Free Texas Haven by Kathleen Ball Page B

hate to have to lay him out on the ground for meanness.” She laughed, her eyes sparkling.
    Burke looked put out, but Annie laughed good-naturedly. “He’s a nice man Noreen. I have no cause for complaint.”
    “Well, of course he’s nice, I wouldn’t have fixed you up with just any yahoo.”
    Old Rowdy, Hank, and Bo were starting to make noises at the counter. They needed refills on their coffee. “Hold on you, old farts,” she yelled to them. “Can’t you see that I’m busy?” She left muttering under her breath.
    Annie was glad she wasn’t one of the old farts. Noreen didn’t look happy with them. She couldn’t hear what she said, but it was obviously a scolding. She looked at Burke and they both laughed. “I just love her.”
    Burke held her hand on the table caressing it. “She is a character,” he agreed.
    Annie almost fell on the floor laughing when Noreen came back without asking them what they wanted and placed burgers and fries before them. Noreen’s smile was so bright that Annie didn’t have the heart to say anything.
    Burke seemed to take it in stride. He did laugh though as he heard the next table grumble that those must be their burgers they’d been waiting forever for.
    They both ate with gusto, having worked up an appetite earlier in the barn. They were just finishing when Burke excused himself.
    Annie sat there happily, waiting for Burke to return. Unfortunately, she could hear the conversation at the next table. She didn’t turn to see who sat there.
    “She’s certainly not as pretty as Alice,” The first woman said.
    “You’re right. Why she has no sex appeal at all. What was Burke thinking to marry such a dowdy little thing?” The second woman said.
    “Obviously he married her to get back the land that her brother bought. He probably did her a big favor by marrying her. No comparison to his first wife, that’s for sure,” the first woman said.
    Annie shrunk in her chair, humiliated and angry. How dare these women talk about her in such a derisive manner? They didn’t know her, but she had to admit they certainly knew Alice. They were probably qualified to make the comparison, but it hurt nonetheless. She landed from the high she was on with a splat. Doubts began to creep their way back into her self-esteem.
    Plastering a smile on her face, she stood when she spotted Burke coming back to the table. She faked another smile to Noreen on their way out. Thankfully, she was too busy to really notice.
    Annie saw the concern in Burke’s eyes, but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell him what she’d heard. As soon as they were settled in the truck, she just pretended to sleep.
     
    * * * *
     
    Burke had felt her withdrawal at the restaurant and wondered about it. For once, he knew that it hadn’t been anything he’d done. Shrugging his shoulders he drove. Women were complicated creatures, and he certainly didn’t have the key to understanding them. His concern turned to happiness though, as he remembered their time in the barn. God, she was an exciting, sexy woman. He was going to have a hard time not wanting her every moment of every day. Thank God, he had a lot of ranch work to keep him busy night and day.
    His smile grew as he pictured her introducing herself to his roan. He’d make time for her no matter what. She needed to know how to ride a horse at least. Hell, there were many things she needed to learn about the ranch. She seemed more than willing to learn and that made Burke proud. For the first time in a long time, he felt very optimistic about his future and of the future his ranch.
    He would form a friendship with Annie. They’d be partners in all things except for love. Lots of people did it. He just needed to figure out the right balance between sex and partnership. He knew she expected affection, but he couldn’t risk it. He knew he would end up feeling more for her than he wanted. She should be pregnant soon and then all her time would be taken up