Harlequin Special Edition October 2016, Box Set 1 of 2 by Christine Rimmer

Author:Christine Rimmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488025181
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

For a woman who’d once had a quick temper, Shannon prided herself on being able to keep it in check these days. But Blake’s audacity had caused her to nearly lose her grip.

When Blake had first arrived at the Rocking C, he’d been strung as tight as a war drum and ready for battle. She’d heard that he was a hard-nosed negotiator, but his attitude that day had still surprised and annoyed her.

Recently, she’d begun to see his sweeter side, as well as a playfulness that had drawn her to him. So she’d begun to think they might actually become friends. In fact, after their dance on the porch, she’d even entertained a few romantic thoughts about him, about them. But that was before he’d made such a false assumption and cruel comment about her aunt’s character.

Joy was one of the kindest, gentlest souls Shannon had ever known, and it crushed her to see her aunt in tears.

“What’s the matter?” Blake asked. “I’m going to tell her I’m sorry.”

“Knowing Joy, she’ll forgive you. But I guess you could say that I don’t turn the other cheek as easily as she does.”

Blake eyed her carefully, but not critically. No, his expression seemed more stunned and surprised.

“I understand why Joy was hurt,” he said. “But why are you taking this personally?”

For a lot of reasons, only one of which was her relationship to Joy, a woman she’d defend to her dying day. But another was because she’d lowered her guard around Blake.

If truth be told, she’d actually wanted to believe that he’d inherited many of Sam’s traits, but she wasn’t about to voice that pointless wish. So she said, “I don’t like seeing people upset, especially my employees.”

At that point, Shannon nearly pulled the relative card and told Blake that she would defend and protect her aunt until her dying day, but she’d do the same for any of the people who lived or worked on the Rocking C. So why let him think her disappointment in him was “personal” when it was just a matter of common courtesy, understanding and respect?

“I was wrong to make that offer to her,” Blake said. “The only explanation I have is that I don’t want to see Sam hurt. He’s already lost the love of his life, which nearly killed him. And I…” He paused, then slowly shook his head, apparently thinking a further explanation wasn’t necessary.

And maybe it wasn’t. Shannon shifted her weight to one hip. “I don’t want to see either one of them brokenhearted. And it irritates me to think that you’d assume the woman who’s been cooking your meals, treating you kindly and doing her best to make sure you feel welcome around here would take the money you offered her and run.”

His eye twitched ever so slightly. Then he shrugged a single shoulder. “It’s been known to happen. Some women aren’t what they seem.”

“Yeah, well, that offer you just made to Joy tells me a lot about the kind of man you really are.

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