Free Home Is Where Hank Is (Cowboys To The Rescue 1) by Martha Shields

stopped himself. She could almost feel his muscles tense as he controlled whatever urge drove him.
    The strong reaction took her by surprise. She stepped back and cleared her throat. “But flour is absolutely necessary.”
    The blue eyes holding hers took a moment to clear. When they finally did, he tore them away.
    “You may not need much, but we do,” he growled. “We’ll go into town on Thursday, if that suits you.”
    “Sure, I—”
    “Good night.”
    Alex stared after him as he strode from the room. First cold, then hot, then cold again. Would she ever understand this man?
    Did she really want to?

Chapter Four
    A s Alex pushed a pot roast into the oven to slow-cook, she heard the unmistakable sound of a horse’s hooves clomping around outside the house. Two steps took her to the window over the sink in time to see Hank ride up to the barn.
    She glanced at the clock and frowned. Three o’clock. Why was he home? Only once in the eight days she’d worked at the ranch had he ever made it home before the hands.
    Hank stumbled as he dismounted, catching himself on the saddle.
    Alex slammed the oven door closed and tossed her padded mittens on the counter as she ran out the door. She’d sprinted halfway across the yard before the screen door rattled against the jamb. She didn’t slow until she reached the deep shadows of the barn. Her eyes hadn’t even begun to adjust when a pair of strong arms caught her.
    “What’s wrong?” a deep familiar voice demanded.
    “Hank?”
    “What is it? What’s wrong?”
    “Are you okay?”
    “Of course I’m okay. Are you?”
    She could see him clearly now. His obvious concern made her already-racing heart perform a backward flip in her chest. “I thought you might be...I mean, you almost fell when you dismounted.”
    His face softened, but his hold on her didn’t relax. “I haven’t been out of the saddle all day. My old knee injury was a little stiff, and it buckled on me.”
    She nodded, but her sigh of relief caught in her throat as his eyes seemed to ignite. She suddenly became aware of how close they stood. His strong fingers gripped her arms just above the elbows, pulling her against his muscled body. She could feel his warm breath flowing over her face like an intoxicating vapor. When he smiled, she thought she would faint from the brilliance of his white teeth against his sun-darkened face.
    “We had a date, remember? I came to give you a riding lesson.”
    As his words sank in, Alex tried to will the color from creeping up her neck. She felt like a fool for jumping to conclusions, but more than that, she knew running out here in a panic made it look like she cared a little too much about what happened to him. Swallowing hard as she realized she did care, she lowered her gaze.
    “What’s wrong now?” he demanded, holding on.
    She pulled back as far as he’d let her. “It’s not a date.”
    His grip tightened as he drew a ragged breath, then he released her suddenly. “You’re right, it’s not. God forbid either of us forgets we have responsibilities.”
    She frowned. “I’m sorry. It’s just that—”
    “Yeah, I know. You’re not sticking around. You made it perfectly clear when I hired you.” He lifted the saddle from the gelding he’d ridden and threw it on the rack nailed into the wall. “Well, don’t worry, little lady. I don’t need romantic complications any more than you do. Thanks for the reminder.”
    Alex felt shards of disappointment stab through her. She took half a step toward him, but forced herself to stop. “Maybe it would be better if Jed or Buck taught me to ride.”
    “No!” He whirled from Maisy’s stall door to glare at her. “I’m the boss around here. I’ll teach you. No one else. That clear?”
    His hot words made Alex take a step back. They stared at each other across the expanse of the barn. Maisy blew at Hank from her stall. The blue heeler dogs barked at one another as they played in the meadow beyond. But