The Outer Edge of Heaven Read Free Page B

with the pencil. "Go rope and brand something while I unpack and I'll come find you in a while when I'm done."
    He answered her with a ridiculously deep, "Yes, Ma'am.", doffed an invisible Stetson and disappeared out the heavy plank door. With another contented sigh, Charlie sat down in the wooden rocker beside the fireplace and absentmindedly pushed it lazily with one foot. This was going to be a great summer. She could feel it in her bones.

Chapter 2
    Luken Langston pulled his pick up truck into the parking spot in front of the bunkhouse and shut off the engine in the lavender gray light of dusk. Opening the door and stepping out, he stretched his tired back and reached back in for his leather work gloves and the rope that lay coiled on the seat. He slapped the rope against his dusty pant legs and boots and breathed deeply of the evening smell of river bottom and beef cows. To some that may have been a questionable smell, but to him it was home in its purest essence and he loved it.
    His stomach growled and he wondered if there was any real food in the bunkhouse fridge, or if he'd have to either settle for junk, or head back up to the main house before crashing tonight. He'd been up since four thirty that morning and was too tired to go for food, even though he'd skipped dinner. Maybe there was some fruit left, or some milk. Fo lived on milk, so there should be some. Or maybe that was backward. His boots sounded loud on the wooden porch boards as he mounted the two steps.
    He tossed the rope onto one of the hooks inside the door of the bunkhouse, threw the gloves onto the shelf above it and reached to unbuckle his chaps. Hanging them beside the rope on the hooks, he pulled his shirt off over his head in one single motion. He dumped it into the laundry hamper next to his bunk as he kicked out of his boots and spurs, grabbed clean clothes from a drawer and headed for the shower. Thirty seconds later, he decided a hot shower was the greatest invention known to man and resolved to sleep right there under the pounding, steamy spray. This had to be the purest form of heaven.
    The need to sleep there cooled with the last of the hot water and he got out, dried off, and wrapped the towel around his hips as he stood at the sink to shave. The aftershave he slapped on helped to wake him up enough that he decided he would go in search of real food, even if he had to go up to the house. It had been a grueling evening. He usually let the hands have Sundays off except for the barest minimum of feeding chores, but this afternoon he'd had a whole herd of heifers go through a break in the fence and get into a grain field. It had been a pain rounding them all back up, moving them alone, and then repairing the fence. The field would never been the same, at least not this year.
    Slipping on a clean pair of jeans, he walked out of the bathroom, shirtless and bare footed. He was half way to the fridge when there came a light knock and then the bunkhouse door opened. A beautiful stranger with blonde curls and long legs stepped inside and called out for Fo. She didn't see Luke there in the half-light and came in several more steps, calling as she came and then abruptly pulled up when she finally saw him. Both of them were speechless for a second and then she stammered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was anyone else in here. Please forgive me." She turned toward the door and he stopped her.
    "No. You're fine. I just didn't expect company. I'm sure Fo is around here somewhere." He glanced down at his bare chest. "Excuse me, would you? I'll just go get dressed while you find him." He grabbed shirt and headed back into the recently vacated bathroom while she stood there looking at him without making a sound.
    He shut the door behind him and stared into the steamy mirror for just a second, stunned. Who in the world was the heart stopping beauty who had just walked into the bunkhouse? Fo hadn't mentioned any girls stopping by that he could