Free Lady Jane and the Cowboy by L.C. Zingera

 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter One

 
    “I can’t believe I let
you talk me into this!” Red fumed, glaring at his cousin.
    Honey smirked, she couldn’t believe she’d managed to talk him into
it either! They’d grown up together like brother and sister. He’d taken care of
her, now she wanted to take care of him. He’d thought of nothing but work in
ages, and while she knew he dated from time to time, it was never anything
serious and never went beyond a couple of casual dates. The ranch house felt
empty, it was filled with dusty old antique furniture and no longer felt like
the warm home it had once been. Worse still, Red was getting more and more
distant, he ate with the ranch hands, was rarely ever in the house, and since
Honey was getting married in less than a month, soon he’d be completely alone.
It wouldn’t surprise her if he actually moved into the bunk house with the
other ranch hands. It was a classic case of all work and no play. What he needed
was a woman’s touch, and she’d found him the perfect one. She just knew it.
    “You
listening to me, Honey?”
    “Why should I? You’re
only repeating yourself,” she said, and laughed tossing back her honey colored
mane and glancing at him sideways, her green eyes twinkling with mischief.
While she had earned her name for her honey colored hair, Red had earned his
solely because his first name was Redstone, his hair was as honey-wheat colored
as hers. Their mothers had been sisters, they’d both inherited their coloring,
except whereas her eyes were green, his were blue. They looked more like
siblings than cousins.
    He groaned as they
pulled into the crowded airport parking lot.
    “I can’t do this.”
    “Too late, we’re
already here.”
    The keys were still in
the ignition. She caught his surreptitious glance, and snatched them away
before he could even think of making his escape.
    “Time to grow up, Red,
your potential fiancée awaits!”
    “Potential
fiancée?” Red grumbled under his breath.
    “Trust me, Red, you’re going to love her!” Honey grinned.
    He just snorted like an
angry stallion and shot her his most ferocious scowl. Honey merely rolled her
eyes.
    The English computer
dating agency she’d found on the internet had proved to be both legitimate and
very helpful. They had an agreement with immigration. The English girls came
over here on a new kind of visa, a combination of working and fiancée visa, a
chance to get to know their potential husbands for one year. At the end of
which, they had to go through the usual immigration interviews, marry or return
home.
    Honey handed him the
large bunch of flowers they had picked up on their way into town as they got
out of the truck together. He dragged his big feet like he was going to the
guillotine, Honey barely hid her chuckles.
    The flight was delayed,
and rather than allow him to pace any longer. Honey took Red to the coffee bar.
He kept running a hand through his hair and eyeing the ticket counter.
    “No,” Honey said,
glaring at him.
    “No,
what?”
    “No, you can’t just run
over there, buy her a ticket and send her back home.”
    “How did you know that
was what I was thinking?”
    “You’ve always been
obvious to me, Red,” she grinned. Then her heart went out to him as she saw his
hand shake very slightly as he lifted the cup to his lips while darting another
glance past her to the arrivals lounge. The man had been alone for far too
long. He was either nervous or he’d had way too much caffeine. Just to be sure,
she removed the cup from his hand.
    “Hey! I need that!”
    “She’ll be here any
minute, take this.” She handed him a breath mint, hooked her arm through his
and almost dragged him off the stool. “Minty fresh is always best!” she
chirped. “She might want to kiss you, you know.”
    “Oh
hell!” Red ran a hand through his hair again, and his gaze
connected with hers, then suddenly as if the absolute hilarity of this odd
situation hit him, he