Knight in a White Stetson by Claire King Read Free Book Online Page A

gunned the pickup. “You’re welcome, you pissant,” he called through the open window.
    Henry raked his fingers through his hair and stared after Lester’s pickup. Then he turned to look at Calla. Hay was sticking every which way out of her clothes and she was trying to tuck her hair back into its ponytail. His mouth went slack at the sight of her. Blood and desire still pounded heavily through his body. He was so hard, he ached.
    She walked determinedly past him.
    “I heard,” she said, not looking at him. He reached out to catch her arm, but she twisted out of his grip. “Don’t do that.”
    Calla jumped the low wood fence that separated the stack yard from the road and walked across to the main compound. She reached the driveway just as Clark pulled up in a sports car. Henry stood in the stack yard and glowered at her. He couldn’t seem to move. Calla stood stiffly next to the little car until Dartmouth managed to untangle his skinny legs and step out onto the gravel drive.
    Her boyfriend— Henry’s hands clenched as the word passed through his thoughts—kissed Calla dutifully on her mouth, her beautiful, well-kissed, delicious mouth, and then said something into her ear. Henry watched Calla as she began to furiously brush the hay from her clothes.

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    Chapter 6
    « ^ »
    ” S o Dad and I wrapped it up last night and I decided to take the first morning flight out to see my little cowgirl, here.” Clark reached out and patted Calla possessively on her rump. She jumped a little, nearly dropping the stack of dirty plates she was carrying to the sink.
    Henry’s fingers tightened around the short glass of whiskey he was holding. Too bad she didn’t drop ‘em, he thought. Right onto Dartmouth’s sorry lap.
    Henry was well on his way to drunk, and he knew it. He couldn’t remember the last time … yes, he could. He’d drunk himself to a stupor the night Heidi left him. It was the least he could do in honor of his short and wretched marriage. He raised the glass to his lips and drained the last of the liquor. And glared gloomily at Dartmouth.
    “You have a good trip?” Jackson inquired politely of Clark. He stepped over to the counter, retrieved the whiskey bottle and poured a healthy amount of the amber liquid into Henry’s glass. Calla’s eyes flew to her father in wide astonishment
    “Very good.” Clark was smiling broadly. Henry wondered with scientific precision just how many of those capped teeth he could take out with one punch. “Dad and I made an offer on a piece of property out in the Hamptons. I think I told you about it, didn’t I, honey?”
    Calla raised her eyebrows at him from where she stood at the sink. Honey? Clark had never called her honey. It sounded almost as silly as cowgirl.
    He’d also never patted her bottom. Bottom patting was a new and irritating affectation. She wondered if Clark’s friendliness had anything to do with the glowering, half-drunk Neanderthal facing him across the table.
    “Uh, yeah. The golf course?” Everyone glanced politely in her direction except Henry, who continued his grim evaluation of Clark.
    A freshly showered and shaved Henry had shown up on the kitchen stoop just as Calla, Clark, Jackson and Helen were about to sit down to a steak dinner. Lord knew where old Lester was. Calla had recovered from that amazing … whatever it was … out in the stack yard, barely, and wasn’t thrilled to see Henry and his hearty appetite show up for dinner. But she wasn’t exactly surprised, either. Now she regretted not slamming the door in his face before Jackson had had time to cheerfully invite him to join them.
    “Much more than a golf course, dearest,” Clark replied indulgently. Dearest? “We’ll have housing developments and two separate clubhouses, a small greenbelt and a strip mall with the highest quality shops and restaurants. All very posh. Dad and I were thrilled. It took a lot of wheeling and dealing, and of course I resent every minute I