9781618857279MakeMineaCowboySullivanNC Read Free

fences
when you found me.”
    “It’ll
be fine,” he said as they walked toward the large, house-like structure. “We
don’t work on any time schedule.”
    Built
out of what appeared to be logs and flagstone, the house boasted three huge
dormers, a porch the size of a football field stretching across its front, and
huge, wooden doors on the side they were headed toward. Joel held the door as
she made her way into the dining room. Several picnic tables lined the huge
room. Each one gleamed from the sunlight now pouring in through the big windows.
Rough wood paneling lined the walls with a brand burned into several boards—TR
with a circle around it. Huh. Interesting. I
wonder what it stands for?
    “Thunder
Ridge.”
    He read my mind?
    “It’s
the brand our cattle wear too.”
    “It’s
really cool you have it burned into the wood on the walls.”
    The
smell of cooking food floated to her nose. Her stomach growled impatiently when
she realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Joel grinned and her heart
flipped over in her chest. Damn, he has a
sexy smile. He could probably melt butter with that grin.
    With
her hands still encased in the warmth of his, he tugged her along toward a room
in the back. “Come on. We’ll get you something dry to wear, put your shoes in
the dryer, and get you some food.” As they approached the back of the dining
hall, she noticed a small office built into the back of the huge room. The
woman taping away at the computer screen seemed oblivious to their presence
until Joel said, “Mom?” Mesa could see where Joel got his black hair. The cascading
length only added to the woman’s stunning beauty.
    “Hey
baby.” She glanced up with the same blue eyes that Joel had and stared. “ What’cha got there?”
    “I
found her out on the road with her car stalled.”
    Indignation
ruffled her ego, causing her back stiffened. They were making her sound like
some lost puppy or something.
    “Well,
welcome to Thunder Ridge. I’m Nina Young. This here is my son, or one of them anyway.” She held out her hand and when Mesa took it, she pumped
it several times.
    “Mesa Arraguso . I’m sorry to intrude.
I don’t want to make you feel like you’re taking in a lost stray.”
    “Nonsense. No intrusion. We love company. It’s why we run a dude ranch.” Nina looked at
her clothes and said, “Oh my. You’re soaked, honey. Let’s get you something dry
to put on. You look about my size. I’m sure I have something that will fit.”
Nina shuffled her out of the office leaving Joel standing in the doorway. “Come
with me.”
    Nina
walked her through another huge room with an enormous fireplace standing from
floor to ceiling and almost wall-to-wall. Large leather couches invited people
to sit in front of a roaring fire, should there be one blazing away. Not today,
though.
    Mesa
followed Nina toward the back of the room and down another long hallway with a
door marked private. Must
be the family’s quarters.
    “What
on Earth were you doing out on a back road like ours?”
    “Running
out of gas.”
    “Oh
my, really?”
    “Yes.
I took a drive and my GPS got lost. Did you know some of these roads aren’t on
the thing?”
    Nina
laughed. “Oh yes. Our road doesn’t exist on most of them because it’s on our
land. We maintain it ourselves.” Mesa continued to follow Nina toward a set of
double doors at the end of the hall. “We should be able to find you something
to wear. Would you like jeans or a dress?”
    “Anything
is fine. I really appreciate this.”
    The
room looked rustic with its wood walls, large bed, and wooden dresser along the
left wall. Paintings depicted different flower arrangements of pinks and
purples, matching the floral comforter on the bed. A couple of good sized
windows overlooked what appeared to be a garden with roses, lilacs, and several
other species of flowers she didn’t recognize.
    “We’ll
get you something.” Nina opened a door to the right, exposing a