The Rancher Read Free Page A

catch a husband acting the way she
does."
     
    He laughed. "She's ten. I think
I have a while until I have to worry about marrying her off."
     
    "Maybe so, but if you continue
to let her behave the way she does, you'll have a young lady who
prefers to spit, curse and wear men's trousers. How hard do you
think it will be to get her to change her ways then?"
     
    The look on his face turned
thoughtful, small lines bracketing his mouth. When he turned to
look at the house, Laurel breathed a sigh of relief. It was much
easier to talk to him when she didn't have to look at him. "Baby
steps is what I suggest. One small change followed by another until
she at least resembles a girl in looks and nature."
     
    He turned back to face her, the
lines still framing his wonderful mouth, and Laurel focused on his
eyes so she wouldn't become distracted.
     
    "I'll have a talk with her.
She'll not cause you anymore trouble."
     
    "I hope you're right." Laurel
knew their conversation about Alexandra was over but stood like a
deaf mute while staring at him. Something about this man was just
too mesmerizing. His eyes were so perfectly blue, his teeth white
and straight. The hard lines of muscle bisecting his abdomen, the
definition of his chest…
     
    She blinked and took a deep
breath. "Well then, I'll just be on my way." She forced herself to
turn and all but ran back to the wagon. Lifting her skirts to climb
up, he grabbed her arm and she shrieked, jumped back and could only
stare as he stood there grinning at her.
     
    "This conversation isn't
over."
     
    "It is." Laurel inhaled several
deep breaths, willing her heart to stop pounding. "I didn't want to
know anything about you for a reason. I didn't want any
attachments, then, now or ever. What we had is all there will ever
be so there's no use discussing it. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr.
Avery, I have three more family's to visit this evening."
     
    He offered her his hand again.
Common sense told her to ignore him but something inside of her
caused butterflies to dance in erratic patterns every time she
looked at him. That part of her screamed to accept. To touch him
one last time. She lifted her hand and placed it in his while that
same voice screamed what a fool she was.
     
    The smile he gave her when his
fingers closed around her hand all but took her breath. It hitched
in her throat when he lifted her hand, placed a small kiss on her
palm, desire shining bright in his eyes. "Since you refused to hear
it in Missoula, my name is Holden and I'll definitely be seeing you
again, Laurel."
     
    She ignored him best she could,
climbed into the wagon seat with his help and settled her skirts,
grabbed the reins in hands much too sweaty for a proper lady to
admit and flicked a glance back at him. "Seeing as you live here
and avoiding you will be impossible, I would appreciate it if you
would keep our future meetings on a professional level. I'm your
daughter's teacher. Nothing more."
     
    "That's not going to happen," he
said. "I cursed myself for a fool the morning I left Missoula and
was halfway home before I turned around and went back. You'd
already checked out of the hotel." He tipped his hat to her, took
two steps back and gave her a look that sent tingles racing down
her spine. "I'll remind you every chance I get of what we shared,
Laurel, and you can count on that."
     
    Laurel clenched her teeth and
flicked the reins, willed the horses to run, and was headed back to
the road before her heart stopped racing. She was tempted to look
over her shoulder but refused to do so.
     
    Spending the night in Missoula
instead of traveling on was a mistake. She knew that now but at the
time, she'd wanted one last night. One night to just be herself. To
walk into the saloon and not care what people thought. To order a
drink, let all her troubles wash away with strong whiskey and not
have a care in the world come morning.
     
    That hadn't happened though. Not
exactly. She'd met him, Holden Avery,