Free How to Wrangle a Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy Page A

“That’s where I went. But Shane didn’t take me there. I went all on my own.”
    Lindsey looked confused for a second. “I was worried sick.”
    “You don’t need to worry about me.” Grace patted Shane’s arm as they climbed the porch steps. “Shane takes care of me. Don’t you, Shane?”
    “Of course.”
    “That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Lindsey mumbled.
    “What, dear?”
    “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
    “That’s a wise choice. I’m very tired.” Grace released Shane’s arm. “Thank you, dear. I’m going to bed now.”
    The screen door had barely slammed behind Grace before Lindsey jumped all over Shane—figuratively, of course. In that prim little suit, she couldn’t do much of anything literally.
    Shane couldn’t help noticing she’d been up to something though. A few wisps of hay clung to her hair, which had tumbled out of its sophisticated bun, and a bit of straw was stuck to her lapel. It was hard for him to resist the urge to reach over and brush it off. For such a slender woman, Lindsey’s breasts were…
    What was he thinking? He didn’t care about her breasts. Here she was, scowling at him when he’d done nothing wrong, and yet he was feeling—stirred. There was something about the combination of that wild, flyaway hair and the fitted little suit that worked for him.
    The anger was kind of sexy too.
    “Where was she going? Grace shouldn’t exert herself like that.” Leaning forward, she pointed at her face. “And by the way, my eyes are up here.”
    Shane didn’t know what to do or where to look. He was usually a pretty confident guy, but something about Lindsey threw him for a loop—a wide one, that settled over his shoulders and pulled tight, jerking him off balance like a roped calf. She was beautiful at the best of times, but she was beyond beautiful when she was mad.
    Maybe he just didn’t like nice women. Tara had been mad all the time too.
    “She was looking for Bud.” He kept his voice low and level. “I brought her home. Who knows where she would have ended up if I hadn’t found her?”
    She set her fists on her hips. “Yeah, if you hadn’t happened to be drinking with your brothers out in the parking lot, she’d have gotten right by you.”
    “Well, I didn’t see you taking care of her. I don’t know where you went off to.”
    To make his point, he reached over and plucked that fleck of straw from her lapel. That made her flush, which made her look even prettier. He wondered how long he could keep her mad.
    “So what about Cody?” She nodded toward the front hall, where his son was playing quietly with a kitten. “Nobody was watching him, either.”
    Ducking his head, Shane ran one hand through his hair. She was right about that part. Earlier, Cody had been sleeping in the big bedroom where the coats were laid out. He’d thought the kid was out for the night.
    Obviously, he had a long way to go as a father.
    He wasn’t about to admit that to Lindsey, though. Taking one step closer, he invaded her space until he caught a faint whiff of perfume, something flowery and fresh. There was an earthy undercurrent as well, a familiar mix of horses and hay that didn’t come from a bottle.
    “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, okay?” He kept his voice low and hoped he sounded sure of himself, but she tossed her hair and shot him a glare.
    “I just bet you do.”
    Her tone made him wonder if she realized that one brush of the small, firm breast behind her lapel had gotten him thinking about something other than his family obligations. Clearing his throat, he looked down at his boots.
    “Sorry. At least that kitten seems to be good company for him.”
    “I know.” Lindsey smiled. “Poor little thing was out in the barn. Some cats are born to be outdoor kitties, but this one’s a house cat.”
    Shane almost laughed. Had she seriously felt the need to rescue one of the Lazy Q’s barn cats? Those critters had everything they needed.