"Thank you."
"And rigid."
"Yes."
She rolled her eyes heavenward. "Adam's going to like you," she predicted.
"Why is that?"
"My brother shares your philosophy. I believe I drive him crazy sometimes. I'm sorry he worries so, but I can't help the way I am. When I look at my valley…"
She suddenly stopped. And then she started to blush.
"Yes?" he asked.
"You'll think I'm crazy."
"I won't."
She took a breath. "You may laugh if you want, but sometimes I feel a bond with the land, and if I'm real quiet and just let myself listen andfeel , I can almost hear her heart beating with life all around me." She watched him closely. He didn't smile, but she thought he looked as if he wanted to. She felt the need to defend herself.
"I thought you felt it too, Harrison. I'm still not so certain you…"
"Mary Rose, will you get moving? Honest to God, I've wasted the entire day waiting on you." Cole bellowed the order from behind. Mary Rose immediately nudged her mount forward.
"My brother doesn't have much patience for dillydallying. He's really very easygoing. He just likes to hide it."
That had to be the contradiction of the year. Harrison didn't think Cole had any patience at all. He found himself wondering why someone hadn't killed the man by now. Her brother wasn't just hot-tempered; he was also the most abrasive individual Harrison had ever come across.
And that seemed to be his better quality.
The youngest brother met them outside of the main barn but had to wait for an introduction. Harrison had already dismounted and was busy trying to talk MacHugh into going inside the stable. The stallion wasn't in the mood to cooperate. He reared up several times and then started snorting and stomping and slamming his head into Harrison's shoulder.
Harrison ordered MacHugh to behave. The animal must not have liked his tone of voice. MacHugh pushed him again, but put more muscle into it. Harrison landed on his backside in a cloud of dust. His lack of control over the animal was damned humiliating. Mary Rose was sympathetic. She kept pleading with her brothers to do something to help. They were smart enough to stay away from the beast. Douglas was smiling. He was polite enough not to laugh, even when Harrison landed on his backside a second time.
Cole wasn't as reserved. He laughed until tears came into his eyes. Harrison really wanted to kill him. He couldn't, of course, at least not if he wanted to stay for supper and find out who the hell these people really were. He had already figured out the redheaded brother standing behind Mary Rose was either Adam or Travis.
Cole's laughter caught his attention again. Perhaps Harrison could just put his fist through the obnoxious brother's face and, hopefully, break a few bones. What was the harm in that? It took all Harrison had not to give in to the urge. Reason prevailed. Mary Rose would probably get upset if he beat the hell out of her brother. She'd also realize he could take care of himself.
God, he hated that deception, and right this minute, he hated Cole Clayborne just as passionately.
Harrison had had enough of MacHugh's temper tantrum. He let the stallion win. He let go of the reins and walked over to the corral. MacHugh let out another loud snort, stomped around a bit, and then followed him.
The horse trotted into the center of the ring and stood as still as a stone while Harrison stripped him of his gear.
"If you jump the fence, MacHugh, you're on your own. You got that?"
"Harrison, come and meet Travis," Mary Rose called out.
"What kind of name is Harrison?" Travis asked in a voice loud enough for Harrison to hear.
"A family name," Harrison called back. He draped the saddle and the blanket over the fence, shut the gate behind him, and walked over to meet the youngest of Mary Rose's brothers.
"What kind of name is Travis? Irish?"
Travis smiled. "Could be," he replied in a gratingly cheerful tone of voice. What the hell kind of answer was that? He couldn't ask
"And rigid."
"Yes."
She rolled her eyes heavenward. "Adam's going to like you," she predicted.
"Why is that?"
"My brother shares your philosophy. I believe I drive him crazy sometimes. I'm sorry he worries so, but I can't help the way I am. When I look at my valley…"
She suddenly stopped. And then she started to blush.
"Yes?" he asked.
"You'll think I'm crazy."
"I won't."
She took a breath. "You may laugh if you want, but sometimes I feel a bond with the land, and if I'm real quiet and just let myself listen andfeel , I can almost hear her heart beating with life all around me." She watched him closely. He didn't smile, but she thought he looked as if he wanted to. She felt the need to defend herself.
"I thought you felt it too, Harrison. I'm still not so certain you…"
"Mary Rose, will you get moving? Honest to God, I've wasted the entire day waiting on you." Cole bellowed the order from behind. Mary Rose immediately nudged her mount forward.
"My brother doesn't have much patience for dillydallying. He's really very easygoing. He just likes to hide it."
That had to be the contradiction of the year. Harrison didn't think Cole had any patience at all. He found himself wondering why someone hadn't killed the man by now. Her brother wasn't just hot-tempered; he was also the most abrasive individual Harrison had ever come across.
And that seemed to be his better quality.
The youngest brother met them outside of the main barn but had to wait for an introduction. Harrison had already dismounted and was busy trying to talk MacHugh into going inside the stable. The stallion wasn't in the mood to cooperate. He reared up several times and then started snorting and stomping and slamming his head into Harrison's shoulder.
Harrison ordered MacHugh to behave. The animal must not have liked his tone of voice. MacHugh pushed him again, but put more muscle into it. Harrison landed on his backside in a cloud of dust. His lack of control over the animal was damned humiliating. Mary Rose was sympathetic. She kept pleading with her brothers to do something to help. They were smart enough to stay away from the beast. Douglas was smiling. He was polite enough not to laugh, even when Harrison landed on his backside a second time.
Cole wasn't as reserved. He laughed until tears came into his eyes. Harrison really wanted to kill him. He couldn't, of course, at least not if he wanted to stay for supper and find out who the hell these people really were. He had already figured out the redheaded brother standing behind Mary Rose was either Adam or Travis.
Cole's laughter caught his attention again. Perhaps Harrison could just put his fist through the obnoxious brother's face and, hopefully, break a few bones. What was the harm in that? It took all Harrison had not to give in to the urge. Reason prevailed. Mary Rose would probably get upset if he beat the hell out of her brother. She'd also realize he could take care of himself.
God, he hated that deception, and right this minute, he hated Cole Clayborne just as passionately.
Harrison had had enough of MacHugh's temper tantrum. He let the stallion win. He let go of the reins and walked over to the corral. MacHugh let out another loud snort, stomped around a bit, and then followed him.
The horse trotted into the center of the ring and stood as still as a stone while Harrison stripped him of his gear.
"If you jump the fence, MacHugh, you're on your own. You got that?"
"Harrison, come and meet Travis," Mary Rose called out.
"What kind of name is Harrison?" Travis asked in a voice loud enough for Harrison to hear.
"A family name," Harrison called back. He draped the saddle and the blanket over the fence, shut the gate behind him, and walked over to meet the youngest of Mary Rose's brothers.
"What kind of name is Travis? Irish?"
Travis smiled. "Could be," he replied in a gratingly cheerful tone of voice. What the hell kind of answer was that? He couldn't ask
Similar Books
