The Reluctant Rancher. Leigh Riker

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СКАЧАТЬ and cheese and wondered why Blossom was still upstairs. “I’m almost at the end of my rope. Sam’s not easy to keep down—you ought to know that—and I should be in Wichita. I’m up for a promotion there.”

      “Hope you get it.”

      “If I don’t show up soon, they’ll give it to someone else.” His worst rival.

      “You’re the big captain of the skies. Took off first chance you got. You left me holding the bag then, Logan. You think I’ve forgotten that?”

      “No,” he admitted. He’d come back after the service to marry Libby, and Sawyer had left. “But this is now.”

      “I bet Sam hasn’t even mentioned my name. Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “I’m busy with...whatever I’m busy with, so the answer’s no.” He paused. “Hire somebody.”

      “I did. She’s temporary—and she’s a caregiver, not a cowhand.”

      “Neither am I.”

      “Sawyer—”

      “Don’t,” he said. “I can’t.”

      “You mean you won’t help.”

      “Right back at you. And don’t try that ‘we’re twins’ bit with me, okay? I haven’t had a spooky twinge about you in years. I don’t know when you’re sick or you’re in trouble at the stick of some jet. You don’t know when I’m—” He broke off. “Ah, hell. Good that you’re still walking around. Tell Sam I said hey.”

      “Sawyer...”

      But the phone had gone dead in his hand.

      “Is something wrong?” Blossom said from the kitchen doorway.

      Yeah, there was. He just didn’t know what where his brother was concerned. Sawyer had been hiding something. I’m busy with...whatever I’m busy with. He turned to find Blossom holding a tray of dirty dishes and cutlery. If he wasn’t mad at Sawyer, even worried about him, he would have grinned. Sam had cleaned his plate again. He really liked Blossom’s cooking.

      “My brother,” he finally said. “We don’t have much in common these days.”

      “Is he coming home?”

      “Because of Sam?” When she nodded, he said, “Nope. He’s busy.”

      She looked shocked. “Too busy to visit his injured grandfather?”

      “So he says.”

      “I don’t think I’d like him, then.” Taking care not to come too close to Logan, she lugged the tray to the sink. He offered to take it from her, but she only stepped aside with a murmured “I’ve got it.” She pursed her lips as she began to rinse the dishes. “My dad was a difficult man, but if we needed him, he tried to be there.” She paused. “The trouble with that, he was often deployed somewhere—and couldn’t come.”

      “Families can be tough.”

      “Tell me.” Blossom loaded the dishwasher and smiled over one shoulder. “But I have good news. I let Sam sit in a chair tonight to eat dinner and when I helped him up, he barely stumbled.”

      “Let us pray,” Logan said, although he couldn’t see Sam taking over the ranch again any time soon. Which made him all the more frustrated with Sawyer. At the least they could have taken turns on the Circle H—and Logan wouldn’t have to risk his promotion. His chance to fight for shared custody of Nicky.

      “How’s the kitten doing?” he asked.

      He’d seen Blossom hurry out to the barn several times since that afternoon. Although he’d fed the kitten, even stuck around to scratch her under the chin and talk a bit, Blossom acted as if the cat was in an ICU and needed constant care.

      She blushed. “You saw me.”

      “She doing all right, in your professional opinion?”

      “Fine,” she said. “You did a good job with her stitches.”

      “They won’t win her any beauty contests, but they’ll work.”

      Blossom hesitated. “We should probably take her to the vet’s anyway,” she said. “I mean I could. Tomorrow. If that’s okay with you.”

      “No need,” he said. “Unless it’s an emergency—which this isn’t—or something we can’t treat, we don’t bother the vet. Saves the ranch money, too. But I do have to go into town tomorrow.” Then Logan heard himself say, “You want to go with me? While I’m at the ag store for supplies, you can buy groceries and whatever else you’d like. I know the ranch can seem a lonely place for a woman.”

      She didn’t answer at first. He shouldn’t have said anything.

      Logan passed her the detergent for the dishwasher.

      Maybe he hadn’t made himself clear. She needed to know he wasn’t putting any moves on her, just offering her a ride into Barren.

      “About earlier today in the barn—”

      “I shouldn’t have kissed your cheek,” she said, then in the next breath, “Yes. I’d like to go to town with you tomorrow.”

      His insides unwound. “Okay, then. We’ll leave around nine.”

      “I’ll fix breakfast,” she said. “A nice omelet.”

      Logan nearly groaned aloud. At the table the mac and cheese, never his favorite, had congealed on his plate. He doubted her version of a Western omelet, which he normally liked, would be either.

      “Let me buy you an early lunch instead,” he told her.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      LOGAN LEANED AGAINST the side of his truck and checked his watch again. Blossom was late. Then he glanced up and saw her coming from the barn.

      “Sorry,” she said with a little duck of her head and no eye contact.

      Ah, he thought. “The kitten.”

      It was obvious by now that she’d formed an attachment to the little cat.

      “I checked on her when I fed the horses at six,” he said with a smile. “We need to coordinate our schedules.”

      Without another word Blossom climbed into the truck. She sat as far away from him as possible, pressed against the passenger door. In the driver’s seat Logan hit the locks, and she startled, almost lifting off her perch.

      “Can’t have you falling out into the road,” he said, shifting into gear. They were soon down the long drive and onto the main road, and Logan breathed his usual sigh of relief. The ranch always made him feel as if he were locked up in solitary confinement. It was one reason he’d asked Blossom to join him today. He imagined she might feel the same.

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