Winter's End by Ruth Logan Herne

Author:Ruth Logan Herne
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2010-03-21T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

She was leaving in a few months. What was he thinking?

Marc beat himself up the next morning. Kayla wasn’t anything he’d planned for, nothing like the girl he imagined, yet there she was, creeping into his heart, filling spaces left empty too long.

Marc wasn’t stupid. He saw why he shouldn’t fall in love with Kayla Doherty as plain as the mammoth pet food sign to his left. Mental, big-block letters explained why Kayla was wrong for him.

But this attraction refused to abate. He felt helpless in its grip. He thought of her, he planned for her, he imagined a life with her.

He’d pushed it aside for weeks, controlling himself with no small effort, only to kiss her the night before. Get a taste of the woman unafraid to go toe-to-toe with him when necessary.

He loved that about her.

The thought made him grin as he forklifted a pallet of rabbit food. Spring feed brought the promise of rebirth. Baby lambs, bunnies, cats, dogs and chicks prevailed as the days stretched longer.

The idea of baby animals made him almost giddy. He passed a hand across his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. Slow down, he ordered himself. Step back and assess the situation.

He’d tried to do that all morning.

No luck. The look on her face haunted him. Her expression had been vulnerable after that kiss. Needy.

Kayla wasn’t needy. She was streetwise and book-smart, an intimidating combination.

Marc refused to be intimidated. Intrigued? Oh, yeah. Interested? Most assuredly, despite the hundred reasons he shouldn’t be. Kayla was slated to leave shortly. She bore no resemblance to the kind of woman he intended to fall in love with, and a strong likeness to what he’d chosen to avoid. He didn’t want or need a snazzy dresser, a woman on a first-name basis with designer tags, or one who didn’t have sense enough to don sturdy shoes when the mercury plummeted.

Before you knew it, she’d have Jess following in her footsteps, messing up what Pete and Marc had invested to keep the younger girl grounded.

He should avoid her. Too much danger lay there, too many pitfalls. What kind of a fool walked into a bad situation, eyes open and let it get out of hand?

The worst kind, he reminded himself. He glared at the silent stacks of packaged feed. The future held nothing for them. He knew that. She wasn’t a girl to give up her dreams and tie herself down to a North Country farmer.

Kayla had big league written all over her, from the name-brand sunglasses to the squared-off toes of her designer boots, and he was a girl-next-door kind of guy.

That was as it should be. He’d leave it at that. He might not like the choice, but he’d make it, nonetheless.

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