One Summer At The Ranch. Rebecca Winters

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ ex-marine.

      The moment he saw Carson, he left them and walked over to the truck. He removed his hat and peered in his friend’s open window, allowing his green eyes to take her in. He wore his curly light-brown hair longer than the other two men and was every bit as attractive.

      “Welcome to the ranch, Mrs. Baretta. We’ve been looking forward to your visit.” His remark ended with the usual cough. The sound of it wounded Tracy because she knew at what cost they’d served their country.

      “Tracy? This is Buck Summerhays. Now you’ve met all three amigos.”

      “It’s a privilege, Mr. Summerhays. Johnny and I can’t thank you enough for making us so welcome.”

      “The honor of meeting Tony Baretta’s family is ours. Call me Buck.”

      Carson opened the door. “Come on. I want you to meet Johnny and the other two children.”

      While he got out, Tracy hurriedly opened her door and jumped down, not wanting any assistance. Everyone congregated at the rear of the truck. The men helped the children down, and Carson made the introductions.

      Buck shut the tailgate before turning to everyone. “Where have you dudes been?”

      “To see the cows,” Sam spoke up.

      Rachel nodded. “Next time we’re going to look for calves with blue eyes. Carson’s going to give us a prize if we find one.”

      His lips twitched. “Is that so.” His gaze fell on Johnny. “Now that you’ve been to the pasture, what do you want to do this afternoon after lunch?”

      “I’d like to ride Goldie some more.”

      “Who’s that?”

      “My pony.”

      “Ah.” His twinkling eyes sent Carson a silent message. “I was thinking I’d take you guys on a float trip down the river.”

      “That sounds exciting,” Tracy intervened. “How about we all do that with Buck? After dinner you can have another horseback ride before bed.”

      “Yeah!”

      Johnny wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as the other two, but he didn’t put up an argument for which she was thankful. “Then come on. Let’s go in and wash our hands really well. After that we’ll find your parents and eat.” She herded the children inside the ranch house so the men could talk in private.

      * * *

      CARSON NOTICED BUCK’S eyes linger on Tracy as she disappeared inside the doors. He knew what his buddy was going to say before he said it.

      “You’re a cool one.” He switched his gaze to Carson with a secretive smile. “Nice has to be the understatement of all time.”

      “Her son’s nice, too.”

      “I can see that.” Suddenly his expression sobered. “Tony Baretta shouldn’t have had to die.”

      His throat swelled with emotion for their suffering. “Amen.” After more coughing he said, “I’ll park the truck around back.”

      “I’ll come with you.”

      In a minute they’d washed up and entered the kitchen to eat lunch.

      “How was the pack trip?”

      “It went without a hitch, but I noticed there are a lot of tourists already.”

      “There’ll be a ton more as we get into summer.”

      They devoured their club sandwiches. “I’m thinking that on this first float trip we’ll stay away from any rapids. If they enjoy it, then we’ll do a more adventurous one in a few days.”

      “Sounds good.”

      “Ross is busy fishing with another group for the afternoon. Are you going to come?” Buck eyed Carson over the rim of his coffee cup.

      “No. I need to lie down for a couple of hours.”

      Buck frowned. “Come to think of it, you don’t seem yourself. What’s going on?”

      Carson brought him up to speed on the forest fire. “I kept the mask on as much as possible, but I still took in too much smoke.”

      “You shouldn’t have gone near there.”

      “That’s what Tracy said.” He could still hear the concern in her voice.

      His buddy’s brows lifted in surprise. “Did you tell her about the fire?”

      “I had to so she wouldn’t think I was abandoning Johnny. When I called her to explain, I was hacking almost as badly as when we were first brought into the hospital. If I ever needed proof of how bad it is for us, yesterday did it. None of us should ever get anywhere close to a fire if we can possibly help it.”

      “Tell me about it. Last night I had a few coughing spasms myself and realized I needed to stay away from the campfire.”

      “We need to take oxygen and inhalers with us everywhere, in case we’re caught in a bad situation.”

      “Agreed.”

      “Tell Johnny and the kids I have ranch business and will meet them at the corral after dinner for another lesson. Let Willy know I’m here if an emergency arises.” The part-time apprentice mechanic from Jackson alternated shifts with Susan and Patty at the front desk for the extra money.

      “Will do. Take it easy.” He looked worried.

      Carson got up from the table. “I’ve learned my lesson. See you tonight.”

      He left the kitchen and headed for his bedroom. Though he was a little more tired than usual after yesterday’s incident, he was using it as an excuse to stay away from Tracy. Carson felt like he was on a seesaw with her.

      Sometimes she seemed to invite more intimate conversation, particularly when she talked about not wanting to manipulate her son’s feelings. Despite the blow that had changed her life, she had a healthy desire to be the best mom possible. He felt her love for Johnny, and it humbled him.

      But other times, she’d keep her distance. He didn’t know how to penetrate that invisible wall she threw up, no doubt to protect herself.

      She’d married into a family that kept her and Johnny close. If she’d done any dating since her husband’s death, it couldn’t have made much of an impact. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left Ohio to come here for a week.

      He stretched out on the bed. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced this was her first experience being around a man again in such an isolated environment. A few more days together and he’d find out if she saw him in any other light than her host while she was on vacation.

      This was new territory for him, too. He needed to take it slow and easy. Like the stallion he’d broken in at nineteen, you had to become friends first. The trick СКАЧАТЬ