Harlequin Desire January 2017, Box Set 2 of 2 by Barbara Dunlop

Author:Barbara Dunlop
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488015748
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Before the end of this trip, Georgie planned to fully disclose her secret to Austin. If only she could find the appropriate place, appropriate time and, most important, the appropriate words. Right then those words escaped her.

As they neared the familiar creek, she noticed gray clouds gathering on the horizon, completely concealing the sun. They’d been riding for a little over two hours when she sensed now would be a good time to take a break and assess the weather.

“Let’s stop for a while,” Austin said before she could get the suggestion out of her mouth.

They trotted to the tree line and, after they dismounted, led the horses to the shallow brook for a drink. Austin then took the reins from her hands and guided the geldings to the pasture to turn them loose.

“Shouldn’t we tie them up?” she asked as soon as he returned to her side.

“Nah. They’ll hang around here and if they don’t, they’ll find their way back to the barn.”

Great. “And that would leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere on foot.”

Without responding, Austin put both pinkies in his mouth and blew out a loud whistle, bringing the equine boys back in record time. He grinned at Georgie as he patted the geldings’ necks. “They don’t have any intention of going anywhere without me.”

Georgie had felt the same way about him at one point in time. “They’ve always been well trained.”

Austin rummaged around one of the saddlebags, withdrew two carrot chunks, laid them in his flattened palms and offered them to Junior and Bubba. “They know who feeds them.” He waved them away. “Now you two go back to the grass for a bit.”

As if they understood every word, the geldings turned around and hurried back to the pasture to graze. “You missed your calling, Austin. You should’ve been a lion tamer in the circus.”

“Maybe so. I pretty much grew up in a circus.” He wandered over to the bank and sat down on a rock. “Come over here and take a load off.”

“I’ve been sitting for almost two hours.”

“Then suit yourself and stand.”

In reality, her legs felt a little shaky from the long ride, but the thought of sitting next to him didn’t help matters. Still, this could be an opportunity to open up the lines of communication before she lowered the baby boom.

Georgie strolled over to Austin, lowered down onto the dirt slope and hugged her knees to her chest. “Looks like it might rain.”

“The forecast says tomorrow midday.”

She sent him a sideways glance. “This is Texas and when Mother Nature comes for a visit, she doesn’t always listen to meteorologists.”

“True.”

A brief span of silence passed before Georgie spoke again. “I’m still amazed at Bubba’s and Junior’s obedience. Way back when, they were both pretty wild, especially Junior.”

“But he pretty much taught you how to rope.”

“With a little assistance from you.”

He sighed. “Yeah. It’s hard to believe how long they’ve been in my life. But so have you.”

Yes, she had. A very long time full of happiness and heartache.

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