Free Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) by Linda Bridey Page A

Gina said.
                  “I don’t think you want me to do that,” he said.  “Two black snakes just went across in front of me.”
                  Gina squealed and grabbed Rick around the neck and buried her face in his shoulder.  “What about the children?  Oh, where are they?”  Suddenly she started struggling to look to where the kids were.
                  “They’re already down the path.  Listen a second,” Rick said as he stopped walking.
                  Gina said, “I don’t hear anything.”
                  “Close your eyes and calm down.  I’m not going to let anything happen to any of you.  Now, take a deep breath and listen,” he said.
                  Gina followed his directions and, after a few moments, she was able to hear Ryan and Chloe laughing.  She smiled and opened her eyes.  It startled her a little to see Rick looking directly into her eyes.
                  “Ok, it’s safe now,” he said as he moved to put her down.
                  Gina said, “Are you sure?” and kept hanging on to his neck.
                  “Positive.”
                  “Ok,” she said and let him put her down.
                  “I was right,” Rick said as he led her down the path again. 
                  Gina looked at him.  “About what?”
                  “Well, I said to myself the other day that you looked like the kind of woman who felt good in a man’s arms and I was right.  You definitely do.”
                  Gina stopped and stared after him as he continued on.
                  “Close your mouth, Gina,” Rick said.  “You don’t want to swallow any flies.”
                  Gina shut her mouth and looked around her to make sure there were no snakes.  She trotted after Rick since he was getting farther away from her.
                  The burros were adorable and the kids had a great time riding them around their small pasture.  Rick walked beside Ryan as he rode, but Chloe had no trouble riding her burro by herself.
    When the ride was over, Rick said, “Ok, that’s it.  No more to see until I get my llamas in a couple of months.”
    “You’re getting llamas?” Gina said.
    “Yes.  My friend Miguel is shipping them to me from South America,” Rick said.
    “What are you going to do with them?” Chloe asked.
    “Breed them and sell their wool,” Rick said.
    “I wanna see ’em when they get here,” Ryan said as they came back into Rick’s house.
    Rick said, “You definitely will see them, then.”
    “Me, too,” Chloe said.
    Gina raised her hand and said, “Me, three.”
    Rick smiled and said, “You can all see them.  Well, we’d better head out since I have to get to work soon.  I just have to wash up a little.  Mitch doesn’t like it when I show up smelling like animal.”
    “We’ll wait out by the buggy,” Gina said.
    “Ok.  I won’t be long,” Rick said.
    He started taking off his shirt as they left.  Before closing the door, Gina saw a tantalizing glimpse of muscular male flesh.  As she followed Ryan and Chloe to the buggy, she wished that she’d paused just a little longer.  She almost laughed aloud at her naughty thoughts.
    Rick opened the back door and whistled for Curtis.  His partner in peacekeeping took up his position in Rick’s duster and Rick left the house to drive Gina and the kids home.  He hadn’t enjoyed himself so much in a long time.  It was refreshing to meet a woman who wasn’t afraid of many animals.  The only one Gina had objected to was snakes, and that was understandable.
    His friend Abby, Zach’s mother, didn’t mind Curtis or the other ferrets, but she didn’t like all the birds and definitely not the snakes.  She liked the burros, but didn’t want anything to do with the skunks. 
    Rick helped Gina into