Temporary Rancher by Ann Evans

Author:Ann Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

TWO HOURS AFTER THAT unusual lunch, Riley found herself back at the picnic table, on the cell phone with her sister. She hadn’t talked to Jillian for nearly a week, but if ever she needed a woman’s opinion, now was the time.

The Ramseys were tearing down fence in the pasture. Quintin had left the ranch. Riley was waiting for the irrigation company to show up, and she’d just told Jillian about the extraordinary conversation she’d had today with her boss.

“Oh, good grief,” her sister said for about the tenth time. “I’d never have gotten through it. How in the world did you manage?”

“Part of me wanted the earth to open up and swallow me, mostly because it was just so awkward. But I have to admit, part of me appreciated his candor. And all of me liked the compliments.”

“So then what happened?”

“Then I said, ‘Oh, the heck with it!’ and we knocked the rest of our lunch off the table and had sex right out here in the open.” When Jillian gasped, Riley laughed. “I’m kidding.”

Inwardly, however, the impulsive side of her nature could freely admit she wouldn’t have minded. Maybe not out in the open, but the idea of having sex with Quintin definitely held a lot of appeal.

“That isn’t funny,” her sister said.

“Believe me, none of it was funny. I’ve never had such a serious discussion about sex with a man. Not even Brad. And then, when I thought we had gotten it all behind us, he put this piece of paper in front of me and shocked me even more.”

“He wanted you to sign some sort of agreement?”

“No, silly! It was an invite to dinner. Wendy made this pretty invitation for him to come over for pizza.”

“Your Tuesday pizza and game night?”

“Yep. She even drew a picture of me twirling a pizza over my head. Only with Wendy’s talent, it looked like I was being beamed aboard a flying saucer.”

“But that’s family fun night. I thought the rule was no outsiders.”

“Not this time, evidently. She didn’t ask me if it was all right. She didn’t tell me she was going to give it to him. She just did it. She must have snuck over and put it on the doorstep this morning while I was in the apartment looking for my car keys.”

“Wendy did this? Not Roxanna?”

“She’s getting more like her sister every day, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Anyway, it all looked very sweet and cute and colorful, and I wanted to strangle her.”

“What did you say?”

“What could I say? After I got over my surprise, I said he was welcome to come. He was actually very nice about it and said that, considering the conversation we’d just had, he didn’t want me to be uncomfortable—a word I’m beginning to loathe, by the way—and if I’d rather, he’d make up something to let Wendy down easy.”

“That was kind of him.”

“I know. So, of course, I laughed that off and pretended it was no big deal.

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