Free Jenny by Bobbi Smith Page A

kissed her aunt on the cheek. "I'm home now,
and this is how I dress when I've got work to do. I don't have time to worry about what other people
might say. I've got a ranch to run."

    Evelyn watched her walk off down the hall, and in
spite of herself, she found she was smiling. Jenny had
certainly grown into a woman who knew her own
mind.

     

Cole had no idea what was going on at the Lazy S,
but he was bound and determined to find out. He'd
thought he and Jenny had had an understanding about
the way to handle things that she would come to
him and clear any expenditures with him before she
bought anything. It had only been a week since he'd
spoken with her, but judging from the sizable bill he'd
just received, she had decided to take care of things
on her own without bothering to consult him.
    Cole couldn't imagine why Jenny thought she
needed all the building supplies she'd purchased. Her
house was in good shape, and so was the stable the
last time he'd checked. He could think of no logical
reason for the expenses she'd incurred.
    His mood was positively surly. He really didn't want to go to the Lazy S.He really didn't want to
see her again.

    As the ranch house came into view, to Cole's surprise he spotted two people working on the roof of
one of the outbuildings. He continued on, trying to
make out who the people were and what they were
doing. He reined in abruptly when he realized one of
the workers was Jenny.
    There was no mistaking her.
    Even though it had been two years since he'd last
seen her so clad, there was no forgetting the way she
looked wearing pants. And that was what she had on
today a tight-fitting pair of trousers just like she
used to wear all the time before she'd gone back East
to school.
    Unbidden heat surged through Cole. Watching her
brought it all back the passion he had felt for her,
the way he'd ached with wanting her-The way he'd
denied himself waiting for their wedding night. He
had loved her so...
    Cole swore to himself as he pushed those memories
aside.
    What the hell was Jenny doing up on that roof?
Was she trying to get herself killed?
    He urged his horse to a gallop and charged forward,
determined to get her down before she fell and hurt
herself.
    Jenny heard the sound of a rider coming and
looked up.

    "Looks like we've got some company," she told
Tom Wilson, who was helping her. He was the youngest hand on the Lazy S, and Louis had delegated
him to work with her on the roof repairs.
    "Isn't that Cole Randall?"
    "Yes, and I don't know why he's in such a hurry.
I hope nothing's wrong."
    They both stopped their work and moved closer to
the roof's edge to wait for him to draw near.
    "What are you doing up on the roof, woman?" Cole
demanded harshly as he reined in before them. He
ignored Tom, fixing his angry gaze directly on Jenny.
    His unprovoked verbal assault irritated Jenny. She
faced him defiantly, glaring down at him.
    "I'm working," she answered sarcastically. "What
did you think I was doing?"
    Had he been in a more conciliatory mood, Cole
would have thought she looked like an avenging angel, but he was too furious to harbor any gentler
thoughts.
    "That's what you've got hired help for! Get down
from there right now!" It was an order.
    Jenny bristled at his tone of command. He had no
authority over her. He might be the executor of the
will, but he wasn't her boss. She was her own boss.
She was the one running the Lazy S, and she was
doing what needed to be done to save the place. That
was all that mattered to her.
    "Tom's been helping me," she answered. "He was
the only hand Louie could spare, and we both know there's no extra money to hire more help."

    "Well, get down and I'll finish it for you," he dictated as he dismounted and started toward the ladder.
    "There's no need for you to help. Tom and I can
do it. In fact, we're almost done. This is our second
day."
    Cole stood near the foot of the ladder and looked
the building