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

there in the shade of the trees, with
shafts of sunlight breaking through the branches caused her pulse
to race. He was so handsome and the way he looked at her caused
very unladylike notions to fill her head. If things weren't as they
were, she'd happily let that man court her and hope for the best
but the happily ever after she'd read about in dime novels wasn't
in her future. She'd already tried and had failed miserably.
     
    The men wandered off, leaving
the women to set out all the food and when Sarah pulled a familiar
looking pie plate from her basket, Laurel's heart skipped a
beat.
     
    "Do you want to know what Holden
gave for your pie?"
     
    Heat crawled up Laurels neck and
settled on her cheeks. "He bought my pie?"
     
    "Just barely." Sarah laughed as
she set it on the blanket. "For a minute there, I thought Joseph,
the hotel owner, would win but Holden wasn't leaving without that
pie. It fetched more money than any other dessert on the entire
table!"
     
    "Edna wasn't pleased by that bit
of knowledge either," Abigail said, laughing.
     
    Their laughter was mingled with
good-natured ribbing and they talked quietly as they removed the
food from the baskets. Laurel had a hard time keeping her attention
on the conversation, and away from Holden, and was glad of the
distraction the women's daughters made. Her heart broke when
Elizabeth, Abigail's daughter had climbed into her lap and started
babbling, telling her in her own special language about the doll
she held. She smiled, listened to Elizabeth chatter and hoped her
face didn't show her despair.
     
    Looking up after long minutes of
holding Elizabeth, she knew it did. The look on Holden's face told
her so. She looked away and hoped the day would end quickly. The
faster she got away from Holden and his family, the better off
she'd be.
     
     
    * * * *
     
     
    Laurel had been sitting on the
creek bank avoiding most everyone for the past hour and Holden
wondered what she was thinking about so intently as he crossed the
space to where she sat. She'd looked uncomfortable since coming to
join the others, especially when she held Elizabeth. He wasn't sure
why, though, and he wanted to know.
     
    He stopped when he reached her,
sat down and lifted his hat, combing a hand through his hair before
laying the hat beside him. "You don't look as if you're enjoying
yourself."
     
    "And what gives you that
impression?"
     
    Holden smiled and picked up a
blade of grass before tucking it between his lips. "If you want to
go back to town, I'll take you. There's no reason for you to be
miserable."
     
    "I'm not miserable." She sighed,
her shoulders slumping before she turned her head to look at him.
"I'm sorry. I've not been very good company."
     
    He shrugged one shoulder. "I
didn't expect you to even come so I can't complain. Just having you
here is enough."
     
    She sighed again and he turned
to look at her. Her hair was falling around her face and he lifted
his hand, pushing the strands back behind her ear. "Why are you
being so ornery towards me? Towards everyone in town?"
     
    "What makes you think I'm not
always like this?"
     
    He grinned. "Because despite you
not wanting to admit it, I spent nearly twelve hours with you and I
know better."
     
    "Maybe me being nice was all an
act."
     
    Her face held no hint of
amusement but her eyes did. Holden leaned back on one arm,
straightened his legs, crossing them at the ankle and turned his
body slightly toward her. "It wasn't an act. You're just too
stubborn to admit that you actually like me."
     
    She snorted, unladylike and
shook her head. "You think too highly of yourself, Holden Avery.
The truth is, I drank too much and let my lowered inhibitions get
the better of me. Had I been sober, I would have never allowed you
into my room."
     
    When she glanced at him, he
grinned. "I recall you inviting me to your room then promised me
things no 'lady' would dare mention once I got there." Her cheeks
turned a becoming shade of pink and