Free A Match Made In Texas by Anne Marie Novark Page A

the last man on earth. You'll be accusing me of setting this whole thing up in order to get us together. No thank you. Go on. I'll catch a ride with someone else." She trudged on at a snail's pace.
     
    "Goddamn it! Don't be so melodramatic. You sound like Kelsey. It's freezing out there. You're hurt. I know you didn't stage this. There's no way in hell you could know I was coming to town. I didn't know I was coming until twenty minutes ago. Now get in before I get out and forcible throw you in."
     
    Theresa decided she didn't want to stand in the cold and argue. "All right, I guess I don't have much of a choice."
     
    "Gee, thanks," Austin said, a grin threatening to ease the grimness of his mouth.
     
    Ignoring the debilitating effect of his smile, she
     
    climbed into the truck. But not without experiencing considerable pain.
     
    "Ouch!" She bit her lip when she accidently lost her balance, putting all her weight on the sprained ankle.
     
    Austin leaned over and grabbed her arm, helping her in the rest of the way. "How long were you walking on that foot? And why, in God's name, were you even out in this weather? It's near freezing."
     
    His hand lingered on her arm. She could feel his warmth through the thick fleece of her sweatshirt. Theresa pulled away, folding her arms across her chest. "I jog everyday. Rain or shine." She kept her eyes straight ahead.
     
    "How about snow?" Austin pulled the truck onto the highway and headed toward town.
     
    "No, I draw the line at ice and snow. I don't want to risk falling down."
     
    "Well, there wasn't any ice or snow today. How'd you sprain that ankle?"
     
    She chanced a peek at the man sitting across from her. The leathered skin of his face sat well on him. Gave him a rugged, earthy look. His lips were sculpted, the nose straight and long. His golden hair looked silky soft. A familiar warmth began building in her stomach.
     
    Austin turned his head slightly and caught her staring at him. The hazel eyes held hers for a heated moment, before he deliberately looked away and focused on the road.
     
    Torn between the pain in her foot and the not-so-subtle undercurrents flowing between them, Theresa found it difficult to concentrate on the conversation.
     
    "How did you hurt your ankle?" he asked again, gripping the steering wheel with tight fists.
     
    "I stepped on a rock. My foot rolled and twisted." She looked out the window, watching the hundred-acre field go by. It didn't take long before her street came into sight.
     
    "Turn right, just over that rise."
     
    "I know where you live," he said. "I've been there, remember?"
     
    The low timbre of his voice washed over Theresa's nerves, reminding her exactly what had happened the last time he came to her house.
     
    Austin stopped the truck in the driveway. Before Theresa had time to unbuckle her seatbelt, he opened the passenger door and gently lifted her in his arms.
     
    "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, looping her arms around his neck in reflex.
     
    "You don't need to put any more weight on that foot. I'm going to make sure you take care of it properly."
     
    He carried her up the sidewalk and paused at her front door.
     
    "It's unlocked," she said, when he made no other move.
     
    "Bend down and open it. My hands are full."
     
    Theresa looked at Austin a moment, coloring when his eyes fell on her lips. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he clamped his teeth together.
     
    "Go on. I won't drop you," he said, his voice ragged. His arms tightened around her as he tilted her forward.
     
    Theresa caught the knob and pushed the door open. Her little house was warm and inviting after the harsh cold outside.
     
    "You can put me on the couch," she said. "I'll manage from there. Thanks for--"
     
    "I'm not going anywhere yet." He deposited her on the sofa and with a quick look around, headed for the small kitchen.
     
    "What are you doing?" Theresa called.
     
    He came back with two bags of frozen vegetables and a