his Wall Street facade Wade yearned to cut loose and score. So why the cold shoulder? Maybe she’d read too much into a kiss she’d been aching for since they’d first met.
What did the kiss mean to you, Sam?
Nothing, her conscience protested.
Everything, her heart confessed.
When was the last time she’d felt the press of a man’s mouth against hers? Two years ago with Bo.
She’d lived on a ranch all her life surrounded by ranch hands and rodeo cowboys. She adored strong, brooding men. Then she’d discovered not all cowboys walked the walk or talked the talk. Bo had taught her that she was only lovable when she didn’t forget or mess up.
Wade’s different.
Of course, he wasn’t a cowboy. The more she hung around him the less she worried about her memory lapses. Wade was special—no one would convince her otherwise.
Yesterday when Matt’s friends had poked fun at his skills with a shovel, Wade had laughed at himself right along with the others. Undeterred by the ribbing, he’d done more than his fair share of grunt work, earning the men’s respect. From the beginning, Sam had believed digging a well by hand was a waste of time, but she found Wade’s willingness to risk ridicule in order to save her money sweet and endearing.
“Hi, Miss Samantha.” Luke had awoken from his nap beneath the hackberry tree and stood rubbing his sleep-swollen eyes. Her heart melted at the vulnerable picture he made—hair smashed down on one side of his head, shirt wrinkled and shoes untied. The boy looked anything but a genius.
“Mornin’, buster.” Then she added. “Why don’t you call me Miss Sam. It’s shorter.”
“Dad says I have to be polite.”
She resisted the urge to push his slipping glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Miss Sam is polite.”
“If you say so.” He shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare. “Where’s my dad?”
“Over there.” She pointed to the paddocks where the men were taking a break.
“I promised Dad I’d help.”
“You are helping,” Sam insisted.
“I am?”
“You’re keeping Millicent company.”
“But I was sleeping.”
“Watching you sleep makes her feel useful.” When he scrunched his nose, she added, “Millicent doesn’t have any family so she gets lonely.”
“What happened to her family?”
“Her husband died in World War II and her son left home years ago. She never remarried, so she’s been alone for a long time.”
Luke scuffed the toe of his shoe in the dirt. “My mom says Dad’s never gonna marry again.”
Oh, really? “Why does she say that?” As soon as Sam asked, she wished she hadn’t. Yes, she was nosy but she doubted Wade would appreciate his son sharing personal information.
“Mom says Dad’s a dunce.” Luke squinted at Sam. “I don’t get it because my dad’s really smart.”
Sam suspected the chemistry had waned between the couple because Sam found nothing duncey about Wade or his kisses. “Your father is brilliant and you know what?”
“What?”
“He told me you were smarter than him. He’s proud of you.”
Luke’s shoulders straightened. “School’s easy.”
Sam wished she felt the same way about learning.
“I remember all the stuff I read. Do you?”
“My memory isn’t that good, but I make lots of notes so I won’t forget.”
“If you want, you can tell me stuff and I’ll remember for you.”
Tears burned Sam’s eyes as she hugged the boy. “That’s nice, Luke. Thank you.”
“Go ahead. I’m ready,” he said.
“Ready for what?”
“To remember stuff for you.”
Sam pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at the boy’s earnest expression. After a minute she said the first thing that popped into her mind. “I need to call the local veterinarian and ask him to stop by the ranch.”
“Why?”
“He’ll tell me what supplies to stock the barn with for the rescued horses.”
“You’re gonna rescue horses?”
“Yep.”
“What are you rescuing them from?”
Bad
What did the kiss mean to you, Sam?
Nothing, her conscience protested.
Everything, her heart confessed.
When was the last time she’d felt the press of a man’s mouth against hers? Two years ago with Bo.
She’d lived on a ranch all her life surrounded by ranch hands and rodeo cowboys. She adored strong, brooding men. Then she’d discovered not all cowboys walked the walk or talked the talk. Bo had taught her that she was only lovable when she didn’t forget or mess up.
Wade’s different.
Of course, he wasn’t a cowboy. The more she hung around him the less she worried about her memory lapses. Wade was special—no one would convince her otherwise.
Yesterday when Matt’s friends had poked fun at his skills with a shovel, Wade had laughed at himself right along with the others. Undeterred by the ribbing, he’d done more than his fair share of grunt work, earning the men’s respect. From the beginning, Sam had believed digging a well by hand was a waste of time, but she found Wade’s willingness to risk ridicule in order to save her money sweet and endearing.
“Hi, Miss Samantha.” Luke had awoken from his nap beneath the hackberry tree and stood rubbing his sleep-swollen eyes. Her heart melted at the vulnerable picture he made—hair smashed down on one side of his head, shirt wrinkled and shoes untied. The boy looked anything but a genius.
“Mornin’, buster.” Then she added. “Why don’t you call me Miss Sam. It’s shorter.”
“Dad says I have to be polite.”
She resisted the urge to push his slipping glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Miss Sam is polite.”
“If you say so.” He shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare. “Where’s my dad?”
“Over there.” She pointed to the paddocks where the men were taking a break.
“I promised Dad I’d help.”
“You are helping,” Sam insisted.
“I am?”
“You’re keeping Millicent company.”
“But I was sleeping.”
“Watching you sleep makes her feel useful.” When he scrunched his nose, she added, “Millicent doesn’t have any family so she gets lonely.”
“What happened to her family?”
“Her husband died in World War II and her son left home years ago. She never remarried, so she’s been alone for a long time.”
Luke scuffed the toe of his shoe in the dirt. “My mom says Dad’s never gonna marry again.”
Oh, really? “Why does she say that?” As soon as Sam asked, she wished she hadn’t. Yes, she was nosy but she doubted Wade would appreciate his son sharing personal information.
“Mom says Dad’s a dunce.” Luke squinted at Sam. “I don’t get it because my dad’s really smart.”
Sam suspected the chemistry had waned between the couple because Sam found nothing duncey about Wade or his kisses. “Your father is brilliant and you know what?”
“What?”
“He told me you were smarter than him. He’s proud of you.”
Luke’s shoulders straightened. “School’s easy.”
Sam wished she felt the same way about learning.
“I remember all the stuff I read. Do you?”
“My memory isn’t that good, but I make lots of notes so I won’t forget.”
“If you want, you can tell me stuff and I’ll remember for you.”
Tears burned Sam’s eyes as she hugged the boy. “That’s nice, Luke. Thank you.”
“Go ahead. I’m ready,” he said.
“Ready for what?”
“To remember stuff for you.”
Sam pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at the boy’s earnest expression. After a minute she said the first thing that popped into her mind. “I need to call the local veterinarian and ask him to stop by the ranch.”
“Why?”
“He’ll tell me what supplies to stock the barn with for the rescued horses.”
“You’re gonna rescue horses?”
“Yep.”
“What are you rescuing them from?”
Bad
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