The Last Real Cowboy. DONNA ALWARD

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СКАЧАТЬ even more like an unwanted guest she’d rather be rid of.

      He nodded, wondering where to go next. Five tenants weren’t many, but the shelter was only meant to be temporary—for as little as two months with a maximum of a year’s occupancy. It would mean that a lot of abused women could find help in the run of a year. She was doing a good thing. He just didn’t fit into the picture.

      “Begging your pardon,” she asked, “but why are you here … Sam?”

      “Are you always this abrasive?”

      Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him. “Are you always this blunt?”

      “Yes,” he replied without missing a beat. “What’s the point in dancing around anything? I tell it like it is. Makes it much easier to deal with issues.”

      Her mouth twisted. “In answer to your question, no,” she admitted. “I’m usually not.”

      “Should I be flattered?” He couldn’t resist asking. Flapping the seemingly unflappable Ms. Beck was an intriguing pastime.

      “Hardly. You seem to bring out my worst.”

      Sam couldn’t help it, he laughed. A low, dry chuckle built in his chest and the sound changed the air in the room, made it warmer. He looked up at her, watched as her gaze softened and her lips turned up the slightest bit in a reluctant smile. Desire, the same feeling he’d had as they’d brushed by each other in the foyer, gave a sharp kick. Angela Beck was an attractive woman. But when she became approachable, she was dangerous. The last thing he needed was to be tangled up in something messy and complicated. He’d been there and done that and it wasn’t fun.

      “Careful,” he warned her. “You might smile.”

      “It’s been known to happen. Once or twice. I’ll try to restrain myself.”

      He was starting to appreciate her acid tongue, too. It spoke of a quick mind.

      “Look,” he said a little more easily, “I didn’t feel right about how I spoke to you this afternoon. I have nothing against you personally, or your project. It’s simply a case of hours in a day and only so much of me to go around, and I was in a bad mood when I arrived at the meeting. I meant what I said,” he continued, “but I didn’t put it in a very nice way.”

      “You’re stepping back from the board then?”

      She didn’t have to sound so hopeful about it. He frowned. “I didn’t say that. I just mean that the Diamond family assistance will be more of a behind-the-scenes kind of thing.”

      He didn’t like the way her lips pursed. She should be glad he was still amenable to signing the checks.

      “Your mother …”

      “I know,” he replied, cutting her off and growing impatient with the constant reminder of his mother’s wishes. He stood up and faced Angela, wondering how it was possible that she could be getting under his skin so easily—again. “But I’m not my mother. My mother is in her sixties, her family is grown and she was looking for a cause to champion, something to fill her day with purpose. I don’t need such a thing. Surely you can see how our time demands are completely different? My being here is entirely because it means something to her. But don’t ask for more than that. I don’t have it to give.”

      “That’s what most people say,” she responded. “I thank you for wanting to mend fences, but you’re really just repeating yourself, Mr. Diamond. Butterfly House is low on your list of priorities.”

      Why did she have to make it sound like a character flaw? Sam bit his tongue, but she was making it hard with her holier-than-thou stance.

      “What if I asked you to come out to the ranch tomorrow? Spend the day, take a tour?”

      “I can’t afford to take a day away from here!” Her lips dropped open in dismay. “There’s too much to be done!”

      He sat back, pleased that she’d taken the bait. “Exactly my point.”

      “It’s hardly the same,” she argued, wrapping her arms around her middle, the movement closing herself off from him even further. “You can hardly compare the Diamondback Ranch with this place. The differences are laughable.”

      She thought the Diamondback ranch was a joke? His blood heated. “Why do you disapprove of me so much?”

      “Please,” she said, contempt clear in her tone. “I’ve worked with people a long time. I know your type.”

      He bristled. His type? What exactly was his type? He didn’t profess to be perfect but all he tried to do was put in an honest day’s work. He knew he had a bit of a reputation for being single-minded, but what was so wrong with that? He knew what he wanted, and he went after it. There was something else in her tone, the same negative inflection she’d used the night of the benefit. It grated that she made that sort of snap judgment without even getting to know him at all. She had no idea of the pressure he was under these days.

      “Really. And you came to this judgment somewhere between me offering you a drink at the fundraiser and walking through the door at the meeting today?”

      She looked slightly uncomfortable and he noticed her fingers picked at the fabric in her skirt. “Among other sources.”

      “Ah, I see. And these other sources would be?”

      She lifted her gaze and something sparked in her eyes. “You are not going to turn this on me, Mr. Diamond.”

      “Oh, don’t worry, Ms. Beck.” He put particular emphasis on the Ms., hoping to get a rise out of her. Snap judgments that she wouldn’t even qualify annoyed him. He was gratified to see her nostrils flare the slightest bit. “Because I know your type, too, but I’m too much of a gentleman to elaborate.”

      “A gentleman!” she exclaimed. Sparks flashed in her eyes. “From what I hear, you’re far from a gentleman.”

      Sam wasn’t in the mood to defend his character as well as today’s actions. He had never, not once, been dishonest with a woman. He wondered where she’d gotten her information from and if it had anything to do with Amy Wilson? Dating her had been a mistake and he’d done her a favor by setting her free. But Amy hadn’t seen it that way and had felt compelled to complain all over town. Most people knew to take it for what it was—sour grapes and hurt feelings. But Angela was new here and Amy could be very persuasive.

      He had come here to apologize only to have his good intentions thrown back in his face and his character maligned. His temper flared. “Before you say anything more, think very carefully,” he cautioned. “I’m sure you don’t want to lose Diamond funding. If I recall, even with the house bought and paid for, there are operating expenses to consider. Not to mention your salary.”

      He saw her face go pale and felt his insides shrivel. Dammit. They were right back where they’d started despite all his resolve to smooth out the wrinkles. It was beneath him to threaten funding and yet he couldn’t bring himself to back down. He’d look even more foolish. He should have put a stop to Amy’s gossip ages ago, but he’d felt bad after the breakup, knowing he’d hurt her without intending to.

      Now he’d gone and acted like a bully. He sighed and wiped a СКАЧАТЬ