Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) by Lisa Mondello Read Free Book Online

everything I know about the accident.”
    “You know where Cole is.”
    She sputtered and dug the pitchfork’s teeth into the dirt. “What makes you think that?”
    “You’re saying you don’t?”
    “I knew he was leaving. He didn’t tell me where he was going. I can’t help you.”
    “You expect me to believe that?”
    She lifted her head to look at him directly. She was no match for his height, but she had other assets that were just as intimidating. “I don’t expect you to believe anything, Jackson. In fact, believe whatever you want, even if it’s not the truth. I’m just telling you what I know.”
    “You're awfully pretty when you get riled up.” His voice was like a caress against her skin, soft and slow and tender. And when he spoke to her like that, she actually believed him.
    Damn him.
    “Save that for the pretty girls back home. It doesn’t work on me.” She gripped the pitchfork tighter, turned her back to him and walked away.
    “You think all that steam and fire you just threw at me is enough to get me to leave Liberty?”
    “One can hope.”
    “I’m not going anywhere, Libby.”
    “Fine. Do whatever you’d like,” she said, not turning back. “I have work to do.”
    * * *
    Jackson watched Libby as she stalked back toward the barn. Sashayed was more like it. He wondered if she even knew she was doing it. Or if it were natural. Did her hips sway like that whenever she was walking away or did she only do that when he'd gotten her riled up? A man could spend hours just wondering about this woman. And he was wasting a whole lot of time doing it.
    “You don’t have any other ranch hands here?” he called out to her.
    As she got to the barn door, Libby turned to him. “I thought we already established the size of this ranch. Cole was it. My father didn’t need anyone more than the three of us.”
    “So now you’re down two men.”
    “We’ve already established that, too.”
    She disappeared into the barn. Jackson followed her. He’d somehow put his foot in his mouth again where Libby was concerned. How that kept happening was a mystery to him.
    He found her in the first stall.
    “I just meant…you could use some help here.”
    She dug the pitchfork into the soiled hay in the stall and carried it to the waiting wheelbarrow without acknowledging him.
    “I’m going to be in town for a little while until I finish…filing my report.”
    Libby kept working. Lord, the woman was beautiful when she was irritated. And now she was irritating him.
    “I could help you.”
    She stopped dead in her tracks.
    “Are you kidding me?”
    “No.”
    “Why in hell’s blazes would I want you on this ranch?” Realization seemed to cross her face. “Oh, wait. You don’t want to help me at all.”
    He blinked his confusion. “I just offered, didn’t I?”
    “Yeah, but only so you can dig up dirt on Cole.”
    She may as well have stabbed him in the heart with her suspicion. “If digging up dirt is needed, then I’m happy to help you do it. But the offer was to help you with the chores. Libby I’ve come out to this ranch a few times and each time something more needs to be done. You’ve been out in the sun for I don’t know how long today but half the day isn’t even over you look like you’re about to topple over. You can’t do the work of three men all by yourself.”
    “If I have to, I can.”
    He shook his head, baffled by her stubbornness. “Hasn’t anyone ever offered genuine help to you before?
    She stared at him for a long time, weighing him, thinking. “I’m used to… It doesn’t matter. I didn’t realize you were serious.”
    “I am. To lose two people you care about so quickly and then be saddled with all this work is enough to break anyone. I can’t believe you haven’t had a neighbor or someone from town offer to help you out.”
    She sighed. “They have. I’ve said no. Despite what you think, I’m not saddled with anything here. Everything I do is a labor of