Cowboy's Bride by Barbara McMahon Read Free Book Online Page A

careful way she was
walking, sitting. She was feisty, his Kalli.
    His Kalli?
    Hell.
    He snatched his hat and stormed from the
kitchen. She wasn't his. And he didn't want her, except maybe for a
roll in the hay. She would be leaving soon, he'd make damn sure of
that.
    Kalli scraped the dishes and soaked than in a
sink full of water. She took the aspirin and grabbed her hat.
Slowly walking to the barn, she tried to loosen her muscles. Maybe
a longer soak in the tub last night would have helped. She'd been
so smug about her riding yesterday. But it was obvious now that a
couple of hours a week of riding in Boston had not prepared her for
endless hours each day on a horse in Wyoming.
    She took a deep breath. She would not let
these men know how much she hated riding with them today. She'd
keep up with them if it was the last thing she did! There was no
way she'd give Trace an opening to comment on her unsuitability,
much as he might enjoy it.
    Jose and Josh had their horses saddled and
Trace was just finishing with hers. She smiled at the men, struck
by the odd atmosphere. The two cowboys appeared almost awkward.
They tipped their hats and greeted her quietly, sending a sidelong
glance to Trace. He ignored them, tightening the cinch and flipping
the stirrup down.
    "Need a hand?" he asked as Kalli stepped up
beside the sorrel gelding.
    The first thing she was going to do when she
was more comfortable with being in charge was get a mounting block.
Trace wouldn't be here every time she wanted to ride. She had to be
self-sufficient. Though she wondered how she'd ever manage to toss
the heavy saddle on a horse as high as this one.
    "Please."
    Trace watched her reach up for the saddle
horn and took her foot when she stepped into his laced hands. Her
hand burned into his shoulder as she steadied herself, holding on
as if for dear life. For a long moment, time was suspended as she
hovered between earth and horse, between today and yesterday. He
found himself staring into her dark eyes. When his gaze dropped to
her mouth, he remembered the sweet taste. He saw her draw a deep
breath and hesitate. Flicking a quick glance to the others, he was
relieved to see they were talking and not watching Kalli mount.
    "Get on the horse, Kalli," he said in a low,
hoarse whisper.
    She scrambled for her seat, the heat that
flooded her erasing the aches and pains of her sore muscles. She
settled her hat in an effort to cover up the embarrassment she felt
at Trace's knowing look. A quick glance at Jose and Josh assured
her they had noticed nothing. Mounted and ready to ride, they sat
easily in their saddles, talking quietly.
    The quartet moved out of the barn and to the
east, picking up the pace as soon as they cleared the yard. Kalli
clenched her teeth to keep back the groan she longed to give voice
to. She could only hope that exercise would be the way to loosen
the muscles and ease the pain.
    No one spoke as the horses loped across the
early morning dew. The grass was green and lush, the sky a clear,
deep blue, and behind them the granite spires of the Tetons shone
like sparkling diamonds in the sun's rays.
    Kalli looked around her in delight. It was a
perfect day and she was on her own ranch. Did life get any
better?
    By late morning they had ridden the perimeter
of two large sections, surveying all the fencing, getting a rough
count of the cattle grazing, checking the watering holes, the ponds
and the Snake River, which touched the property in a couple of
places. These sources gave unlimited water to her cattle. The banks
were checked for winter damage, but found to be sound.
    Kalli rode for a while with Jose and found
out that, despite his Spanish name, he was third-generation
Wyomingite and never had any desire to see the rest of the
world.
    Mid-morning she traded places with Trace and
partnered Josh. He was from California, had grown up on cattle
ranches and then followed the rodeo circuit. When she found that
out, she questioned him excitedly. He