Nothing To Lose by RaeAnne Thayne

Author:RaeAnne Thayne [Thayne, RaeAnne]
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-05-27T05:00:00+00:00

The reception broke up soon after Wyatt’s brother and his new wife drove away amid a shower of bubbles and sunflower seeds.

From the wide deck of his ranch house, Taylor watched the last guests drive away just as the sun slid behind the mountains. After the crowds and excitement of the afternoon, the ranch echoed with a silence broken only by the piercing cry of a hawk wheeling and diving overhead and the evening breeze moaning in the tops of the pine trees.

The air was sweet here, clear and scented with the sharp, citrusy tang of pine and fir. Inhaling it into her lungs brought back many happy memories of childhood weekend trips to their cabin in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

For all their conflicts, her father and brother shared a love of fishing. In the stream, they could at least try to find common ground. Taylor wasn’t big on fishing but as long as she could take a book or two along, she hadn’t minded the long days of solitude while Hunter and the Judge tried out woolly buggers and renegades.

Her stern, unapproachable father seemed to mellow on those trips. She supposed it was a little hard to stay solemn and dignified and judicial when he was traipsing through thick willows on the slippery riverbank wearing hip waders.

She let her mind pick through those pleasant memories while she automatically started to straighten some of the mess left by the wedding guests.

“You don’t have to do that.”

Wyatt’s voice from the doorway startled her and she bobbled a glass and nearly dropped it. With an exclamation she reached for it just before it would have shattered on the deck.

“Nice save,” he said with a grin as he walked out to join her under the dusky, orange-streaked sky.

She made a face. “I wasn’t expecting you. I thought you were supposed to be changing your clothes.”

“Doesn’t take me long to climb out of the monkey suit. I see you’ve already changed.”

“I don’t have many nice clothes left. I need to take care of the ones I have until I have the chance to build up my wardrobe a little more.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he repeated when she continued collecting napkins and plates. “The caterer and her people are taking care of the dishes and I’ve got a crew coming in the morning to clean the rest.”

“I don’t mind.”

“I do. You need to work on relaxing, Ms. Bradshaw.”

“I’m afraid I’m not very good at that.”

“No kidding?” He grinned. “Since you’ve got a jacket, let’s take a walk. We’ve still got a half hour or so of twilight—this is a gorgeous time to see my ranch. Come on, I’ll show you my favorite spot.”

She wasn’t used to leisure time. For the past eight years she’d been a student, always aware in the back of her mind there was something else she should be doing. Studying, working on a project, researching a report.

And then for the past two, every spare minute had been spent on Hunter’s appeal.

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