Free No Strings Attached (Last Hope Ranch Book 1) by Amanda McIntyre Page B

glanced over her shoulder, eyeing him.
    He leveled her a look. “On wheels, congratulations,” he said. “And news flash, this isn’t a competition.”
    “I’ll just take this stuff on downstairs,” Aimee piped up. “I want to talk to Rein about Sunday night.”
    Sally peeked around Clay and waved. He hadn’t budged an inch. She was still trapped on the bed between him and the suitcase. “Thanks, Aimee.” She looked up and met his steady gaze. He gave her a thin-lipped smile before he spoke. “You going to let me get this, bossy butt?” He grinned then. Mr. funny guy.
    “Be careful. The other handle broke. I can’t really vouch for this one.” She scooted backwards, avoiding eye contact as she slithered off the bed and inched around him. Grabbing her house slippers and pressing them against her chest to hide how he’d affected her, she watched him lift the suitcase, seemingly with little effort, and stand it upright, where it listed precariously. Luckily, he caught it before it fell.
    Clearly a matter of leverage. She turned to walk ahead of him down the stairs.
    “Need these?”
    She turned and her heart stilled. He stood at the top of the steps, holding the stack of brochures out to her.
    “They were lying on the bed. Figured you might need them.”
    She snatched them quickly from him. “Thanks, I’ve been doing a little research for a friend of mine.” She averted her eyes from his, hoping he’d bought what she was trying to sell.
    ***
    Yeah, he hadn’t bought that line about researching for a friend. Sally had been avoiding him since she arrived at the ranch. She’d begged off the traditional family dinner the night after she arrived, stating she had work to do for school and needed to get herself settled.
    She was bunked in the first cabin nearest to the main house on the asphalt roadway, while he was in the last cabin, farthest from everything. He’d wanted the privacy and just outside his door was the creek than ran through the back of the Kinnison property and the dense forest that covered the foothills. When weather permitted, he enjoyed sitting on his patio out back, taking in the stars, letting the quiet seep into his pores when his memories became too much to ignore. Rein had given him full use of the mini utility farm cart for tooling around the ranch, but he enjoyed the walk when the path was clear.
    He’d been busy the past week, up at dawn to help with chores, and then off to Sally’s house with Rein to work on her renovations. Those brochures and the rumor Tyler had spoken to him about filtered in and out of his brain. The Montana Spring Buckle Ball was two weeks away and he and Rein were busting their butts to get Sally moved back home before then.
    “Hey, guys,” Tyler called from Sally’s back door. “The sink’s here.”
    Clay looked over his shoulder and saw Tyler with a two-wheel dolly standing at the open end of Sally’s new kitchen. The water line had been re-routed, electrical lines updated and replaced. Sally’s new island with a yawning gap in the center sat gleaming, awaiting the finishing touch.
    “Fantastic,” Rein said, dropping the drill he’d been using on the new hood range. “Gentlemen, I think we’re going to be out of here by Monday at the latest.” He looked around. “Just about a week.” He grinned.
    Tyler unstrapped the box and stood looking at what had been accomplished. “Sally’s going to love this. Taking out this back wall really has made a difference. And turning her dad’s old bedroom back here into a family room is a great idea. Now she can cook and keep an eye on her kid.” He glanced their way. “Whenever that should happen.” Tyler viewed the room with his hands over his chest, unaware that Rein was staring at him.
    Clay raised his eyebrows. This was going to get interesting.
    “What are you talking about?” Rein asked. “Sally doesn’t have any kids, you know that.” He picked up the drill and resumed his task.
    “Oh,