Read Online The Reluctant Rancher by Patricia Mason, Joann Baker - Free Book Online Page B

bold!   Touching him, tasting him.   She’d never felt that kind of desire before.
    And he wanted her.   She had seen it in his eyes, felt it in his touch.   It made her feel as warm and gooey inside as the chocolate chip cookies he loved.   And beautiful.   It made her feel so beautiful.
    Mary knew she couldn’t hide in her room forever. She went downstairs, running into Joseph in the hallway.
    “ Did you sleep well, Mary? ” The older man helped her with her coat.
    “ Fine, Joseph, ” she lied.   She hadn’t slept a wink, reliving every moment in the barn over and over again.
    “ Well, I’m glad someone did, ” h e muttered as he led her out of the house.
    “ A ren’t you sleeping well? Maybe you should talk to Dr. McAllister about that today. ”
    “ Not me, darling.   That grandson of mine.   He was up half the night. ”
    “ Did one of the mares go into labor? ”   On one of their walks Joseph had shared Luke’s more recent ‘stud’ service. Lucifer had covered three of the brood mares in early fall and they were expecting the new arrivals any day.
    “ No, not yet.   I don’t know what’s wrong with boy. He hasn’t slept well for days.   He hasn’t been this restless since his wife left. ”
    Mary shivered as she imagined Luke spending sleepless night s because of her. She wanted him to need her. To want her to the point of madness. To n eed her the way he needed his next breath. His passion would be as explosive as – as, well, explosive as the episode in the barn. But hotter.
    As they neared the truck, she avoided his gaze. It was bad enough remembering the kisses they had shared, much less the other images her daydreaming mind had created.
    “Good morning, Mary. ” Luke dropped his cigarette and put it out with a sharp movement of his boot.
    “Good morning, Luke.” S he tried to figure out a graceful way to slide into the truck. Gra nted she was tall, but it took quite a bit of leverage power to hop into the high cab of a ranch truck.   As she stepped onto the running board, she felt Luke behind her, his hands helping her ascend.   For one exquisite moment, she let herself rely on the s trength of his tall body, inhaling the tobacco and leather smells embedded in his jacket, lingering on his skin.
    All too soon, she found herself seated between the two men.   Mary tried to concentrate on the scenery and not the feel of Luke’s hard muscular leg pressing against hers as he drove.   She was grateful when Joseph finally spoke.
    “ When in the blue blazes is someone going to change that confounded sign? ”   One long finger pecked repeatedly against the window as Joseph pointed to a bright green highway sign that greeted people at the edge of town.   Its large white letters proclaimed: Fiddler Creek , Wyoming , population 782.   “ That census taker was as drunk as the darn fool who founded this town. ”
    Mary laughed at the older man’s bluster, grateful for the conversation.   The beauty of the country with its far off mountains, plush green grasses and silver blue lakes had enthralled Mary in much the same way it had captured the hearts of the first people to see the valley.   And she never tired of hearing about how the town had gotten its name.
    Luke gave her an engaging wink that sent tingles down her spine while he encouraged the older man to tell the tale. “Go ahead, Grandpa. I know you’re dying to tell Mary your version of the story.”
    “ My version is the true version, young man.   And don’t you forget it. ” Joseph glared at this grandson before he continued. “ Legend has it that a band of settlers founded the town after they wandered off the wagon trail while heading west. ”
    Mary watched Joseph’s face as he told the story.   No doubt he visualized the scene in his mind and it startled her to realize that, with his words, she could see it as well.
    “ With winter already upon them, they looked around and saw the lazy river fed by sweet