A Taste of Paradise. Patricia Thayer
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Название: A Taste of Paradise

Автор: Patricia Thayer

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Современные любовные романы

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СКАЧАТЬ nearly an hour.”

      “He was nice,” she said, remembering how shy he’d been. “And I spilled coffee on his eggs.”

      Both men laughed. “I bet that made his day.”

      “Well, he made mine.” Tori pulled the folded bills from her pocket, drawing Sam’s and Nate’s attention. “He tips very well.”

      The following evening Nate sat on his mother’s porch enjoying the cool breeze. It was too hot to stay inside his apartment above the garage. Besides, he liked the view along peaceful Grove Street. He tipped his chair on its back legs, placed his boots on the white-spindled railing, and ran a razor-sharp knife over the small block of wood he held in his hands. His long-practiced strokes peeled away the unwanted layers, just as his grandfather had taught him years ago, making a figure take shape.

      He thought back to the first time his grandpa had told him he was old enough to handle a knife, that had been the same summer he’d gotten to ride in the Double H Ranch’s roundup.

      Over four generations of Hunters had lived and died on that land until the bank took the last of the Hunter’s Haven homestead away two months after his father, Edward Hunter, died. That tragedy hadn’t mattered to the bank officer. He’d foreclosed and sold the land out from under the family.

      Luckily, his father had had life insurance so Betty Hunter and her family had been able to buy a modest home in town. It wasn’t the same. Nate didn’t like thinking about that time in his life and all the mistakes he’d made. And the last angry words he’d spoken to his dad before he’d walked out. Even ten years later, the guilt still haunted him. And next month, he hoped, he was going to get back some of what the Hunter family had lost.

      Nate heard his name called and looked up to see old Otis Carl wave as he walked down the street. He called out in greeting, hoping the eighty-year-old didn’t want to stop and talk. Not that he didn’t like to visit with neighbors, but tonight he needed some alone time. He’d been on edge for the last few days. He blamed it on the heat, or maybe it was Haven’s pretty new resident and thoughts of what she was doing tonight. Damn. He pushed aside the intruding image of Tori.

      It was the upcoming land auction that he needed to focus on. The Double H was being sold next month and he couldn’t stop worrying about scraping enough money together to make a competitive bid on part of the old homestead. The Double H rightfully belonged to the Hunters, and he planned to make it theirs once again.

      He’d sure feel more secure if he had extra cash. If only his brother could pay him back the money Nate had loaned him to start up his construction business. Immediately, Nate felt guilty. He’d given that money to Shane three years ago with no strings attached. Besides, his younger brother didn’t have it to give to him. Everything he had was tied up in the Haven’s Paradise development. Shane probably wouldn’t show a profit until the first phase of homes were about to break ground. If there were no delays that still would be a few months off.

      Nate knew his brother would help him if he could, he’d already offered to help remodel the ranch house. With luck that would happen next month, after the auction. Then, finally, Nate would be able to think about his life and his future. His mother was settled now, his sister would graduate from college next spring and Shane’s business was off the ground.

      It was his time. It was time for him to start living his dreams. And Nate only wanted ten sections of land from the original homestead, Hunter’s Haven, the Double H Ranch. He smiled, remembering the story: his great-great-grandmother, Rebecca, had named the valley as soon as she’d arrived, as Jacob Hunter’s new bride, in this land surrounded by majestic mountains. Now Nate had a chance to regain some part of his heritage. He’d begin with a small herd of cattle, and maybe he’d train some saddle horses. It wouldn’t be an easy life. The ranch was fifteen miles out of town, but not completely isolated. He didn’t want to be alone, but it would take a special woman to want to live on a ranch. Again he thought about Tori.

      Just then a patrol car came down the street, stopped in front of the house and Ryan Clark climbed out. Ryan was one of the newest deputies, not a year out of the sheriff’s academy.

      “Well, there goes my night off,” Nate murmured. “Hey, Ryan. Is there a problem?”

      “I stopped Kurt Easton about an hour ago.”

      Great. “Just tell me you had good cause.”

      Ryan nodded. “He was doing eighty on the old county road.”

      Nate knew Easton wouldn’t be happy. He’d had run-ins with the lawyer and city councilman before. There was a time when Kurt Easton was a frequent patron of the local bars. A few years back Nate had caught the councilor staggering in the parking lot of just such an establishment toward his car. The councilman had intended to drive home. With his wife safely behind the wheel, Nate had let the man off with a warning and the belligerent Easton’s agreement to get himself some help. Nate hoped he had taken the advice.

      “Was he under the influence?”

      The deputy shook his head. “At first I thought so. He seemed a little lethargic, but passed the field sobriety test. He wasn’t happy and proceeded to read me the riot act about how he knew his rights.” Ryan straightened. “I followed procedure by the book. I took a step back and I informed the councilman to get in his car, or I’d take him into custody.”

      Nate continued to work his knife. “Did you take him into custody?”

      “No, he climbed in his car, but before he drove off, he told me to tell you that he’d be in your office the first thing in the morning to file a complaint.”

      “Okay. I’ll handle it, Ryan.”

      The deputy stepped up onto the porch. “Sheriff, I swear I went by the book.”

      Nate had had several run-ins with Easton. His family had been in the valley nearly as long as the Hunters and about half that time they’d been feuding. At every opportunity Kurt Easton reminded Nate that his family had lost everything.

      “I know you did, Ryan. I’ll take care of it in the morning when my shift starts.”

      The deputy looked relieved. He was happy the sheriff would have the responsibility of dealing with one of the most prominent men in town. “Thanks, Nate.”

      Nate kept slicing at the block of wood. “Just because he’s a councilman doesn’t give him any special privileges. He broke the law. Now, get back on patrol. You can start by driving by the construction site just to make sure things are quiet. You were off last week when someone threw a party down there. It was probably kids, but I’d like you to keep a close watch.”

      Ryan nodded. “Sure. ’Night, Sheriff,” he called as he headed back to the patrol car.

      Nate watched him go, knowing what he had in store in the morning. There was no doubt that the fifty-something lawyer would be waiting for him, hoping he could stir up some trouble for a Hunter.

      “Was that Ryan Clark?” His mother’s voice broke the silence of the quiet night.

      Nate glanced up as the tall slender woman came out the screen door. Betty Hunter had turned fifty-five this year, and although she had a few gray hairs mixed in with her light brown, she looked years younger. She’d taken up running ten years ago after her husband had died suddenly of a heart attack. Along with a healthy diet and teaching at the elementary school, that had helped to СКАЧАТЬ