Sheltered By The Cowboy. Carla Cassidy

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СКАЧАТЬ of a snowblower replaced the silence of the room. He quickly rolled away from Mandy and stood, grateful that she didn’t awaken.

      The last thing he wanted her to know was that in sleep he had cuddled with her. It had been bad enough last night when they’d talked and he’d tried so hard to keep his gaze away from her creamy naked shoulders and the spill of her long, dark, slightly wavy hair. He’d been on a slow burn for most of the night.

      He raked a hand through his hair and walked over to the window. Moving one of the heavy blue curtains aside just a bit, he peered out.

      The sun shone bright on the snow that had fallen the night before. There was less snow than he’d anticipated. Still, the ground was covered by about three to four inches of the white stuff.

      Fred Ferguson manned the snowblower and was in the process of clearing off the walkways. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too long before Larry Jerrod called to say his team was on their way to pull Mandy and him out of the ditch.

      In the meantime there was a coffee machine next to the sink and he definitely needed a jolt of caffeine to clear his head. Within minutes the scent of the fresh brew filled the room.

      He’d just poured himself a cup and sat in the spindly chair near the window when Mandy stirred. She stretched like a contented kitten and then offered him a sleepy smile. “We survived,” she said, her voice slightly husky.

      “We did,” he agreed. He stood and opened the curtains, hoping to get her out of the bed. She was far too much of a temptation in the bed, wearing that damned Santa costume that showcased her full breasts, small waist and long, shapely legs.

      He heard the rustle of the sheets, and when he turned back around she was up and at the sink, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Hell, she was a temptation out of bed, as well.

      She walked over and joined him at the window. “It looks a lot better out there this morning than it did last night.”

      “I’m hoping it won’t be long before we can get on our way.”

      “I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to the ranch. Thank goodness today is my day off at the café so all I have to do is get home.” A tiny frown danced across her forehead. “I guess I should probably call my dad.”

      She set her cup down, went over to the nightstand and dug in her purse. She retrieved her cell phone and then sat on the edge of the bed and punched in numbers. She turned slightly to face away from him. “Dad, it’s me. I just wanted to let you know that I’m waiting for a tow. I slid into a ditch last night and had to stay at the motel.”

      Brody wasn’t trying to listen in, but although he couldn’t make out her father’s specific words, he certainly heard the loud, rough tone.

      “Yeah, Dad, I know it was stupid of me to wind up in a ditch and I’m sorry you had to make your own dinner last night. I’ll make it all up to you when I get home. I’ll fix you a terrific breakfast.”

      Apparently her father hung up on her. She dropped her phone back into the depths of her purse and then turned and gave Brody a sheepish smile. “He isn’t much of a morning person.”

      Brody had a feeling George Wright wasn’t much of a noon or night person, either. From what little gossip he’d heard about George, the man was a drunk who had more enemies than he had friends.

      “What are you planning to make for breakfast?” he asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

      Her thick-lashed, caramel-colored eyes took on a sparkle and her lips curved into a smile. “I make this great peach French toast casserole with pecans and lots of cream and spices.”

      “Hmm, sounds good.”

      “Want to come over for breakfast?” she asked eagerly. “You know, just as a friend.”

      Brody cast his gaze back out the window. “I don’t think this morning would be a good time.”

      “Well, of course it wouldn’t,” she replied agreeably. “I can be such a dunce sometimes.”

      At that moment Brody’s phone rang. It was Larry telling him that he’d be at their cars within fifteen minutes. When the brief call ended they both abandoned their coffee cups for their coats and then stepped outside for the trek to their vehicles.

      “Whew, it’s still cold out here,” Mandy said and pulled her coat collar up closer around her neck.

      “Wait here,” Brody told her. “I’ll be right back.” Before they left here there was one thing he wanted to do. He approached Fred Ferguson, who cut the engine on the snowblower.

      “You taking off?” he asked.

      “We are,” Brody replied. “I just wanted to tell you that if I hear any gossip about Mandy and me spending the night together I’ll hold you personally responsible.”

      “You know I’m not a gossip,” Fred blustered, his eyes wide behind his dark-rimmed glasses.

      Brody knew no such thing. In fact, Fred loved to indulge himself in juicy gossip. “I’m just giving you a heads-up.” As he returned to Mandy, the snowblower roared back to life. The last thing he wanted was for the night to further stain Mandy’s reputation.

      “Ready?” he asked Mandy when he reached her.

      “Ready,” she replied.

      The ground was still slippery and Mandy’s little boots were about as useful as a pig in a poker game. He took her by the arm and she leaned into him as they trudged forward.

      When they finally reached her car, he released his hold on her. She peered up at him. “All’s well that ends well, right?”

      “Right,” he agreed easily.

      “Thank you, Brody.”

      “For what?”

      Those winsome eyes of hers gazed at him intently. “Thank you for being nice to me and for being such a gentleman.”

      Thank God she hadn’t been privy to his lustful thoughts throughout their time together. “It was no problem,” he replied easily.

      Once again her eyes sparkled with liveliness. “Hey, maybe we should exchange phone numbers. It would be nice to be able to talk to each other occasionally.”

      He couldn’t very well say no to her, not with her lips curved into such a wide smile, not with her eyes gleaming so brightly. It took only a minute for them to put their numbers into each other’s cell phones, and then he encouraged her to get into her car and warm it up.

      He climbed into his truck and looked down at her number in his phone. Would he ever call her? It was doubtful. She was a temptation he definitely didn’t need in his life.

      He was just grateful their night together was over and he could get back to his solitary life, where he could work hard and sleep without dreams.

      Since Cass had died in the spring storm, there was really only one woman he now believed in, and he saw her about once a week. He trusted her with the secret that had haunted him for years, and she was the only woman he’d ever allow СКАЧАТЬ