Free Country Heat (King Creek Cowboys Book 1) by Cheyenne McCray Page A

and limes from Phoenix. “I feel like I’ve been taking too much of your time since I got here.”
    “I have no problems working it around my schedule.” He gave her another sexy grin when she glanced back at him. “One of the perks of owning the ranch is being the boss.”
    She brushed away strands of hair from her face and smiled. “Okay, boss. You’re on.”

7
    H umming to herself , Kit stuffed four sandwiches into an insulated bag with icepacks for the horseback ride with Carter. He had cancelled the tour of the ranch earlier in the week, but this morning had said they were on for today’s ride.
    She wore a worn pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and Haylee’s well-broken in boots. They were a tad too big, so Carter had given her two pairs of his socks so that the boots fit better. She wasn’t used to wearing boots, and it felt a little odd and clunky as she moved around the kitchen.
    The day they were supposed to tour the ranch, one of his mares had gone into labor and had a breech birth. Carter had almost lost both of them, but the vet came through and both mare and filly were now fine. It was the second time that month he’d almost lost a mare and baby while the horses gave birth.
    Kit added a couple baggies of handmade potato chips to the sack, along with six each of the snickerdoodle and toffeedoodle cookies she’d made. She’d also filled two large thermoses with cold water—since this was the desert, they couldn’t have too much water with them no matter the time of year.
    It had rained last night, but it was clear this morning, and Carter had said they were still on for the ride.
    Whether intentional or not, he had sent her senses on overdrive every time he was around. He frequently came into the kitchen and spent some time with her when they were alone, usually a little before breakfast and lunch.
    She paused in her motions and closed her eyes.
    Carter had come into the kitchen and talked with her so many times this week, that it felt as if she had been working at the ranch for weeks instead of just a single week. He was intense, but easy to talk with, and he liked to tease and could take it in return. He made her smile and laugh every time he was around.
    By mid-week she had a full-blown adult “crush” on her boss. She knew she shouldn’t let herself get close to him in any way, but everything about him drew her in. His smile, his sexy grin, his intelligence, his great sense of humor, and every other thing about him she could think of.
    She opened her eyes and smiled. She was almost giddy with excitement, something she shouldn’t allow herself to feel. A sigh slipped out. Did she want to stop whatever it was that was happening between her and Carter?
    Maybe. Maybe not.
    Whatever the case, she was too far gone as it was.
    For dinner she had been eating on her own in the guest house. She had offered to make Carter dinner in the evenings, but he had insisted she was off work and the last thing he was going to let her do was cook for him. The first night had been different because of the birthday party. Carter had teased that it had been her “trial by fire,” something Belle had decided to do. He hadn’t known it ahead of time, but went along with Belle.
    “There’s no stopping Belle, once she has her mind set.” He said she might be brusque, but she was fair in all matters and well-intentioned.
    Boot steps sounded on the back porch, bringing Kit out of her thoughts and she swung her gaze to the door.
    It opened and Carter walked in. Her stomach did that silly little twisty-swishy thing again.
    Swoon.
    Damn, she had it bad.
    Today he looked as good as he always did. Something about him went beyond his hard, masculine cowboy looks that made him even sexier. He wore a western shirt and a straw Stetson. Faded Wrangler jeans fit him perfectly, and he wore a crafted leather belt with a silver buckle that had a longhorn steer head imprinted on it. His dusty boots made him look somehow rougher.
    He