Maverick Wild (Harlequin Historical Series) by Stacey Kayne Read Free Book Online Page A

reddish hair walked toward them, wiping her hands on a white apron tied at her waist.
    This is my competition? Wyatt hadn’t mentioned the splash of freckles on the woman’s face or her sturdy build. Pleasantly plump, thought Salina. The woman’s drab gray smock and black dress were similar to that of Salina’s housekeeper’s.
    “You must be Miss Tindale.” She hoped.
    “Yes.”
    Salina glanced back at Skylar and awaited her introduction.
    “Cora, this is our neighbor, Mrs. Salina Jameson, owner of the Lazy J ranch, just beyond the east end of our valley.”
    Salina flashed her best smile. “Charmed.”
    “Likewise,” Cora replied.
    “Cora is such a lovely name.”
    “Thank you. My condolences on your loss,” she said, glancing at her diamond wedding ring.
    “It was a shame,” she said, releasing a mournful sigh. Catching his wife at the peak of passion with a ranch hand had been too much for her late husband’s elderly heart. Had she realized such a scene would divest her of him so efficiently, she wouldn’t have waited four years before seducing Wyatt in the parlor.
    “Shall we sit?” Salina asked, making her way toward the furniture.
    Cora glanced at Skylar’s perplexed expression as Salina Jameson made herself at home. The young widow flounced onto one of the chairs. Light chiffon ruffles fluttered around her, the black mass emphasizing her tiny waist. The dress could hardly be referred to as widow’s weeds, the stiff bodice barely covered the ivory mounds being pressed toward the woman’s dainty chin. A black bonnet secured a bundle of cascading brown curls.
    Cora followed Skylar to the adjacent sofa and offered her arm for support as Skylar leaned back. She felt a twinge of caution as she seated herself across from the woman watching her with calculating brown eyes. Salina sat on the edge of her chair, her hands folded in her lap, her posture impeccably straight, as though she might spring up at any moment.
    “So,” Salina said, her voice dripping with sweetness, “how do you know the Morgans?”
    “My mother was married to their father for a short time during our childhood.”
    “Oh, so you’re related?”
    “No blood relation, of course. Two years after our parents wed, their father perished in the war. Chance and Tucker have stayed dear to my heart.”
    “And now you’ve come to Wyoming to settle close to your brothers—how lovely. I think you’ll find your chances of finding a husband greatly improved. Men around these parts aren’t so choosy.”
    Cora looked into Salina’s perfect smiling face and felt as though she were back in her mother’s house. Skylar leaned forward in a rush, clearly picking up on the barb, but Cora knew this game all too well. “How reassuring,” she said, patting Skylar’s arm as she returned Salina’s fake smile.
    “Indeed. And don’t feel as if you have to settle. I feel quite fortunate to be courted by Chance.”
    “Courted?” Skylar repeated. “I wasn’t aware.”
    “Yes, well. Chance is not much of a talker. Lately I’ve not seen as much of him as I would like.”
    “I think that’s wonderful,” Cora said, certain this announcement was for her benefit. “I was just telling Skylar today that I’d never had a sister. The prospect of having two is thrilling.”
    “I’ll anticipate seeing more of you, then,” said Skylar.
    “Seems a shame that in the three years we’ve been neighbors, this is your first formal visit.”
    “Truly,” Salina said, beaming. “I would love nothing more.”
    A side glance from Skylar told Cora she had her doubts.
    Boot steps pounded against the porch just before the front door burst open. Tucker stormed in as though he intended to foil a robbery. Chance walked in behind him. Both men stopped short as their gazes collided with Salina.
    “Salina,” said Tucker. “Is everything okay on your ranch?”
    Her gaze moved a bit frantically between the two, as though trying to distinguish one brother from