men who had already complained. They reached the men and Alexandria started making the rounds.
Rand answered as she had expected him to: that he was leaving to set up his own place up before his marriage to his fiancée. Rusty assured her that he had no problem working for a woman.
“Sure, aint no reason a woman caint run things,” Chris smiled.
“I won’t abandon you, Mrs. Morris,” Sparky solemnly promised. Alexandria smiled, “Call me Alex, Sparky.”
“Okay, Alex,” he smiled in return.
She moved on to the next hand. Howard looked a bit embarrassed but said he would be moving on. She moved on to Nick, her back straight and pulse racing. She had been uncomfortable around him ever since the incident in the barn.
“Sure, Boss. It oughta be real interesting around here,” he smirked.
“Alex, please,” Alexandria requested as she repressed a shudder.
“Sure, Alex it is,” he grinned.
Alexandria, aware of his eyes on her, moved on. She moved up beside Jonathon and asked him questions about what the men were doing and what the job involved. Jonathon patiently answered her questions. Over lunch, the men started a conversation with her, hesitantly at first, and then more comfortably when she responded with a smile and a few jokes.
By the time Alexandria returned to the ranch to speak with the men who were just stirring to switch shifts, she was feeling more confident about the task before her. Jonathon gathered the men up and Alexandria made the same offer to them that she had made to the others. All but one man stayed. She had lost a total of three men that day and knew they would have to be replaced.
“That didn’t go so bad,” she told Jonathon after the men had moved on.
“It didn’t,” he agreed, “you did well out there today.”
“Thank you,” she beamed.
“Do me a favor, Alexandria.”
“Sure,” Alexandria watched him expectantly.
“Watch yourself around Nick. I don’t want to scare you, but he makes me nervous, especially considering what happened with him before,” he gave voice to his concern.
“I plan to,” she assured him. “Thank you so much for your help, Jonathon.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” she invited.
“Home cooking, now how can I refuse that?” he asked with a wide smile. “Just between you and me, Mack does an okay job, but …” he let the sentence trail.
Alexandria smiled. “Come on, we’ll get Millie and Anna to feed us,” she led the way into the house.
Anna flushed and immediately began fidgeting as soon as Jonathon walked through the door. She spent the meal flirting mercilessly with Jonathon. Alexandria found it amusing.
***
Several mornings later, Alexandria dressed for work and joined Jonathon in the yard where he was waiting with their mounts. She felt sore as she moved off the porch; the last several days had been harder than she anticipated and when she returned home each evening she usually still had something waiting for her to go over in the office. Jonathon seemed to have picked up on her fatigue and had been very patient with her. His playful teasing and joking helped distract her as well. However, as much as she appreciated his saddling Spirit for her, she knew she should see to it herself. “You know, Jonathon, I don’t wish to sound ungrateful, but I do know how to saddle a horse,” she informed him.
Jonathon surveyed her a moment; she looked rather like a kid playing dress up.
“I know, but I don’t want to come in and find you buried under a saddle one morning,” his gaze again swept over her slim frame. He knew he shouldn’t tease her but after discovering how easy it was to get a reaction out of her he couldn’t seem to help himself; it was too much fun.
“Now wait a minute…”
“Tell me something,” Jonathon cut off her argument, “does your sister by chance have a crush on me
Rand answered as she had expected him to: that he was leaving to set up his own place up before his marriage to his fiancée. Rusty assured her that he had no problem working for a woman.
“Sure, aint no reason a woman caint run things,” Chris smiled.
“I won’t abandon you, Mrs. Morris,” Sparky solemnly promised. Alexandria smiled, “Call me Alex, Sparky.”
“Okay, Alex,” he smiled in return.
She moved on to the next hand. Howard looked a bit embarrassed but said he would be moving on. She moved on to Nick, her back straight and pulse racing. She had been uncomfortable around him ever since the incident in the barn.
“Sure, Boss. It oughta be real interesting around here,” he smirked.
“Alex, please,” Alexandria requested as she repressed a shudder.
“Sure, Alex it is,” he grinned.
Alexandria, aware of his eyes on her, moved on. She moved up beside Jonathon and asked him questions about what the men were doing and what the job involved. Jonathon patiently answered her questions. Over lunch, the men started a conversation with her, hesitantly at first, and then more comfortably when she responded with a smile and a few jokes.
By the time Alexandria returned to the ranch to speak with the men who were just stirring to switch shifts, she was feeling more confident about the task before her. Jonathon gathered the men up and Alexandria made the same offer to them that she had made to the others. All but one man stayed. She had lost a total of three men that day and knew they would have to be replaced.
“That didn’t go so bad,” she told Jonathon after the men had moved on.
“It didn’t,” he agreed, “you did well out there today.”
“Thank you,” she beamed.
“Do me a favor, Alexandria.”
“Sure,” Alexandria watched him expectantly.
“Watch yourself around Nick. I don’t want to scare you, but he makes me nervous, especially considering what happened with him before,” he gave voice to his concern.
“I plan to,” she assured him. “Thank you so much for your help, Jonathon.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” she invited.
“Home cooking, now how can I refuse that?” he asked with a wide smile. “Just between you and me, Mack does an okay job, but …” he let the sentence trail.
Alexandria smiled. “Come on, we’ll get Millie and Anna to feed us,” she led the way into the house.
Anna flushed and immediately began fidgeting as soon as Jonathon walked through the door. She spent the meal flirting mercilessly with Jonathon. Alexandria found it amusing.
***
Several mornings later, Alexandria dressed for work and joined Jonathon in the yard where he was waiting with their mounts. She felt sore as she moved off the porch; the last several days had been harder than she anticipated and when she returned home each evening she usually still had something waiting for her to go over in the office. Jonathon seemed to have picked up on her fatigue and had been very patient with her. His playful teasing and joking helped distract her as well. However, as much as she appreciated his saddling Spirit for her, she knew she should see to it herself. “You know, Jonathon, I don’t wish to sound ungrateful, but I do know how to saddle a horse,” she informed him.
Jonathon surveyed her a moment; she looked rather like a kid playing dress up.
“I know, but I don’t want to come in and find you buried under a saddle one morning,” his gaze again swept over her slim frame. He knew he shouldn’t tease her but after discovering how easy it was to get a reaction out of her he couldn’t seem to help himself; it was too much fun.
“Now wait a minute…”
“Tell me something,” Jonathon cut off her argument, “does your sister by chance have a crush on me
Similar Books
