The Cowboy and the Countess by Darlene Scalera

Author:Darlene Scalera
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

It was past midnight but still hours from dawn when they arrived at the ranch. The unbroken highway and the night had lulled Anna into head-bobbing bouts of sleep. She’d awaken with a stabbing pain between her shoulders and the feeling she should be remembering the images in her dreams. Then she saw a sign up high, arching blacker and stronger than the night: The Rocking Horse Ranch—and she wasn’t sure if she was awake or dreaming. All she knew was the fear within her grew small.

She smiled, and when Kent looked at her, he was smiling, too. They passed beneath the arch, and her vision blurred. Turning away from Kent, she blinked, releasing fat foolish tears.

They drove over a mile of dirt road before Anna saw much else than the night. Then the Chevy rounded a wide curve, and a sprawling two-story house appeared, its front porch facing the mountains.

Behind it was land divided by fences and several gray-weathered buildings in various sizes and stages of deterioration. She saw barns, sheds, grain bins. Far to the left sat a pair of narrow mobile homes. Beyond them was another long building, one corner of its low roof sagging. But it was a closet-size building set back not far from the house that held her attention.

“This place has running water, doesn’t it?” she asked, still staring at what looked like an outhouse.

Kent chuckled. “You city gals…”

“Please let there be indoor plumbing,” she pleaded.

Kent softly laughed again. “I know it looks rustic, but don’t see just what’s there—see what can be.”

Her apprehension grew. “All I want to see is a toilet with a flusher.”

“Don’t worry. It has indoor plumbing.” He shot her a smile.

He parked at the end of the curved dirt driveway beside the house, cut the engine and removed the keys. He slapped his palms against the steering wheel. “We’re here,” he said, as if he didn’t believe it either.

He looked around a minute longer, taking in the house, the buildings, the space and the silence. His palms hit the steering wheel once more as if his emotion demanded physical expression.

Smiling, he looked at Anna, then opened the truck door and jumped down. She reached for her own door handle, but it was already swinging away from her. Kent stood on the other side, holding the door. He took her elbow as she slid out of the truck. “I’ll unload Lightning, then get our stuff in a minute. You probably want to look inside first.” He winked. “Find that toilet.”

He handed her the keys, showing her which one was for the house. “The real estate agent only sent me the back door key for now. They haven’t found the front door key. Previous owners can’t remember ever locking it. Seems they don’t have much use for front doors out here. Everyone comes in through the kitchen. Let me get Lightning bedded, and I’ll be in.”

Anna walked the short distance to the house while Kent unloaded Lightning and began to lead him to one of the grayed buildings.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.