Her Millionaire Marine by Cathie Linz

Author:Cathie Linz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-11-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Kate leapt off his lap as if ejected from the cockpit of an F-16 fighter jet.

She refastened her bra in record time, and yanked her top back into place. Then her fingers lowered to hastily retuck her top into the waistband of her skirt.

Striker only knew all this because while he was blocking Kate from view with his body, he’d also taken several glances over his shoulder to see how she was doing.

“Hey, Mom, you sure know how to make an entrance,” Striker called out, his voice rueful. “Give us a second here…” He reached out to help Kate tidy herself but she just batted his hands away and frantically pointed to his own undone shirt.

Thankfully Tony was distracting his parents with talk about damage done to the barn, and the horses all being unharmed. The rain that had poured down right after the twister had stopped.

Striker had refastened the snaps on his shirt although he left it untucked. He moved forward only to have Kate scramble past him and up out of the storm cellar with more speed than agility. He was immediately at Kate’s side with a hand on her elbow, steadying her until they reached solid, albeit muddy, ground.

A moment later he was enveloped by his mom fiercely hugging him before quickly letting him go.

“Sorry about that,” Angela said, stepping back and blinking away tears. “I didn’t mean to get all emotional on you that way.”

“That’s okay.” Striker glanced over at his dad, who looked like he’d rather chew glass than be standing here on the Westwind Ranch. Stan Kozlowski was solidly built, a Marine through and through who still proudly wore his hair in a buzz cut despite the fact that he was now retired.

“Nice weather you’ve got down here in Texas,” his dad drawled. “Very impressive welcome.” He nodded to the tree that lay splintered a short distance away.

“What? You don’t know better than to be tooling around in an RV in a twister?” Striker countered. “It’s not like you’re driving a Humvee.”

“No problem. The storm was ahead of us,” his dad stated.

“I warned him that twisters have been known to turn around, but you know how your father is.” Angela glanced at her husband with equal parts of affection and exasperation. “As to why we’re here… I needed to come back and pay my respects.” Her green eyes clouded with memories before she made a conscious effort to regain control. “I had no idea we’d arrive on the shirttails of a tornado.”

“Never a dull moment, huh?” Striker gave his mom a quick hug.

Angela’s smile reflected her appreciation. “We arrived to find Tony and some of the hands trying to haul this huge tree limb off the cellar doors.”

“Naturally I pitched in,” his dad said.

Striker nodded. “Of course. A Marine never stands around waiting for others to get things done.”

“I was wondering if you’d remember that, or if being a Texas oilman had changed your views.” His father’s voice reflected his disapproval.

“I am not a Texas oilman.

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