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

nose, a mouth, and various other parts that every other woman on the face of the earth had.
    So what if her legs started at the ground and ascended to the clouds? So what if her waist looked small enough for his hands to fit around? So what if her lips were full and moist and surrounded a mouth made for kissing? That didn’t mean she was different from any other woman.
    But gut instinct told him she was different, and he’d always listened to gut instinct. It was the same sense that told him when a horse was trainable and whether it would do better as a cutting horse or a barrel racer. It told him when a cowboy who came around looking for a job wanted real work or just wanted to be trained for the rodeo by someone with a reputation.
    His gut instinct rarely missed.
    Damn. He didn’t need this now. He needed to focus on selling the ranch. Spending time with Alex was just that much time away from organizing, making plans. He had a helluva lot more important things to do than chase after mouth-watering pie and incredible eyes.
    Like fattening the stock so he could sell them if the buyers didn’t want them. Like deciding what he wanted to take with him. Like getting back in shape for the rodeo. He still had a few good years left, even for rough stock.
    He was so close. Travis was doing well on his own, and Claire would be leaving for college come September. Neither of them gave a damn about the ranch. Travis rarely came home, and Claire complained about ranch life constantly. Taxes were rising so high in this part of Wyoming, he was barely holding his head above water. He didn’t know if he could pay Claire’s tuition if he didn’t sell it, and she was bound and determined to have a college education. He wanted to give it to her. She should have what she wanted.
    But he should have what he wanted, too, shouldn’t he? He’d given up his life to raise her and Travis. He just wanted that life back.
    Dragging a heavy sigh from his lungs, he pulled himself up and opened Maisy’s stall. He slipped on a halter and crosstied her in the middle of the barn where the tack was stored. He slid a blanket across the horse’s back, then topped it with an old, well-worn saddle that once belonged to his mother.
    Pulling off Maisy’s halter, Hank slipped a bit between her teeth and hooked the bridle over her ears. As he threw the reins over her neck, he spied Alex and turned to watch her moving toward the barn. She walked reluctantly, with stiff legs and a white face. Even so, he felt a familiar tightening below his belt.
    Damn it! She wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, so why did he want her so badly?
    He must’ve been too long without a woman. He briefly considered driving to Riverton and renewing the brief affair he’d had with a widow there. But the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn’t want Trisha. He wanted...
    “What is it?” Alex demanded, coming to a stop just inside the barn. “You’ve watched every step I took across the yard without blinking, like I was—”
    She blushed and turned away.
    “Like you were what?” he prompted.
    She gave him a narrow-eyed look, then lifted her chin. “Like I was stark naked.”
    Heat flashed through him. “Now there’s a thought.”
    “Hank, I can’t get involved with you. I’m headed—”
    “To California. Yeah, I know.” He cussed under his breath and turned back to the mare. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I don’t want to be tied down any more than you do.”
    “Good. I’m ready to ride the horse now.”
    As she walked around him to pat Maisy, he quickly reviewed all the reasons he couldn’t have Alex.
    It didn’t do a damn bit of good. Every reason was airtight, but they didn’t stop him from wanting her.
     
    Hank knew Claire was coming across the yard as soon as the back door opened. Neither of them said anything as she settled beside him on the top plank of the corral fence.
    Claire returned Alex’s wave, then watched her circle a