His Heart, Her Love by Jo Grafford

Author:Jo Grafford [Grafford, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JG PRESS
Published: 2019-06-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7: More Lessons

Patty

Thank God Tanya had seen fit to text her a warning about the presence of the smashing Dallas Hilton. Otherwise, Patty might have had the rug pulled out from under her. Again.

Dallas gave her fingers the lightest of squeezes and pretended to turn her attention to the steaming platters of food being delivered to the table. But Patty wasn’t the least bit fooled by her nonchalance. Her womanly instincts screamed that the star singer had set her sights on Duke Carlson.

Over my dead body! I saw him first, you paparazzi princess. And Patty was pulling no punches today. Her heart was still raw from her dark discoveries about her past the evening before, but her shoulders were remarkably lighter. All her life, she’d felt the darkness gnawing at the edges of her consciousness, trying to pull her in and suck her under. And now she was free of it. All of it!

All the hidden urges to bury her anxiety beneath sugary foods was gone. The constant flutters of insecurities about her height and weight were gone. Sure, she had some work to do to reduce those extra pounds and replace her languishing wardrobe, but she had her goal in sight. She knew what she wanted and how to get there. For the first time in forever, she was in the driver’s seat.

Duke leaned closer while reaching for a bottle of hot sauce. “You look amazing,” he muttered in undertones.

She shot him a sly smile. “Nice try, but I’m still not going any easier on you.”

“I mean it,” he insisted.

“Go head and keep ‘em coming,” she teased. “I adore compliments.” She snatched the bottle of hot sauce from him and gave a few generous shakes over her eggs.

“Whoa there, Pattykins!” He swiftly retrieved the bottle from her. “That one’s made with habaneros. Not for the faint of palate.” He glanced hurriedly around the table. “Someone pass the mild sauce, please.”

“Whoa! Are you suggesting I’m not tough enough to down a few spritzes of Duke-worthy hot sauce?” She batted her lashes at him. “Oh, darling! You clearly don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

His ears pinked at her use of the endearment. Heavens, but she enjoyed baiting him!

“You’re an L.A. girl,” he protested quietly. “You didn’t marinate in the desert like I did.”

“Yeah?” she challenged. “Maybe not, but I’ve downed my share of tornadoes on campus the last six years. There ain’t nothin’ this belly of steel can’t handle.” Other than flying, of course, but he already knew about that.

He cocked a brow at her. “What’s downing a tornado?”

“Oh, man!” Wes groaned. “You did not just asked the one-woman party what a tornado is.”

“Two small beverage cups, please?” Patty fluttered two fingers at one of the ranch hands nearest the kitchen. It was the same fellow who’d been grinning at her since yesterday. He hopped from his seat, disappeared into the kitchen, and returned with two shot glasses.

Duke watched her with interest and growing alarm as she proceeded to shake generous portions of the habanero sauce into each glass.

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