Cowgirl Makes Three / Her Secret Rival. Myrna Mackenzie

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СКАЧАТЬ he wasn’t drooling. Noah was going to have to make some rules about how Ivy was to be treated. By all of them.

      He introduced her to Darrell.

      “Delighted, Ivy,” Darrell said with a smile that Noah thought was much too wide.

      “Come on,” Noah said, barely giving Ivy time to answer. “Let’s go to the house.”

      Ivy stopped in her tracks. “Oh. No.”

      Did she think…surely she didn’t think…“We won’t be alone,” he explained.

      She blinked and tilted her head back to look into his eyes. “I didn’t think that. I just…your family will be there.”

      “There’s just me and my daughter, Lily, and my housekeeper and babysitter, Marta. You’ll be in contact with them if you’re working here.”

      She blanched. “I…my father never had any workers. I hadn’t thought…I thought I would just work outside with the men. I don’t need to meet your daughter.”

      Something hard and flinty took shape within Noah. Pamala had not wanted children. She’d hated everything associated with her pregnancy and she’d barely looked at Lily after she’d been born. Within days, Pamala had gone. Off to California looking for something better. For the limelight. Away from her baby.

      “You don’t like children.” He couldn’t keep the edge from his voice.

      But when she looked up this time, her eyes were so…anguished was the first word that came to mind.

      “I don’t dislike children,” she whispered. “I need to go home now. I’ll be back bright and early tomorrow. To work. Outside.”

      Then she fled.

      Noah stood there wondering what he had done, what he had gotten all of them into. For sure it wasn’t anything good.

      In the middle of the night he woke from a dream. He’d been plunging his fingers into Ivy’s hair, framing her face with his hands, kissing her and staring into those blue eyes.

      This time they hadn’t been anguished. They’d been filled with passion.

      But none of that was real. The reality was that Ivy Seacrest didn’t want to be near his Lily.

      Finding out why would involve getting to know Ivy better, and he didn’t intend to do that. Just as soon as Ed was able to get around without crutches, he’d pay her off handsomely and send her on her way.

      No more night dreams of her. He hoped.

      Chapter Three

      IVY IMMERSED HERSELF IN ranch work as if she really enjoyed it. She drove herself relentlessly. By the end of the first morning the pretty, crisp scarf she’d been unable to resist fastening at her neck was wilted. She was muddy and worn and she had a long scratch on her hand, the result of catching her glove on barbed wire, which tore it off and bit into her skin. Still, there was a sense that she was accomplishing something, closer to her goal of paying her debts, leaving her past and Tallula behind and getting on with her life.

      That was a good thing. Of course, she knew darn well that good things didn’t last forever, and sure enough, right when she had just got knocked on her butt by a cow and had landed in a pile of muck, she looked up to find herself staring into Noah’s amber eyes.

      “Need a hand?” he asked, reaching out.

      She stared at his big, manly hand and knew that touching him would be a mistake. She’d already realized that he was just too potent for her. But she was his employee. He was just offering what he would offer to Brody or Darrell if either of them had landed on their backsides. Saying no to a gesture of goodwill would make something more of this than the situation merited.

      She reached out, felt his hand close around hers, big and strong. She felt the kick of awareness, the heat that pooled in her body.

      “Thank you,” she somehow managed to say once she was on her feet and, once again, standing much too close to the man. What was wrong with her lately, anyway? It must just be the effect of being back in a place she’d thought she had left behind long ago. She was ten years older, but nothing had changed.

      Except Noah is much more potent than I remember. Ivy wanted to scream at the thought. Instead, she backed off a step and put her shaking hands behind her back.

      “You okay?” he asked. “I didn’t think she nudged you that hard, but you’re pretty slight. Easily hurt.”

      Ivy chuckled. “Still trying to talk me out of working for you? Too late. You’ve given me a job, and I’m not going to lose it.”

      “I saw what you were doing, trying to convince that stubborn cow to accept her calf. She’s not too thrilled that you’re trying to turn her into a mama.”

      “Poor little thing. Every time he gets close, she kicks out at him. He’s almost too scared to try anymore. But I’m not giving up. This is going to be a love relationship before I’m through.”

      He shook his head, muttering something about “love relationship” and “city-girl nonsense.” He turned to walk away, then swung back.

      “Go up to the house and tell Marta you need a change of clothes. There are some things…my wife didn’t take everything when she left. I’m sure there are some jeans you can fit into.”

      Ivy could see that he didn’t like talking about his ex-wife. Well, who could blame him? She didn’t know anything about Noah’s situation, but the words when she left were pretty telling. As for his suggestion that she go up to the house? Panic began to beat within her chest.

      “I’m fine,” she said.

      “Ivy,” he drawled.

      “Noah,” she drawled right back.

      “I expect my employees to be sensible. You’re not acting sensible. Brody and Darrell live on the ranch, and all their things are here, so there’s no problem if they need to clean up. You’ve got nothing here.”

      Which said a whole lot about her situation in Tallula. She was an outsider, and she did have nothing here. Not just on this ranch, but in this whole region. But Noah had given her a job. He was trying to be nice. And she was a mess, with a half day of chores still to go. All she had to do was go to the house, quickly change and get back to work. The little girl might not even be around.

      “Thank you for offering,” she said. “I should remember to leave some clothes here in future.” And with great determination, ignoring the tortured pounding of her heart, she started toward the house.

      Noah’s hand on her arm stopped her. The man must walk like a cougar. She hadn’t even heard him coming. She looked up into his eyes.

      “What exactly is it about my daughter that bothers you so much?”

      They stood there, connected, their eyes locked for several seconds. Then Ivy blinked.

      “How much time do you spend on this ranch, Noah?”

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