Forbidden Entry by Sylvia Nobel Page A

and winked. I’d already told them all about my nemesis—the busty, dark-haired woman who had unsuccessfully pursued Tally for thirty years. I’m positive she’d intended to ensconce herself at the ranch after the death of his wife, but then I’d unexpectedly entered the picture and thwarted her plans. However, I had to give her credit for being tenacious. She’d cleverly befriended Ronda and even gone so far as to board her horse at the Starfire thereby giving her a ready excuse to hang around. More recently, she’d hooked up with one of the new ranch hands, but I wondered if their relationship was genuine or merely a smokescreen so she could continue stalking Tally.
    She issued us what I recognized as a synthetic smile and insisted that I introduce her to each family member. I did so reluctantly. “Well, folks, we’re mighty glad to have you join us for breakfast at the Iron Skillet!” Leaning over, she provocatively flaunted ample cleavage while passing menus all around. “We got the best food in town and I highly recommend our award-winning biscuits and gravy.”
    Dad made a monumental effort to stay focused on her face as he laid his menu down on the red vinyl tablecloth. “Sounds good. I’ll take you up on that.”
    Her attempt to ingratiate herself with my family really pissed me off and I glared daggers at her when she crooned, “Kendall, it’s always so great to see you!” The glint of malice in her dark eyes negated her syrupy demeanor. Redirecting her attention to the others she asked sweetly, “Coffee, anyone?”
    I knew her too well. She could go from zero to bitch in five seconds. Fuming inwardly, I forced a congenial tone. “Coffee for everyone, thanks.”
    â€œOh, and I’ll have a double…I mean, a big glass of orange juice, please,” Sean murmured, his mesmerized gaze zeroed in on her enormous breasts. I could just picture her in the kitchen gathering those puppies together, pushing them up and then pulling her top down for maximum effect. Insufferable cow. As she slinked away from the table, waving her substantial behind at us, I turned and caught my mother’s narrowed look of disapproval and my dad’s expression of suppressed amusement.
    â€œOh man!” Sean whispered, mischief dancing in his eyes. “She is just like you described her…only better! Please tell me those Winnebagos are real.”
    â€œApparently they are,” I answered dryly. “Try to maintain, okay? And for your information, baby brother, she’s a good ten years older than you are.”
    â€œWhatever. For a cougar, she’s smokin’ hot.”
    I made a face at him. “Shut up.”
    My mother glowered at him. “Sean, really? Is this any kind of conversation to be having at the breakfast table?”
    â€œJust asking,” he replied, feigning innocence. “You gotta admit they were hard to ignore.”
    â€œWell, you shouldn’t have been staring,” she snapped, her lips pinched white with irritation. “Can’t you see that’s very demeaning to women?”
    Sean eyed her with incredulity. “If she didn’t want me to notice her ginormous boobs she wouldn’t have put ’em right out there.”
    â€œGinormous?” she repeated sarcastically. “What kind of stupid language is that anyway? Is it even a proper word?”
    Being a language arts professor, she’d always been a stickler for correct grammar usage, and it was obvious Sean was deliberately baiting her. Ever the peacemaker, my dad intervened with a soft sigh of exasperation. “Enough. Sean, stop goading your mother and Alana, we’re all aware of how important the women’s rights baloney is among your fellow professors on campus, so can you two please knock it off?”
    Hiding her annoyance, my mother fluffed her ash blonde hair looking chastened, but Sean’s eyes