A Cowboy For Christmas Read Free Page B

him.
Right?
    Brent knew she had her own
agenda, not a relationship, on her mind. Well, she wasn’t the only
one.
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    “ So this is the reality
behind the mystery,” she said as she threw another shovel of dirty
hay, and then watched her breath puff away in the frigid evening
air. Smelly cold
air, since it carried the smell of the animal’s waste.
    “ What’s that?” Brent’s face
came into view over the wall that separated the stalls they worked
in. “What mystery?”
    “ I’ve just never seen
cowboys in movies doing this stuff.” Although, she didn’t remember
watching too many westerns.
    “ Mucking stalls is
mysterious? So, what do you know about horse breeding?” He went
back to work, but she saw his smile before his face
disappeared.
    “ Stop right there. I’ll
stick to this for now.” She liked his smile. That friendly smile
shocked her. He had a cleft chin, something she liked in men, back
when she was interested in them. The only thing she wanted with
Brent was friendship, and a working partnership.
    Working was the operative
word. They’d been busy all day. Here it was evening already, and
they were still cleaning horse stalls. He’d told her they wouldn’t
normally do this so late, but he’d spent the day showing her
around.
    At least they’d formed an
unspoken truce and found a way to work together. His remarks
weren’t as cutting as when they’d first met.
    She rested her shovel on
the ground for a minute to rub the small of her back. All this work
had almost been worth the view of him on a horse
yesterday.
    Tall and long and wearing
his cowboy hat. She’d gawked at him from around a corner, amazed by
his control and grace as he moved around the corral. She liked how
he held his back straight when he rode.
    “ Did you read those books I
suggested?” he asked while he worked. Hello reality, she chided
herself.
    “ Yup.” All that knowledge
sure did help with this particular job, too.
    “ Ready to try riding
tomorrow?”
    She popped up this time to
look at him. “Riding horses?”
    Straightening, he turned to
look at her. “No, a four-wheeler,” he said with a forced serious
face.
    She huffed at him and
finished her job, betting he smiled now that she wasn’t watching
him. She needed a hot shower to warm her up, a good dinner, and a
good book to read.
    Her body wasn’t used to
this kind of work, but she welcomed the experience. She also liked
how busy it kept her. And boy, did he keep her busy. Not only did
he work her till the daylight faded - around five o’clock thanks to
old man winter - but he kept her mind busy with fantasies of what
his lean body could do for her.
    Not that she’d ever let
that happen, but he was just too incredible. Too hot. He looked
like he would know just what to do and where to do it. Missy! Cool it. She
needed to get out of there before she moaned at her
thoughts.
    “ Okay, I’m done here,” she
said with finality in case he had some other chore in mind. Since
he wasn’t finished, she watched him work for a minute, expecting
some kind of answer.
    Good thing he wasn’t
interested in women, because he could seduce her if he had the
right personality. Nice long legs, nice butt. She was more of a
face person, and he had one great face. Long and narrow. Startling
eyes in a unique blue color. She liked his sandy hair and secretive
expression, too. He often got a gleam in his eyes that dared her to
break him.
    “ Missy,” he said as he set
aside his shovel. He leaned against a rail to wipe his brow with
the long sleeve of his shirt. “Are you settled in?”
    Thinking of the messy cabin
she now called home, she said, “I thought you didn’t want me to
stick around.”
    “ No need for you to be
uncomfortable while you’re here.”
    “ But it won’t be long,
right?” Shocked at herself, she took a step toward the
door.
    “ Hey, just trying to be
nice.” He looked perplexed, maybe even annoyed at