her to where
the others had gathered and Laurel tried, and failed, to not look
at Holden. Just seeing him