Read Online Your'e Still the One by Debbi Rawlins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Debbi Rawlins
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in the kitchen last night had proven they still had chemistry. If Nikki wasn’t an obstacle, Rachel had to seriously consider how she should respond to the renewed attraction.
This wasn’t Dallas. Having more than a twenty-minute public conversation with Matt would be enough to grease the Blackfoot Falls rumor mill. Then there was her 24/7 responsibility for the Sundance guests. That alone restricted her personal activities.
If she decided to go for it, but wasn’t careful, she might as well take out an ad in the Salina Gazette that she wanted to sleep with Matt Gunderson.
* * *
T HE G UNDERSON HOUSE remained well kept though not as pristine as she remembered. But since the economy had tanked, that was true of most of the ranches, including the Sundance. And yet the beige trim around the windows looked as if the paint had been touched up last summer and the shutters might’ve recently been replaced. The red door was the only thing different from ten years ago. After Matt had left, she hadn’t come near the Lone Wolf.
She parked her mom’s compact alongside Matt’s truck under the bare elm on the side of the house. Wallace’s Escalade was nowhere in sight but that didn’t mean he wasn’t home. The SUV was new and pricey, and he might’ve parked it in one of the storage buildings around the property. Or maybe someone else had taken it out. She’d heard in town that he rarely drove anymore and when he did go out one of his guys accompanied him.
As much as she disliked the man, she still felt bad about his circumstances. He’d lost his wife three years ago, and that had to be hard on him. After her father had succumbed to cancer the whole family had suffered, but Rachel remembered too well how long it had taken her mom to rejoin the living.
She climbed out and went around to the passenger side to get the casserole. Two men working with a black stallion in the corral lifted their hands in greeting. She didn’t recognize either of them, but she waved back, thinking how she’d known practically everyone when she was a kid. But going off to college had changed many things, most of them for the better, though some adjustments weren’t coming so easily.
Snow that had been shoveled off the stone walkway and pushed to the side flanked her steps to the front door. The area was fairly clear, even in the shade, because there hadn’t been a significant snowfall in a couple of weeks. It’d been a very weird winter, yet the weather hadn’t hurt reservations at the Sundance. The guests kept coming, and if it weren’t for Jamie’s help, Rachel would have no life at all.
Standing at the door, balancing the casserole in one arm, she fluffed out the sides of her hair, then cleared her throat while she used the brass knocker.
Within seconds, Matt opened the door.
He wore jeans and an unbuttoned black shirt. The moment he saw her a smile curved his mouth.
“Hi.” She tried so hard not to look at his chest.
“Come in.” He stepped back, holding the door open wide.
She scraped off her boots, glancing around the foyer and up the staircase as she crossed the threshold. “I can only stay a minute.”
“Nikki’s in her room and Wallace hasn’t come home since last night.” Matt closed the door. “I just made coffee. You want some?”
“Um, sure, if it’s no trouble.” Her gaze went to the strip of smooth skin where his shirt hung open.
“Sorry. I just got out of the shower,” he murmured, glancing down, as if suddenly aware of his semi-clothed state.
“Here,” she said, pushing the covered casserole at him, even though his fingers had gone to the first button.
Forced to abandon it, he accepted the dish. “What’s this?”
“Dinner. Or lunch. Whatever. I made it this morning.” She purposely avoided looking below his chin. Vaguely she realized he’d shaved. He looked more like her old Matt. Not his chest, though. Wow. “You’ll just have to heat it.”
“Thanks. Take off your jacket and come
This wasn’t Dallas. Having more than a twenty-minute public conversation with Matt would be enough to grease the Blackfoot Falls rumor mill. Then there was her 24/7 responsibility for the Sundance guests. That alone restricted her personal activities.
If she decided to go for it, but wasn’t careful, she might as well take out an ad in the Salina Gazette that she wanted to sleep with Matt Gunderson.
* * *
T HE G UNDERSON HOUSE remained well kept though not as pristine as she remembered. But since the economy had tanked, that was true of most of the ranches, including the Sundance. And yet the beige trim around the windows looked as if the paint had been touched up last summer and the shutters might’ve recently been replaced. The red door was the only thing different from ten years ago. After Matt had left, she hadn’t come near the Lone Wolf.
She parked her mom’s compact alongside Matt’s truck under the bare elm on the side of the house. Wallace’s Escalade was nowhere in sight but that didn’t mean he wasn’t home. The SUV was new and pricey, and he might’ve parked it in one of the storage buildings around the property. Or maybe someone else had taken it out. She’d heard in town that he rarely drove anymore and when he did go out one of his guys accompanied him.
As much as she disliked the man, she still felt bad about his circumstances. He’d lost his wife three years ago, and that had to be hard on him. After her father had succumbed to cancer the whole family had suffered, but Rachel remembered too well how long it had taken her mom to rejoin the living.
She climbed out and went around to the passenger side to get the casserole. Two men working with a black stallion in the corral lifted their hands in greeting. She didn’t recognize either of them, but she waved back, thinking how she’d known practically everyone when she was a kid. But going off to college had changed many things, most of them for the better, though some adjustments weren’t coming so easily.
Snow that had been shoveled off the stone walkway and pushed to the side flanked her steps to the front door. The area was fairly clear, even in the shade, because there hadn’t been a significant snowfall in a couple of weeks. It’d been a very weird winter, yet the weather hadn’t hurt reservations at the Sundance. The guests kept coming, and if it weren’t for Jamie’s help, Rachel would have no life at all.
Standing at the door, balancing the casserole in one arm, she fluffed out the sides of her hair, then cleared her throat while she used the brass knocker.
Within seconds, Matt opened the door.
He wore jeans and an unbuttoned black shirt. The moment he saw her a smile curved his mouth.
“Hi.” She tried so hard not to look at his chest.
“Come in.” He stepped back, holding the door open wide.
She scraped off her boots, glancing around the foyer and up the staircase as she crossed the threshold. “I can only stay a minute.”
“Nikki’s in her room and Wallace hasn’t come home since last night.” Matt closed the door. “I just made coffee. You want some?”
“Um, sure, if it’s no trouble.” Her gaze went to the strip of smooth skin where his shirt hung open.
“Sorry. I just got out of the shower,” he murmured, glancing down, as if suddenly aware of his semi-clothed state.
“Here,” she said, pushing the covered casserole at him, even though his fingers had gone to the first button.
Forced to abandon it, he accepted the dish. “What’s this?”
“Dinner. Or lunch. Whatever. I made it this morning.” She purposely avoided looking below his chin. Vaguely she realized he’d shaved. He looked more like her old Matt. Not his chest, though. Wow. “You’ll just have to heat it.”
“Thanks. Take off your jacket and come
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