Michael's father by Dallas Schulze Read Free Book Online Page B

wouldn't notice the odd little break in her voice.
    **Uh-huh." He nodded, his eyes going over her in a look reminiscent of the one the big bad wolf must have given Little Red Riding Hood right before gulping her down, red cape and all. "If you need anything, just give a whistle."
    The offer might have been tongue-in-cheek but the look in his eyes said he wouldn't have any objection if she took him up on it.

    "I, ah, doubt Fll need anything." Her voice shook and she swallowed to steady it. "Good night."
    •'Goodnight."
    How was it possible for him to send shivers down her spine with even the most prosaic of words? she wondered despairingly. Megan felt those green eyes watching her as she pushed open her door.
    She couldn't resist the urge to glance at him as she stepped into her room. Their eyes met for an instant and she thought it was almost possible to see the electricity that arced between them.
    And then she shut the door and leaned against it, her knees as weak as if she'd just climbed twenty flights of stairs.

    Chapter 4
    JAj&l had heard it said that you should never marry someone until you'd seen them first thing in the morning, before they'd had their first cup of coffee. He understood the thinking. If you woke up slowly, it would be wise to know if you were about to make a lifetime commitment to someone who bounded from bed singing the joys of the day.
    Colleen had been known to threaten dismemberment for anyone foolish enough to smile at her before she'd been up at least an hour. His ex-wife had rarely left their bed much before noon, only one of many ways in which she'd failed to make the adjustment to ranch hfe.
    Ranching tended to make a morning person out of even the most confirmed night owl. There was simply too much to be done to allow precious daylight hours to sUp by. Getting up at dawn was normal for him, but

    he hadn't expected his new housekeeper to do the same.
    Kel was mixing eggs and milk into a bowl of pancake mix when Megan entered the kitchen. He looked up, his first reaction surprise, his second the surge of hunger that was rapidly becoming familiar. It was the first time he'd seen her with her hair loose. She'd caught it back from her face with a pair of tortoise-shell combs and then let it fall in pale gold waves to just below her shoulders. He had the immediate urge to slide his fingers through it, to see if it was as soft as it looked.
    "Good morning." A faint, sleepy huskiness lingered in her voice.
    **'Morning. There's coffee," he added, nodding to the coffeemaker.
    **Is there a horse in it?" she asked.
    **A horse?" His eyebrows climbed in question. Then he remembered their first conversation about how strong Westerners liked their coffee. He grinned. "Barely strong enough to float a small horseshoe," he told her.
    "Not much reassurance." But she took a cup from the wooden cup rack that sat beside the coffeemaker. Megan's delicate shudder as she sipped the thick black brew made Kel's smile widen.
    "This tastes like there's a horse actually in it," she muttered.
    "Cream in the fridge," he suggested as he finished stirring the pancake batter. "You want some pancakes?"

    "I'm supposed to be the one cooking for you," Megan said as she took the carton of cream from the refrigerator.
    "Not breakfast." He flicked water onto the big cast-iron griddle that rested across two of the stove's burners. The droplets sizzled and bounced, vanishing in a heartbeat. "There's plenty of batter."
    "Okay. I usually make do with toast and tea. I haven't had pancakes in ages." He was aware of her watching him as he used a measuring cup to dip batter onto the hot griddle.
    "Ranch breakfasts tend to be on the hearty side," he said, nodding his head to where half a dozen sausages sizzled on another burner. "It's a long time between now and lunch."
    "Colleen said you couldn't cook," Megan commented, watching as he flipped the pancakes at just the right moment.
    "I can't. But Aunt Jemima does a fine job." He nodded to