Montana Love: Multicultural Romance by Cassandra Black Read Free Book Online Page A

give him something to focus on besides missing them.
     
    Cynthia relaxed in the large wooden chair with her feet curled up watching them.  She could tell he was a good man, and so patient with Carson.  Enjoying every second of his company, she couldn’t deny the mounting physical attraction between them.
     
    Every once in a while, Dex would look up at her, curled sweetly up in the oversized chair. She was a beautiful woman; kind, thoughtful, and clearly smart. And the fact that his blood quickened every time he laid eyes on her could not be ignored.
     
    Beautiful. Exactly the kind of woman he’d like to have as his wife.
     
    Turning his attention back to Carson and the escaping chocolate puppy, Dexter reminded himself Cynthia was only in Cattlewood for a temporary visit, and then she’d be back to her life on the coast.
     
    Maybe he could change all that, he thought.
     
    Cynthia put her hand over her mouth and laughed out loud at the two of them trying to catch the wet puppy.
     
    Having so much fun, she was surprised when she realized she hadn’t even thought about logging on to check her email since yesterday evening.
     
    She also realized she hadn’t heard from Thelma, who hadn’t called to let her know they’d landed okay. She knew they had a lot of traveling. The first part of their trip ran from Billings to Portland. Then they had a quick layover in Portland before the connecting flight to Los Angeles for the night. Thelma had texted yesterday evening saying they’d arrived in LA just fine. She reminded her they had a red-eye from Los Angeles to the Republic of Fiji the next morning, so she wouldn’t call from California because it would be so early.  But she had said she would try to call once they actually arrived at the main airport in Fiji. After, they would have to take a tiny commuter plane over to the island. 
     
    Cynthia was a little worried because she hadn’t received the call letting her know they had ultimately arrived in Fiji.
     
    She tried to dismiss the thought, telling herself Thelma would call as soon as she got the chance. Cynthia focused her attention back on the two ‘men’ in the yard, both of whom had captured her heart in just a short period of time.
     
    ***
     
    After a little while, the puppy was clean, dry and fed, and Carson was rubbing his eyes.
     
    “Somebody’s tired,” Cynthia said as they climbed the steps to the house.
     
    “I sure am,” Dex exhaled before taking a seat in the chair next to her. “And exhausted is more like it.”
     
    “Not you silly,” Cynthia laughed, pointing at Carson. “Bud.”
     
    “I’m not tired,” Carson said, climbing up on Dex’s lap.
     
    “Oh yes you are,” Dex said. “It’s bath and bedtime for little boys.”
     
    “But I’m not tired,” Carson said, getting cranky.
     
    “Hey, what did I say?”
     
    “Bath … and bedtime,” the boy pouted.
     
    Dex eased Carson off his lap and stood up, getting ready to leave.  The boy folded his arms and poked out his bottom lip.
     
    Dex gave him a stern look. “Be a good boy for Miss Cynthia,” he instructed. “You’re a little man, remember?”
     
    Carson tried to cry.
     
    “Carson?”  Dex said. “Dry it up.”
     
    “I want mama.”
     
    “Carson, you’re a big boy, remember?”
     
    The boy sucked his breath and tried hard not to cry. “But I don’t want you to go.”
     
    “I’ll be back tomorrow,” Dex reached down to give him a pound.
     
    The child finally stuck put out his little fist to return the pound.
     
    Dex tousled his hair and winked.  “That a boy,” he said.
     
    Cynthia knelt and dabbed at the crocodile tears getting ready to spill from his lids. “It’s alright, I’ll read you a story,” she said, rubbing his mass of brown hair as she stood up.
     
    She motioned to Dex that they would be okay.  She understood what Carson was feeling because she didn’t want Dex to leave either, but for different reasons.
     
    “Thank