Stolen Little Thing (Little Thing Series Book 1) Read Free

returned, pushed past waiters and hurried up the aisle. He stopped short when he saw Luke. He stretched out his hand and introduced himself.
    Luke shook it. “Luke Crosby,” he said.
    “Are you the owner of the Crosby Ranch?” Dr. Hutchison asked.
    “That’s right.”
    “You two know each other?” The doctor gestured to the two of them.
    “We go way back.” Luke winked at her.
    “Not that far,” Esme snapped.
    The doctor looked discomfited by her response. He cleared his throat. Luke knew he should get up and give the man his chair, but he was feeling a trifle obstinate. The instant he’d seen Esme enter the hotel this morning, a wave of protectiveness had come over him, one that he hadn’t experienced in the six years since he’d last seen her. The only difference was that this time it was a thousand times stronger. That she was in Blanco by herself, traveling to alone, with no family around made him feel both predatory and possessive.
    Luke gave the man a feral smile. “Don’t listen to her. Me and Lemon Drop go way back.”
    Esme drew a breath.
    The doctor laughed and took a step back. “Well, I’ll let you two catch up. It was lovely to see you, Miss Duval. I wish you the best of luck out on the ranch.”
    After he hurried away, Esme and Luke sat quietly. She stared out the window with a look of murderous indignation while he watched her with a smile playing upon his lips.
    “I’ll take you home, Esme.”
    “You just had to run him off, didn’t you?” Her eyes flashed indignantly.
    “He didn’t put up much of a fight did he?”
    Esme made a face. He had a point, of course. Dr. Hutchison was very charming and had grown even more so, after he learned she was heir to Simon’s estate. That had been two days ago at a church social held to welcome her back to town.
    She shook her head and gave him a pointed look. “How can you get me home if the river is up?”
    He smiled, noble and magnanimous as if he were bestowing favors on some scrawny minion. “I have a bridge on my property, and I don’t let just anybody cross it.”
    Esme leaned forward, a gleam in her eye. “Stop, don’t tell me. I’ve heard this story. You live under it, don’t you, like a troll? And when travelers want to pass you ask them a riddle. Do I have it right?”
    He frowned. “You have it wrong. I don’t let any travelers pass unless they are attractive neighbor ladies, and then I make them pay, but not by answering some riddle. I have a different idea of payment.”
    Esme leaned back. “Ah, yes. Payment. How could I forget?”
    Luke’s expression sobered. “Esme, I don’t like you being out on the ranch alone, but I’ll take you there. At least let me do that for you. Simon hasn’t been in the house since he went to the clinic in Warm Springs, almost a year ago. You can’t waltz in there and think it’s going to be easy, that it’ll be like going home to your uncle’s house. It’s your home now, and you’ll need some good men to help you run the ranch, and a woman or two to help you in the house.
    She looked skeptical. “I don’t know if I want to accept help from you.”
    Luke got to his feet. The idea of negotiating with a woman didn’t appeal to him. Men were easier. Most of the men he was around worked for him and simply did as he said. Any other men he just railroaded. Threatening worked too. But in this case, he could see he would have to handle things a little more delicately.
    “You need to have the sense to accept help from a neighbor,” he declared. “I’ll send some boys to help with your trunks. Finish your tea, and get yourself out front.”

Chapter Two
    Standing on the front steps of the Morgan Hotel, Esme waited surrounded by trunks she had hastily packed. They contained all she possessed. A few dresses, several books, and amongst her more intimate items, a bundle of letters: her monthly missives from her late Uncle Simon, letters from students, three from Luke offering to buy the ranch,