Flint by Fran Lee Read Free Book Online

hours.
    She was walking quickly back toward the house, and as he drew up beside her, he couldn’t miss the look of relief on her face. She sure as hell was man-shy. He stopped next to her, and leaned over to open the passenger door. “Hop in. It’s a long walk back to the house.”
    She managed to climb into the big truck without help, and as she settled the seat belt around her thin frame, he headed down the graveled road toward the ranch lane. “Did Dora get you something to eat?”
    “Yes, thanks. But I think she’ll be counting the silver. I get the feeling she thinks I’m some lost soul you dragged in. And I am…” her voice was low, and she looked out the window, so he barely heard her quiet statement.
    “She’s got a good heart, Lily. She’ll warm up to you soon.”
    She glanced back at him and smiled sadly. “So, what is this job you offered? I need to start paying my way.”
    Irritation flickered through him. He had only offered a job because he didn’t want her bailing on them on the drive home. But he could see she’d taken him seriously. “Depends on what you would like to do. I can have Dora set you to polishing and cleaning, or you could help with the horses. Do you ride?”
    Amber eyes brightened. “Not really. I was only on a horse once. But I’ve always wanted to learn. You would need someone who knows a lot more than me to help with your horses. But I can clean, do laundry, and I could maybe muck out stalls and such. I did that one summer right after dad died when I needed money for school clothes.”
    Flint came to a full stop where the gravel lane met the paved road. He met her earnest gaze and fought the crazy urge to drag her out of her seat and onto his lap. “You’ll be needing some work clothes if you plan to help out around the barns. Boots and jeans and flannel shirts. A hat to keep the sun from burning that white skin. Some work gloves.” He watched warm color rush from her collar to her cheeks, and wondered if that color reached her breasts. Shaking himself back to business, he swung the truck left on the paved lane, and headed toward the closest town that boasted a mercantile that sold what he needed.
    “Um…the house is back that way…” Lily glanced over her shoulder and then turned her gaze to him. I have jeans and a pair of hiking boots. I can make do.”
    “I’m sure you could, sweet thing, but you’ll need a few things, I’m sure. There’s a drug store and a mercantile in Beesford, just twenty-six miles from here. And I’ll be needing a few things, as well…”
    Like a couple boxes of condoms…
    He kept her busy answering inane questions about her mom and the house she had lived in, knowing that fertile mind was seeking any way out of letting him buy her things. And by the time he pulled up in an angled parallel parking spot in front of Lucky Bee Drugs and Sundries and slid out of the truck, she’d relaxed one hell of a lot. And he’d learned one hell of a lot. They walked through the old fashioned swinging half doors, and he gave her a gentle nudge toward the feminine products aisle while he headed on a beeline for the condom display, quickly grabbing several large boxes of Trojans Max, paying for them and having them bagged before she came up to the counter with her stuff. He saw her blush, and said to the clerk, “Just put it on my tab, Ellie. She’ll be working out at the ranch for a while. Send her on over to the mercantile when she’s done here.”
     
    As Lily set her box of tampons, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and a deodorant stick on the counter, the elderly woman began to ring them up. The faded blue gaze met hers, and when she blushed even deeper red, and asked where the condoms were, the woman grinned.
    “Flint just about bought out the store, sweetie…no need to worry about that.”
    Lily coughed and looked down, and accepted the bagged items with a whispered thank you.
    “Mercantile’s up the block that a way…” Ellie chuckled,