Montana Homecoming--A Clean Romance by Jeannie Watt

Author:Jeannie Watt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-04-15T14:50:37+00:00

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CASSIE ARRIVED EARLY on their last day of junk hauling and, after parking her brother’s truck, went straight to the small corral where her mare happily munched grassy alfalfa.

“How’d she do?” she asked after Travis tossed hay to a heifer he’d brought in yesterday due to a limp.

He wondered if he should soften the blow or just state facts. He went with facts.

“She needs miles put on her, Cassie. A lot of miles. You’re not going to plunk along a trail and enjoy yourself. She’s really skittish.”

“Ever?”

“I don’t know.” The mare had shied several times and twice she’d attempted to spin and head back to the ranch. She was testing him, seeing what she could get away with, and she needed to learn that she wasn’t going to get away with anything. He had no doubt that Cassie could ride the mare, but she was looking for a pleasure mount to relax with.

Cassie looked past him to the field where his McHenry mares were grazing, foals by their sides. The wind ruffled her hair and she smoothed it without breaking her gaze. “You’re saying she might be out there next year, making babies.”

“I can’t afford to pay what you paid for her.”

She shifted her gaze his way. “You almost paid that price.”

“I was very afraid I was going to have to. When you made that last bid, I could have kissed you.”

She took a long look at his mouth, stirring up memories of when they had kissed; memories that were pretty close to the surface, because every now and again he revisited them.

“And you did,” she said as she lifted her gaze.

“Well,” he said with a half shrug, “I owed you.”

“Actually—” she shifted her weight as she considered the matter “—I kissed you.”

He smiled a little. “If I still owe you, we could fix things.”

“Uh—” she shook her head “—I don’t think so.” She didn’t step back, but she turned her body so that she wasn’t fully facing him as she once again studied the mare.

They’d come a ways, he and Cassie. She trusted him to a point. He wished she trusted him more. He wished she saw him differently—not as someone she shouldn’t kiss, but maybe someone she should.

“Last day before the big pressure wash,” she said conversationally. Talk of kissing was now officially off the table. He couldn’t help but think that he might find an opportunity to bring it up again.

“It is,” he said as he started walking slowly in the direction of the barn. Cassie fell into step and the vibe between them was remarkably relaxed, despite kissing talk. “Feeling better about the stuff that was eating you yesterday?”

She gave a soft snort. “I was until you brought it up.”

He played along and rolled his eyes, even though he could see that she was more herself today. “Sorry.”

“Tell me about staying on the ranch.”

He glanced down at her, but she didn’t meet his eyes. “Staying on the ranch?”

“Did you always plan to run the

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