Forever After (Montana Brides) Read Free Page A

Maureen’s friends, every one of them will be decked out in casual designer chic. I feel like I’m wearing airplane grunge.”
    “Some of us like airplane grunge.” Sam smiled.
    She ignored her jean clad kidnapper. How anyone could look as good as he did after spending most of the day in airports was beyond her. The creases in his cotton shirt added to his charm, along with the dark shadow hugging his jaw and the wicked gleam in his eyes. He didn’t care about stepping in on fashion central, but she did. Her gaze shot to his truck.
    “You want me to grab one of your suitcases, don’t you?”
    Chewing her bottom lip, Nicky tossed up between clean, wrinkle free clothes, and a suit that felt like it was ready for the laundromat. The clean clothes won. “I don’t know which case I packed my pants and shirts in. I’ll hunt through them out here, so we don’t have to lug them all inside.”
    With a resigned sigh, Sam moved around his truck and opened the back passenger door. He grabbed one of the suitcases and nearly dropped it on the ground. “What did you pack in here? Rocks?”  
    An excited squeal filled the evening air, followed by the clatter of high heels against slate tiles.  
    “Nicky, I’ve missed you.”  
    Emily raced toward her, arms extended, and a huge smile across her face. Nicky couldn’t help but grin at her stepsister. Surrounded in a cloud of expensive perfume and a bright pink shirt, she hugged her tight, glad to at least have her company as a buffer between fashion perfection and wrinkle hell.
    “You look wonderful. It’s been too long since you came home.” Emily looked happily at Sam. “You need to bring my sister back to Montana more often.”
    “Once is more than enough,” Nicky muttered.  
    Flicking her mop of red curls over her shoulder, Emily gave her a bland look that set her nerves on edge. Her sister had to be nuts to think Sam was anything more than her current employer.  
    “Hey, sis. Long time no see.” Cody grinned from the front door, bounding down the steps two at a time. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, squeezing all the oxygen out of her lungs.
    “Where did all those muscles come from?” Nicky asked. “Don’t tell me you’ve been going to the gym?”
    “You don’t need a gym when you’ve got a ranch to manage.”  
    Nicky poked at the rock hard biceps flexing in front of her. “Have you swept any females off their feet with those muscles, little brother?”
    He grinned wickedly at her. “I’m perfecting my technique at the moment. What’s with the suitcases? I thought you were staying in The Village?”
    “I need to change my clothes. How about you put all those muscles to good use and take my suitcases upstairs to my old room?”
    Cody looked across at Sam. “I don’t think you know what you’ve taken on. Nicky will have you jumping through hoops before the end of the first week.”
    Sam looked amused. “She’s already set some pretty impressive ground rules, but I think I can take what she dishes out.”
    Nicky stared at her muscle-bound step-brother and overconfident employer. “Would you two stop talking about me as if I wasn’t here?” She growled at the grin spreading like a rash across Cody’s face. “If you both did as you were told there wouldn’t be any problems. My life would be a whole lot easier.”
    Hauling one of the suitcases past her, Sam whispered, “There’s not one easy bone in your body. But I’m sure you’ll find someone who thinks listening to you will give them fringe benefits.”  
    A wave of heat washed through her body. Cody burst out laughing, and Emily stood with her mouth open, watching Sam vanish through the front door.
    With more admiration than she thought was strictly necessary, Emily turned and asked, “Tell me again why Sam flew to Denver to get you?”
    “Work and nothing more,” Nicky muttered.  
    “What’s taking you so long to get inside and give your granddad a hug?” Michael