Read Online Unbridled by Beth Williamson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Beth Williamson
Ads: Link
hurricane. Connor met Claire’s worried gaze. Grant had left quite a mess and it would take a lot of patience to sort it out. God help him if Alex proved to be as difficult as she’d already been, because then he really would have to spank her.
CHAPTER FOUR
A lex didn’t even remember walking out of the house, but she found herself at the pasture, watching the horses graze. She had adored riding, and everything that went with it. The smell of the grass, the horses, even the not-so-sweet odor of the horse shit reminded her of just how much.
She swallowed with difficulty and focused on controlling her breathing. The shallow breaths she’d managed in Connor’s office had done nothing but make her light-headed. That in addition to all the shocks God saw fit to throw at her helped to make her feel as if she was having an out-of-body experience.
Not only was her father dead, but the ranch was ten times its original size and a fucking hotel for pretend cowboys. She had a brother , for pity’s sake. Her father finally had gotten the son he always wanted. No wonder he’d never mentioned Alex—there was no need since he was finally pleased with his family.
She knew it wasn’t the boy’s fault and didn’t blame the little booger. His mother, however, definitely had a guilty conscience, and she damn well should. The memory of seeing her at Katie Finley’s funeral, of the expression on her face, still made Alex bubble with anger.
No matter what her father’s motives were, as soon as Claire realized what was going on, she should have left immediately. Everyone was in black; there was a hearse and a coffin. It wasn’t rocket science, and unless she was masquerading as human, Claire had known it was a funeral but she’d stayed there on Grant’s arm as if she belonged there.
Alex walked around the ranch in a daze. There were groups of people learning to rope a sawhorse with horns, others who were oiling tack, and some standing around watching a young woman teach them how to saddle a horse.
The morning had given way to a beautiful warm day, with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. It seemed almost sacrilegious to be so gorgeous outside when she felt so horrible inside. Nobody spoke to her, although she saw some curious stares from the people working. They all wore light blue shirts and jeans with a happy name tag that read FINLEY’S STAFF.
Alex counted at least twenty cabins nestled on the property, some with people sitting in rocking chairs outside on their small porches. Many of them nodded or said hello as she meandered past. There were signs everywhere leading people to the corral, the barn, the mess hall and a fishing hole.
There were signs leading to six different trails of apparently varying levels of expertise on a horse. Small water troughs were everywhere—one side was for a horse; the other had a spigot for human watering purposes.
It was a perfect, idyllic setting and Alex wanted to hate every inch of it. It had been her home, where she grew up, kissed a boy, learned to ride, where she’d felt loved by her mother. Now it was a stranger’s dude ranch and there was nothing left of her home except the name.
She wandered back to the corrals where dozens of horses milled around. Obviously the riders hadn’t gone out yet, although given that it was likely near ten o’clock, she expected the riding would begin soon in order to be back for lunch. She couldn’t even contemplate eating now.
Alex pressed her forehead against the corral fence and blocked out the sight of Claire’s young face from ten years earlier. Done was done, and Alex needed to focus on the now, on the ranch that was now half hers.
There was no way in hell she’d simply accept everything Connor told her. Alex had worked as an accountant for the last eight years, and the books had better be in perfect condition. If he gave her shit about looking at them, she would do what she could to make him hand over the information. Anger was
CHAPTER FOUR
A lex didn’t even remember walking out of the house, but she found herself at the pasture, watching the horses graze. She had adored riding, and everything that went with it. The smell of the grass, the horses, even the not-so-sweet odor of the horse shit reminded her of just how much.
She swallowed with difficulty and focused on controlling her breathing. The shallow breaths she’d managed in Connor’s office had done nothing but make her light-headed. That in addition to all the shocks God saw fit to throw at her helped to make her feel as if she was having an out-of-body experience.
Not only was her father dead, but the ranch was ten times its original size and a fucking hotel for pretend cowboys. She had a brother , for pity’s sake. Her father finally had gotten the son he always wanted. No wonder he’d never mentioned Alex—there was no need since he was finally pleased with his family.
She knew it wasn’t the boy’s fault and didn’t blame the little booger. His mother, however, definitely had a guilty conscience, and she damn well should. The memory of seeing her at Katie Finley’s funeral, of the expression on her face, still made Alex bubble with anger.
No matter what her father’s motives were, as soon as Claire realized what was going on, she should have left immediately. Everyone was in black; there was a hearse and a coffin. It wasn’t rocket science, and unless she was masquerading as human, Claire had known it was a funeral but she’d stayed there on Grant’s arm as if she belonged there.
Alex walked around the ranch in a daze. There were groups of people learning to rope a sawhorse with horns, others who were oiling tack, and some standing around watching a young woman teach them how to saddle a horse.
The morning had given way to a beautiful warm day, with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. It seemed almost sacrilegious to be so gorgeous outside when she felt so horrible inside. Nobody spoke to her, although she saw some curious stares from the people working. They all wore light blue shirts and jeans with a happy name tag that read FINLEY’S STAFF.
Alex counted at least twenty cabins nestled on the property, some with people sitting in rocking chairs outside on their small porches. Many of them nodded or said hello as she meandered past. There were signs everywhere leading people to the corral, the barn, the mess hall and a fishing hole.
There were signs leading to six different trails of apparently varying levels of expertise on a horse. Small water troughs were everywhere—one side was for a horse; the other had a spigot for human watering purposes.
It was a perfect, idyllic setting and Alex wanted to hate every inch of it. It had been her home, where she grew up, kissed a boy, learned to ride, where she’d felt loved by her mother. Now it was a stranger’s dude ranch and there was nothing left of her home except the name.
She wandered back to the corrals where dozens of horses milled around. Obviously the riders hadn’t gone out yet, although given that it was likely near ten o’clock, she expected the riding would begin soon in order to be back for lunch. She couldn’t even contemplate eating now.
Alex pressed her forehead against the corral fence and blocked out the sight of Claire’s young face from ten years earlier. Done was done, and Alex needed to focus on the now, on the ranch that was now half hers.
There was no way in hell she’d simply accept everything Connor told her. Alex had worked as an accountant for the last eight years, and the books had better be in perfect condition. If he gave her shit about looking at them, she would do what she could to make him hand over the information. Anger was
Similar Books
