The Cowboy's Pride and Joy. Maureen Child

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СКАЧАТЬ It had been the three of them for so long, it was hard to realize that her younger brother and sister were grown and didn’t need her hovering all the time as they used to. Especially Claudia. She had been only ten years old when their mother decided to follow her current “soul mate” into the sunset. So at nineteen, Cassidy had taken over. She’d been both mother and father—since their illustrious sperm donor parent had disappeared shortly after Claudia’s birth—and if she had to say so herself, Cassidy had done a great job of parenting. Maybe that was why it was so hard to stop.

      “Fine,” she said. “I promise I’ll find a life. Once I get home.”

      “Why wait? No time like the present to get started,” Claudia argued. “You’re on a ranch with a cowboy, for heaven’s sake. That’s a classic fantasy. Is he cute?”

      Cute? No. Jake Hunter was way too manly to be classified as merely “cute.” He was gorgeous. Or rugged. Or strong, masculine, gruff and all sorts of other really good words, but cute wasn’t one of them.

      “I didn’t notice,” she lied.

      “Sure.” Her sister laughed. “Anyway, my point is, relax a little. Enjoy yourself. Flirt. Consider it practice for when you get back home and I badger you into doing this for real.”

      Flirt? With Jake Hunter? Oh, Cassidy didn’t think so. First of all, he was her boss’s son. No way would she risk a great-paying job for a short-term fling—even if he were interested, which he probably wasn’t, considering the way he’d talked to her so far. But more than that, Cass wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of girl. She’d be uncomfortable and feeling all slutty so she wouldn’t even enjoy herself anyway, so what would be the point?

      God. Had Jake actually called her forthright? Her mind was spinning like an out-of-control carnival ride. And suddenly, she was done thinking about this.

      “Don’t you have another test this afternoon?”

      “See?” Claudia laughed. “You’re way too focused on my life. Time to find your own, Cass! Love you!”

      When her little sister hung up, Cassidy just stared down at her phone and thought about that brief yet involved conversation. Yes, maybe Claudia had a point, but in her own defense, Cass hadn’t exactly been shown the most shining examples of relationships in her life.

      Cass’s father had abandoned the family when Claudia was born, saying only that three kids were just too many. Her mother had moved from man to man always looking for her “prince.” But there were no princes, only frogs she continued to kiss in the hopes there would be a miraculous change.

      So instead of following in her mother’s footsteps, Cassidy worked, put herself through city college and made sure her siblings stayed in school. Eventually it had all paid off, of course. Dave was now a successful contractor with a wife and six-month-old twin boys. And Claudia was going to be the doctor she should be.

      But, Cass thought as she shifted her gaze back to the view outside her window, maybe she had allowed work and worry to completely envelop her. And maybe Claudia was right that it was time Cass found out if there really was more to life than work.

      Not that she would find that out now, she assured herself. “Good times do not start with a crabby cowboy no matter how gorgeous he is,” she said out loud for emphasis. “Besides, as you told yourself earlier, he’s your boss’s son.”

      Well, that should be enough to tamp down whatever lingering flickers of attraction were still burning inside her. She couldn’t afford to risk her job by giving in to a momentary flash of heat that might or might not mean she was really attracted to the grumpy man downstairs. Not that her boss, Elise, had ever been that much of a tyrant or anything, but why take chances?

      “Now that that’s settled,” she murmured, tossing her phone onto the deep green velvet window seat, “time to take a quick shower and maybe a little nap before I go downstairs and tend to business.”

      She walked to the bed, unzipped her suitcase and got out the things she’d need before stepping through a connecting door and coming to a dead stop. This house kept staggering her.

      The bathroom was huge and opulent. Again, green was the main color here, but every possible shade of that color was represented in the tiles on the floor, the backsplash, the acre or so of granite countertops, the walk-in shower with six showerheads, and most spectacularly of all, in the gigantic Jacuzzi tub that was tucked beneath a bay window continuing the view of the lake and the wide sweep of sky outside.

      There were lovely bottles and jars of soaps, lotions, shampoos and even, she thought with an inward sigh, bubble bath. Cassie had always loved lounging in a hot bath, but normally, who had the time? She glanced at that shower, then looked again at the tub that seemed to be calling to her. No reason her new acceptance of “fun” in her life couldn’t start here.

      “Okay,” she whispered, picking up one of the thick white towels to lay on the wide ledge of the tub, “no shower for you, girl. Bath it is.”

      * * *

      Jake tugged the collar of his jacket higher on his neck and tossed a wary glance at the darkening sky above him. A cold wind pushed at him, but he ignored that and strode toward the barn. Best thing to do was go about his business. Put Cassidy Moore out of his mind and focus on what was real. What was important.

      And a woman who would be here on the ranch for less than twenty-four hours was not important.

      The combined scents of hay and horses greeted him as he walked into the cavernous building. It was lined with stalls on either side, and some of the horses had their heads stuck out the doors, watching the cowboys at work, hoping for treats. Instantly, his mind shifted from thoughts of a very temporary woman to focus on the life he’d built for himself.

      An hour of hard work, setting out feed and water and clearing stalls, made him feel better. Sure, he didn’t have to do the dirty work himself, but concentrating on a task had always been the best way to soothe his mind. Of course, once the work was done his brain had too much free time.

      “That’s a pretty girl.”

      Rolling his eyes, Jake snorted. He didn’t bother to turn and look at his grandfather. “She’s not a girl, Pop. She’s a woman.”

      “So you did notice.”

      You could say that. Slanting the older man a hard look, he said, “Yeah. Hard not to, what with her stumbling around on those high heels of hers.”

      “If that’s all you noticed,” Ben said, “then I worry about you, boy.”

      Jamming his hat down onto his head, Jake headed outside. “No need to worry then. I’m not blind.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “I’m also not interested.”

      All right, that wasn’t entirely true. His body was more than interested. It was just his mind that was keeping things rational here. He’d been down this road before. Letting his desire for a pretty woman blind him to reality. And even as he thought that, he realized there was no point. The woman in question would be leaving in the morning and with any luck, he wouldn’t see her again.

      “Let it go, Pop.” Jake kept walking, sure without looking that his grandfather was right behind him. “She works for Mom and she’s not staying. Two very good reasons СКАЧАТЬ