Ring of Fire Book Two of the McKay's by Rita Hestand Read Free Book Online Page B

know for sure. It's just when I came home, I realized I was happy here. I missed being here. It was like my life changed the moment I packed my bags and said goodbye to the University."
    "How can you pass such an education up?" he asked.
    "I haven't exactly passed it up. I can finish if I want to. It just won't be on a time schedule," Letty insisted. "Did you always want to be a cowboy?"
    "Yep. Always! "
    "Wow, such a positive answer."
    He shrugged and pulled her closer, relaxing against her. "My folks weren't too happy about it. But my grandmother understood. We were from a long line of cowboys. Most of my family though didn't want any part of it. They thought I was nuts for settling as they called it."
    "Do you have brothers and sisters?" she asked liking the way he cradled her in his arms and relaxed as though talking about the weather.
    "One brother, one sister, both out of state now with big careers and families," Hank informed her.
    "And your folks, have they gotten over the fact that this was your chosen profession?"
    "My folks died in an car accident, together. I was the youngest. Since my siblings were already grown and moved away, I decided to make my home here."
    "So…do you live with your grandmother now? " Letty pulled away from him to look at him in the eye.
    "On the weekends, yes. "
    "On the weekends? "
    "Well, during the week I stay at the bunk house, but on the weekends I go home. She's partially blind, so I take her to the store, and church and anywhere else she wants to go."
    "That's lovely, and that's where you go on the weekends. I wondered?" she asked. When his head twisted in question, she explained, "Well, I noticed you weren't on the property."
    "Oh… "
    "I'd love to meet her …sometime." Letty smiled.
    "You would?" he asked , startled by her admission.
    "Any reason I can't?" she asked.
    "Not that I can think of." He pulled her back into his arms.
    They slow danced for a long while, neither wanting to find a new partner.
    It was Kellie that brought her out of her stupor and insisted she throw the rice.
    Rice went everywhere and before long Julie was leaving with her husband. Kellie would be Letty's responsibility for the next week. Letty didn't mind, she had spent a lot of time getting to know Kellie and found the two of them had a lot in common. Kellie loved to ride and her new friend did too.
    Hank seemed to disappear after that and Letty didn't see him again until late that evening.
    She was walking up from the barn and saw him pulling out to go home , to his grandmother's.
    Letty waved , but Hank didn't see her.
    That night her and Kellie popped popcorn and talked about their male friends together.
    "So, you like Hank?" Kellie asked.
    "Let's say I'm interested…" She smiled as she brought the popcorn into the living room and they curled up on the couch, prepared to watch a good movie.
    "That's cool. I like Aiden too, only I'm too young to date yet." Kellie frowned. "At least that's what Mom says."
    "And she's right," Letty admitted then saw the frown on Kellie's face. "You've got plenty of time to decide who and how you want to date. Aiden is nice, and if he likes you too, you'll know it soon."
    "How? How does a girl know when a boy likes her?" Kellie asked , not shy about asking questions.
    "Hmmm, well, you can usually tell. If they sit by you every chance they get. If they call and talk to you on the phone. If they go to the same functions you go to. And sometimes they aren't timid and tell you so." Letty laughed.
    "Really?"
    "Really. You never want to act too anxious though. Play a little hard to get. Not too much, but a little ," Letty informed her.
    "How do I do that?" she asked innocently.
    "You don't jump the first time they ask. Let's just say…he asked you to sit by him in the cafeteria. You hesitate answering. And then give him a 'maybe'. That always gets to them. Makes them try harder to reel you in. Now, if he asks you to a dance, you accept, but on your terms. Like, he'd have to