The Rancher Read Free

and leaned against
the fence rail, the whiteness of those boards making the tanned hue
of his skin even darker. His arm, propped on the top rail, was well
muscled and Laurel's stomach clenched tight at the sight of it.
She'd held on to those arms, felt them around her body and a tremor
rushed through her limbs at the remembrance.
     
    Laurel blinked and tried to
remember why she'd made the trip out to his home. She had to clear
her throat and swallow twice just to moisten her mouth enough to
speak. "She's started three fights this week." Her voice cracked
but she found it easier to talk keeping her focus on his chin
instead of his eyes. "She also spits, has nothing to do with the
other girls in class and her attire is inappropriate for her
gender." She paused, bitterness closing her throat as her next
words ate at her conscience. "I can't believe your wife would allow her daughter to grow up to be so…
boyish."
     
    He smiled again. "You're going
to act as if we don't know each other, aren't you?"
     
    Her heart skipped another beat.
"I think, under the circumstances, that would be wise."
     
    "Why?"
     
    She laughed and looked up to
meet his gaze. "Because I'm the new school teacher here, that's
why. I have a certain reputation to uphold and if the town council
knew…"
     
    "That you frequented saloon's
and invited strange men into your bed, they'd put you on the first
stagecoach out of town?"
     
    Her face blazed hot. "Don't you
dare judge me."
     
    "I'm not." His gaze lowered to
her breasts for a second before lifting again. "I just don't expect
you to treat me as if we're strangers."
     
    "As far as the people who live
in this town are concerned, Mr. Avery , we are
strangers."
     
    He laughed that wonderful laugh
again and Laurel had to look away. She gazed into the pasture,
noticed a few horses grazing beyond the fence and tried to will her
pulse to calm. Why did this have to happen? Why now?
     
    "I've been thinking about
you."
     
    "Don't." She looked back at him
and for the first time since meeting him, wished she never had. "I
don't want to be reminded of it."
     
    He lifted an eyebrow at her. "I
was under the impression you enjoyed it as much as I did."
     
    She bit her tongue to keep from
blurting out she had. That she couldn’t stop thinking about him,
too, and as much as she'd enjoyed their one night together, it was
a mistake. She glanced back at the house, saw Alexandra on the
porch steps and tried to steer the conversation back to the girl.
"Where is your wife?"
     
    "She died after giving birth to
Alex."
     
    Remorse washed through her
system, a knot of sorrow filling her stomach. "I'm sorry."
     
    He nodded his head at her. "It
was a long time ago." He sighed and lifted his hat, running his
fingers through his hair before resettling it again. "We've not had
a woman's influence at home until two years ago and honestly, I
don't know a thing about girls." His gaze lowered from her face,
sweeping down across her breasts and lower. "Well, I know nothing
about little girls."
     
    Her face heated again. The sun
was indeed unbearable. Laurel pulled at her high collar and tried
to convince herself it wasn't him causing her blood to heat and her
skin to blaze as if she was cooking under the Montana sun.
     
    A simple glance at his face
caused her thoughts to run rampant. How she ended up in the town he
lived in the most prevalent. She knew nothing about him other than
he had a daughter and his wife had passed. Before today, she hadn't
even known that much and she preferred it that way. Seeing him now
though, his skin glistening with moisture, her fingers itched to
touch him one last time. Her lips tingled with remembrance of his
kisses and a tiny voice in the back of her head whispered she could
have it all again.
     
    She blinked, tried to quiet her
body's demands and remembered why she was here. "Be that as it may,
your daughter is a hellion. I'd think a man would want his daughter
to be taught manners. She'll not