Expecting the Rancher's Heir by Kathie DeNosky Read Free Book Online Page B

“I’ve seen happier faces on condemned felons.”
    â€œThe sun was in my eyes,” she said, hoping he would drop the matter.
    â€œIf you say so.” His expression told her that he wasn’t buying her excuse, but to her relief, he let it go.
    She didn’t want to discuss the unreasonable demands Donald Jarrod had placed on his children. It was something she had spent her entire adult life trying to forget and she certainly didn’t want to ruin an otherwise glorious day thinking about her childhood. Besides, she didn’t know Shane well enough to share the dirt on a family that, up untilher father’s death and the subsequent discovery that she had an illegitimate half sister, had an impeccable reputation.
    They rode in companionable silence for some time before he pointed to the river. “As soon as we go around this bend, you’ll see Rainbow Falls just off to the right.”
    Riding side by side once they cleared the tree line, Melissa’s attention once again turned to Shane. He was an expert horseman and handled the stallion with ease. But aside from admiring the way he sat the horse, she simply loved watching him.
    With his black Resistol pulled down low on his brow to shade his eyes and a day-old growth of beard, he looked a little wild, possibly dangerous and totally delicious.
    A tremor coursed through her and she had to re mind herself that lusting after the man was not conducive to getting her life back under control. Not only had she become pregnant because of it, the physical attraction she had for him was in danger of transforming into something deeper, something more meaningful.
    Even though what she felt for him was probably nothing more than a temporary infatuation, in the end it could still do a lot of emotional damage and leave behind some deep long-lasting scars.
    As devastatingly handsome and charming as Shane was, he just wasn’t the type of man for her. He had the reputation of moving from one woman toanother, leaving a string of broken hearts in his wake. Given the circumstances they found themselves in now, that was one complication she could definitely do without.
    He had made it clear right up front that he wasn’t looking for a lasting commitment. Neither was she. She had her own business in California and she might be returning to her life there once the year required to obtain her inheritance was over. She’d reasoned that it was better not to look for anything deeper than a casual relationship until she had decided what she was going to do. After witnessing what some of her friends went through as they tried to maintain long-distance commitments, she had quickly decided it wasn’t for her. Things never seemed to work out, and the hurt and disillusionment that went along with a breakup was something she definitely wanted to avoid.
    Besides, she hadn’t really taken Shane’s proposal seriously. That’s why she had dismissed outright his outrageous suggestion that they get married. It had to have been a knee-jerk reaction to the startling news, and once he had more time to think about it, she was certain he would see reason. He would probably even be relieved that she’d had the foresight to turn him down.
    The sound of rushing water brought her out of her disturbing introspection and, looking up, Melissa realized they had ridden around the bend in the riverand arrived at Rainbow Falls. It was everything Shane had told her and more.
    Cascading from the ridge high above, the water fell a good seventy-five feet onto the massive boulders below, then slowing, it formed the lazy river that meandered across the valley floor. What caught and held her attention more than anything was the faint rainbow caused by the sun reflecting off the mist created by the falling water.
    â€œIt’s absolutely beautiful,” she said, understanding why it had been named Rainbow River.
    â€œI was pretty sure you would like it.” She