No Strings Attached (Last Hope Ranch Book 1) Read Free

you had time to date?” She grinned. “I’m there for you. Whatever you need.”
    Sally boxed the remainder of her leftovers and thought about what Rein had said. A movie might be fun. What she wasn’t sure about was going out with Tyler. They’d known each other since the first grade. He’d been quiet, polite, and painfully shy back then, and he hadn’t changed much. And yes, while he was cute—adorable, really, in a quiet, shy sort of way—he was no easier to talk to now than he’d ever been. Most everyone she knew felt it difficult to carry on a normal conversation with Tyler. But he and Rein had become fast friends while working on the Last Hope Ranch project and she didn’t want to seem unfriendly about the idea. She could handle it for one night.
    The bell over the café entrance jingled just before Dalton and his friend, current cabin resident Clay Saunders, entered. A rush of frigid air swirled around her legs, seeping through her tights. Clay’s sullen, steady gaze slammed into her unexpectedly. The air felt suddenly sucked from her lungs. She wasn’t afraid of him, not really--just cautious. He seemed larger than life, a layering of mystery and angst that she’d preferred to avoid. It’d been Hank, a common college friend of both Rein’s and Dalton’s, who had suggested he spend some time at the ranch. A shiver ran across her shoulders and she blamed the winter chill. Dalton spotted her and tossed her a wave as he headed toward the table.
    She stood, grabbing her box and coat. “Here, you all can have this booth. I was just leaving.”
    “Thanks. Hey, I just saw Rein in the parking lot. Said you two talked about the renovations and such.”
    Squeezed between the two cedars that were Dalton and Clay, Sally set her jaw and prayed that Rein hadn’t mentioned anything about the double-date idea.
    Dalton raised a brow. “Mentioned that you and Tyler have a hot date.”
    So much for privacy.
    Wedged between Dalton getting out of his coat, the now-crowded tables with the mid-morning rush, and Clay Saunders’ mammoth chest, Sally felt her cheeks grow warm. She glanced up at Clay. His expression was unreadable, unchanged. While Tyler was difficult to converse with, Clay was another matter altogether. He was all brawn, honed like a mountain, Grade-A military stock, and carried a lot of anguish from his past. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, survivor guilt, and missing part of a leg, he was a wounded warrior in more than just a physical sense. He intrigued and frightened her at the same time, especially after the brief incident at the ranch last fall where she’d seen his demeanor change on a dime. Things had been said between them that had never really been resolved. She hugged the to-go box to her chest and tossed him a quick glance. “Mr. Saunders,” she offered in brief greeting.
    He stepped to the side to let her though the narrow passage. “Sally,” he muttered in a barely discernable tone.
    “And for the record, Dalton, I am not dating anyone.” She leveled him an emphatic look, then turned to a surprised Betty standing behind the register. “Rolls were delicious today, Betty.” Sally glanced around the small café, aware that the normal chatter had stopped and several eyes were on her.
    “Thanks, doll. Don’t be a stranger.” Betty gave her a wink.
    “I still want to hear how it goes,” Dalton called to her.
    Sally paused at the door. There were times when living in this small town was akin to living in a fishbowl. She caught Dalton’s grin and the expectant look of several other patrons. He knew very well that he’d pushed a button.
    Dalton was the last of the Kinnison brothers—and the least likely—to find love. But he and Angelique’s story had come full circle after years apart and, despite the obstacles they suffered, they’d found love—giving Sally hope that she, too, would find love… just not with Tyler Janzen. Then again, she’d changed her mind about