Free The Cowboy And The Debutante by Stella Bagwell

you don’t come away from the piano like this.” His lips thinned to a line of disgust as he looked once again at torn flesh on her palms. “Come on. Let’s go down to the house and I’ll fix them for you.”
    Beneath the brim of the baseball cap, Anna’s brows arched with dismay. “Fix them? I have a few blisters, Miguel. I don’t need stitches!”
    Miguel would like to tell her exactly what he thought she needed, but he was too exhausted to have a round with her tonight. Besides, he seriously doubted she’d be able to make it out of bed in the morning. And once that happened he’d be in the clear to hire someone to take care of the horses.
    â€œThese hands need to be cleaned and dressed, just the same.”
    â€œI can’t take a shower with bandages on my hands. And I can hardly go to bed like this!” She looked pointedly down at the front of her dirty clothes.
    â€œI’ll wait for you to get out of the shower.” He dropped her hands, but before Anna could breathe a sigh of relief that he was no longer touching her, he took her by the shoulder and urged her out of the stables.
    â€œMaybe Chloe will have some leftovers in the fridge,” he said. “I rode out of camp before Cook had supper ready.”
    â€œYou raid my parents refrigerator often?” she asked drily.
    He switched off the lights and the two of them stepped outside. As he turned to fasten the double doors, he said, “Whenever I can catch them gone. I steal their jewels and sell them for whiskey money, too.”
    â€œYou’re so funny.”
    He glanced at her shadowed face. The only smile he’d seen on her face had been a mocking one. He was beginning to doubt the woman knew how to really smile. “I can assure you, you’re not a bit amusing.”
    She made a disgusted sound in her throat. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to be making you laugh.”
    â€œWhat about making yourself laugh?”
    His question took her by surprise. But before she could think of any sort of response, he took her by the elbow and headed them both down the trodden path to the house.
    Once inside, Anna left him to his own company and hurried away to the shower. Miguel washed his hands in the kitchen sink and made a quick search of the refrigerator. Just as he expected, there was half a casserole of beef enchiladas. He put them in the microwave to heat and went about making a tossed salad.
    By the time Anna reappeared, he had the table set for two and strong coffee brewing. The wide-toothed comb she’d been dragging through her wet hair stopped in midair as her gaze went from him to the waiting supper.
    â€œYou weren’t kidding about getting into the refrigerator,” she said.
    A wan smile touched his lips. “No. Your parents have always encouraged me to make myself at home here. And I do at times, when it’s more convenient than going up to the honeymoon house.”
    So he felt comfortable here in the ranch house. Somehow she resented that. In a little more than a year he was certain about belonging to this place. Anna had grown up here on the ranch and in this very house, yet she wasn’t at all sure she belonged here anymore. She wanted to, but so many things had changed while she’d been away. Or was it she who had changed?
    Miguel gestured toward the table. “If you want to take a seat, I’ll see to your hands before we eat.”
    Anna wanted to tell him he had a thing about authority and taking control, but she kept the opinion to herself. In his own way the man was trying to help her, and she didn’t want to appear ungrateful.
    Slipping her comb into the pocket of her robe, she took a seat at the empty end of the table and laid her palms upward on the tabletop. Miguel fetched a first aid kit from a cabinet over the refrigerator. Then taking a seat across from her, picked several items from the plastic case.
    As he poured