Once Upon a Cowboy by Day Leclaire Read Free Book Online Page B

mud. At least this time the coffee didn't break.
    Before she had a chance to move, let alone speak, the ranch house door slammed open and Gabby tumbled down the steps. "Couldn't help but notice what happened. And it's the strangest thing," he called as he trotted across the yard. "Just happened to have this extra thermos all ready to go."
    Cami gave a relieved sigh. "Thanks."
    "Quite a coincidence," Holt stated grimly.
    "Yeah, well." Gabby scowled at Cami. "I have a feeling we're in for a lot more such coincidences."
    He deposited the thermos in Holt's hands, snatched up the one lying on the ground and retreated toward the house. "Thought I'd fill in for Agnes 'til she returns. I'll make us a stack of my buckwheat flapjacks. You get along with the chores and I'll have the griddle sizzlin' hot when you're ready to eat."
    The door banged shut behind the foreman and Cami glanced at Holt. "Sorry about that," she murmured. "I guess you surprised me."
    "Likewise." A hint of irony crept into his voice. "It might be smart if you and I kept our distance."
    Cami eyed Holt speculatively. Maybe her reaction to her new boss—not to mention, his to her—hadn't been her imagination, after all. Maybe he had felt something when they'd touched. If it came close to what she'd felt, they'd both wandered into "deadly sin" territory. The question was... What did they plan to do about it?
    Granted, they could ignore it. But considering they'd be working side-by-side all summer might make that difficult. Even so, she didn't want to risk her job. Cowboying meant everything to her, even more than a certain irresistible ranch owner. And if steering clear of him meant fulfilling her dream, then that's just what she'd do. Maybe. If she could stop picturing him naked. The image of a devil and angel popped into her head. The angel attempted to push a naked Holt out of her right ear. The devil simply tried to climb aboard the man and take him for a test ride.
    Cami sighed. "Keeping our distance would be safer, that's for sure," she muttered.
    Amusement gleamed in his eyes. "Agreed." Turning away, he crossed to Petunia and checked her cinches. With a satisfied nod, he said, "Okay. Mount up. We'll go get the redondo." At her confused look, he explained, "The workhorses. We bring them in from the pasture and take a curry comb to them. Once that's done, we'll try Gabby's cooking."
    "And then?"
    His smile made her nervous. "And then we start work."
    * * *
    "Today, I'm going to take it easy on you," Holt announced.
    "That's what you said yesterday," Cami griped good-naturedly. "And now that I think about it, that's what you said the day before, too. Your taking it easy is liable to kill me deader than a cockroach beneath a flyswatter."
    "Ready to give up and go home?"
    "No way." She shifted in the saddle. "I gotta admit though, I have blisters in spots I didn't know I had skin to blister."
    He shot her a quelling look. "Real cowboys don't blister."
    "Maybe you should explain that minor detail to my tailbone." She grimaced. "Not that I'm complaining. If cowboys don't blister, I'll stop blistering. Any minute now." She peeked over her shoulder at the part of her planted in the saddle. "I hope."
    Holt cleared his throat. "About today's work."
    "Don't keep me in suspense. How are you taking it easy on me today?"
    "By riding fence."
    "Great." She glanced at him from beneath her hat brim. "Doesn't that hurt?"
    "Only when you sit down."
    A grin creased his lean face, causing her heart to stutter. That grin gutted her every single time. The devil and angel in her head commenced wrestling. She cheered on the angel, though perhaps not as enthusiastically as she should. But given the nature of that grin, who could blame her?
    "Come on. We've fence lines to check." He nudged Loco into a trot.
    The sun broke above the mountains before her, tinting the snow-topped peaks with varying shades of pink and purple. She caught up with him before he cleared the next rise. "I never