Noah by Kelli Ann Morgan Read Free Book Online Page B

reluctant
to spend any of it until he was good and married to a woman he loved. If that
woman was Kate, all the better.
    “Not that far off? I’m twenty-three.”
    The horse in the next stall nickered quietly
and stuck his head out over the short gate wall to say hello.
    Noah laughed and reached into his saddle bag
for another apple. He’d spotted a whole bushel at the livery in town and had
purchased some of them from the liveryman when he’d rented the buckboard this
evening.
    “Yes, you’re a right old man.” He held up the
lantern and placed the apple on his open palm. When the light-colored steed had
finished eating the treat, Noah rubbed the mount’s neck and face. “What a
beautiful horse. I’ve never seen one like him.”
    “And you probably won’t. Around here anyway,”
Levi said as he came closer.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, not that I’ve seen one as well-mannered
as this,” he reached up and scratched behind the horse’s jaw, “but if you ask
me, that’s an Arabian.”
    “How do you know?”
    “You remember when I told you about my kid
brother, Cole’s, new horse. Well, he saw one of these at auction just before I
left for Oregon. It was just a colt, but Cole fell in love. He was a sleek,
black color. Although, this one is lighter, he has the same characteristics as
Cole’s. He looks like a cross between a Quarter Horse and a mustang. See here,”
Levi pointed to the bulge on the horse’s forehead. “He’s an Arabian all right.”
    “Is he one of Kate’s?” Noah had worked with a
lot of horses—mustangs mostly, but this one seemed special somehow.
    “I’ve never seen him before. It’s more likely,
he belongs to Thomas.”
    “What’s a drover on a cattle run doing with a
horse like that?” Noah asked, wheels turning wildly in his head.
    “I don’t know, but it can’t be something good.”
    Noah’d had a bad feeling about the man from the
start. Now, that warning was amplified tenfold.
    “Shhhh.” Levi placed a finger over his mouth as
he pushed himself away from the beam in front of the tack room and leaned up
against the front door, peering out into the dark.
    Voices carried into the stable from the yard.
Noah immediately recognized the Irish lilt of Kate’s speech. He peeked around
the opposite side of the stable door to see Dell, Mr. Thomas, and Miss Callahan
walking toward the bunkhouse.
    He forced the sharp pang in his belly away as
he pulled back out of sight—not that they would be able to see him in this
light anyway.
    “You do like her,” Levi taunted.
    “Did you suspect it would be any different?”
Noah shook his head. “Aren’t you the one who brought me all the way out here
because you knew she was the kind of woman any man in his right mind would
want?”
    “Of course, I knew. I’m just glad to hear
you’re in your right mind.” Levi chuckled.
    Now that the horses had been taken care of,
Noah was ready to turn in for the night. He had already made a mental list of
things he needed to do in the morning—return the buckboard he’d rented from the
livery, ride the perimeter of the property, and observe the current workings of
the ranch. If he was going to make a difference here, he needed to know what he
was up against. Of course, he wouldn’t be good for anything tomorrow if he didn’t
get a decent night’s sleep.
    “Goodnight, Kate. Mr. Thomas.” The foreman’s
distant voice faded as he headed for the bunkhouse.
    Noah stuck his ear to the door. He didn’t want
to eavesdrop, but his gut told him not to leave this Thomas fella alone in the
dark with Kate. He took a deep breath, debating whether or not he should wait
for them to finish their conversation, but decided better of it. He stepped out
into the yard and strode toward the bunkhouse, Levi at his heels.
    “Why, Mr. Deardon.” Kate looked up at him as if
she were surprised to see him. “Is everything all right?” The moonlight spilled
down the side of her face, adding a