Suddenly Texan Read Free Page B

a good drive,” Leo said quickly, watching Amanda’s car as she searched for a parking spot. “I suddenly have the urge for another cup of coffee.”
    Cal noticed the Subaru. “Yeah? Someone new, I see.”
    â€œAmanda. She’s just passing through, which means I need to hurry and make my move.”
    â€œYeah, I’ve got to move it, too. See you around.” Cal set off toward his truck.
    Leo watched Amanda motion for Cal to cross in front of her car as she slowed. He nodded and walked quickly to where his family waited.
    Leaving Leo alone in the parking lot to give Amanda a big Texas good morning greeting. Sweet.

Chapter Two
    Amanda spotted Leo Casale as she let the cowboy with the two cups of coffee pass in front of her. Leo slowly smiled, the morning sunlight glittering off his golden hair and flashing on the unusual ring she’d noticed yesterday. She’d seen him twice now, and both times he’d taken her breath away. She stopped the car and stared.
    Guys didn’t usually have that effect on her, even the men she dated. She had a variety of male friends from all walks of life. Some drank a little too much on the weekends and liked to watch sports. Others stayed up all night drinking coffee and discussing literary fiction or politics. Her world wasn’t all that narrow.
    Of course, she wasn’t in her world anymore. She was in his. Which was also the world of the Crawfords, and all the other people who had known her mother and father and brothers. These were the people she would have grown up knowing if her mother had brought her to Texas rather than running off to Oregon.
    She sighed, took her foot off the brake and pulled into a parking spot just a few spaces down. She had five or six days at the most to scope out her brother at the Rocking C, decide how she would approach him and then actually tell him what had happened after their mother hadleft this town. She also wanted to talk to as many people as possible who might have known Luanna. Worst case scenario, once the Crawfords found out about her, they wouldn’t want their friends and neighbors speaking to her. She had to find out everything she wanted to know first, before dropping the bomb.
    But for now, there was Leo.
    He stood between her and coffee. “Good morning. How was your room at the motel?” he asked as she opened the door.
    She pulled her jacket around her and locked her car. “Very nice. Kind of funky. I love the vintage cowboy look.”
    â€œChristie really enjoyed shopping for things to decorate the rooms.”
    Christie? He spoke her name rather fondly. Amanda experienced a small tug of jealousy, which was kind of surprising since she barely knew Leo Casale. She also suddenly realized she’d been frowning at him.
    â€œHmm. I guess I didn’t mention her before.”
    â€œGirlfriend?” Amanda couldn’t help asking.
    Leo chuckled. “No way. She’s the owner of the motel and one of my partners on the hotel project. And she’s married.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Hey, what are you doing later? Would you like to see the area?”
    â€œDon’t you need to work?”
    â€œI’m the boss. I can take a long lunch break.”
    â€œSorry.” As tempting as spending time with Leo was, she had to stick to her schedule. “I’ve got to be at the café around noon. I’m hoping to talk to some of the ladies who lunch there about people who used to live in Brody’s Crossing.”
    Leo rotated his wrist and looked at his watch. “Howabout around ten o’clock then? Come by the hardware store. I’ll have you back before noon.”
    â€œWell…” A good-looking tour guide was tempting. And it would probably be better for her to visit the ranch with someone who knew the Crawfords rather than show up as a stranger. “I’ve heard so much about the Rocking C. I would like to see