A Randall Thanksgiving. Judy Christenberry

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СКАЧАТЬ WAS PUMPING IRON, his muscles straining under the two-hundred-pound bar. He’d just finished a half hour on the treadmill, set at a steep incline, and he was still sweating. But he needed it. The workout center had been added on to the Sheriff’s Office several years ago. When Mike Davis had become sheriff, he’d wanted his men to be in good physical shape so that using a firearm was not their first thought when subduing a lawbreaker.

      Mike had asked the Randalls if they could get together with other ranchers in the area to contribute a modest sum for a couple of weight machines. The Randalls, who never did anything in a small way, had showed up at his door the next morning to begin remodeling the storeroom into a first-rate workout facility.

      In gratitude, Mike had opened the facility to all the men in town as long as his staff had dibs at certain times of the day. Right now only Harry and his partner, Steve Lawson, were working out, spotting each other.

      Harry had just returned the heavy bar to its stand and sat up, sweat dripping from his brow, when a sweet voice asked from the doorway, “Is Harry Gowan in here?”

      Steve whirled around, almost losing his balance. “Lady, this is a men’s facility. You can’t come in here!”

      With a pouty smile that Harry recognized at once, Melissa Randall said, “Well, technically, I haven’t come into the room. Oh, hi, Harry,” she said, her smile widening as she saw him turn to face her.

      Harry was wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else. Now he wished he had a T-shirt or a towel nearby so he could cover up a little. “Hello, Melissa. I’m afraid I’m not dressed for company. If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll be right out.”

      “Oh, I don’t mind,” she said, her smile increasing as she took in the sight of his muscled chest.

      “Yeah, but I do. I’ll be right with you.”

      Conceding gracefully, Melissa fluttered her fingers in a wave as she stepped back and let the door shut again.

      Steve stared at his partner. “Who was that? I’ve never seen her before.”

      “I hadn’t either until last night,” Harry said, grabbing a towel and drying himself off.

      “You must’ve had a good night.”

      “Not like you’re thinking. I just met her, that’s all.”

      “Yeah, right.”

      “I meant it, Steve, and I’d better not hear you spreading any gossip about her.” Harry added a glare to convince his partner.

      The man backed away. “I wouldn’t, Harry, I promise, but she is really hot.”

      “Yeah, she’s also a Randall.” He pulled on his sweat pants.

      “A Randall? I thought I knew all the Randalls by now.”

      “She’s been living in France for the past six years.” He belted his gun holster at the small of his back and pulled on a sweatshirt that covered it.

      Steve was still standing there with his mouth open.

      “What’s the matter? You’ve never heard of France?” Harry teased.

      “I’ve never heard of a Randall being in France,” Steve replied.

      “Me, neither, but I guess wonders never cease.”

      MELISSA WAS SEATED AT ONE of the empty desks close to the workout facility. When she heard the door open, she spun around, eager to get another look at Harry Gowan. Unfortunately, he’d put on a sweatshirt that covered up that impressive chest.

      “I hope I didn’t embarrass you,” she said, though she wasn’t being truthful by any means.

      Much to her surprise, Harry said, “Yeah, I could tell that was weighing on your mind.” He sounded just like her dad when he was being sarcastic.

      Narrowing her eyes, she smiled and held up a box. “I brought you something.” That should make him feel bad about being sarcastic!

      “Why?”

      Melissa stiffened. What was wrong with the man? He should’ve been falling all over himself, apologizing. “Because my daddy said I owed you something for trying to warn me about Dwight Barnes.”

      “You didn’t seem to appreciate it last night.”

      Now she was really getting irritated. “This was my father’s idea!” she exclaimed, and shoved the box toward him.

      “I can’t accept payment,” he said calmly.

      Melissa felt steam blowing out her ears. She nailed him in his rock-hard stomach with the box. “It’s a damn box of cookies. I don’t care what you do with it!” And she stomped out of the office.

      When she reached the sidewalk, she regretted her loss of control, but it was too late to do anything about it now. She just hoped her father didn’t come to town and run into Harry. She’d never hear the end of it.

      Since her cousins’ accounting office was just across the street, Melissa went over there to see if Tori wanted to go to lunch. At least someone in Rawhide would treat her nicely.

      Tori agreed to go as soon as Russ got back. He usually went home for lunch, Tori explained, since he and his wife had had a second child, a little boy.

      “I’m looking forward to Sunday dinner so I can meet everyone who’s new to the family,” Melissa said.

      “There’s a fair number,” Tori replied. “Including my latest.”

      “Another baby? How many have you had?”

      “Just three. And he may be my last.”

      “You sound kind of sad about that,” Melissa noted. “I thought you intended to be a career woman.”

      “I did. But Jon…well, he was just too hard to resist.” She laughed. “Men can be like that, you know.”

      “I think I do.”

      “I bet you just bat your lashes and they fall to their knees all around you.”

      “Not exactly,” Melissa replied darkly.

      Tori’s eyebrows soared. “Oh? Was it in France or here in Rawhide?”

      “Here, and it’s no big deal. I think Dad was trying to play matchmaker like Uncle Jake.”

      “And you went along with it?”

      “Yeah. The guy was kind of cute and I thought I might enjoy my trip more if I had someone to go out with. I’m only going to be here for about six weeks.”

      “And he wasn’t interested? The man must be made out of stone…or married. You wouldn’t try to date a married man, would you, Melissa? I mean, I know that some people are different about things like that, but it wouldn’t— I mean, here in Rawhide, it’s not—”

      Before СКАЧАТЬ