Samantha and the Cowboy by Lorraine Heath Read Free Book Online Page B

a circle. “We’re gonna start moving them in closer to each other, preparing to bed them down for the night.” He nodded toward the west. “Be twilight soon, and we can relax a little.”
    Relax. She thought of relaxing at home, sitting before the hearth, curled up with a good book. Her family owned only six, but she never tired of reading them. She alwaysnoticed something new in the story, some small thing she might have overlooked the first time.
    It took them close to an hour to get the herd settled. At the camp, Sam turned Cinnamon over to the wrangler who would see to the horse’s needs until Sam needed the mare for her watch later that evening.
    Standing beside her, Matt pulled his bandanna down. Dirt was embedded within the creases of his face and the corners of his eyes, but the bandanna had done its job well and kept the lower portion of his face safe from dust. Sam smiled brightly.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” he asked.
    â€œYou look like a pesky raccoon.”
    â€œI can be downright pesky when I want to be. Guess I was this morning when I found out that I had to ride with you. Come on, I’ll make it up to you.”
    He took off at a fast clip. She fell into step beside him. “Where are we going?”
    â€œTo relax a little, like I promised.”
    They wended their way through the thick copse of oak trees.
    â€œWhat did you think of herding cattle?” Matt tossed over his shoulder.
    â€œIt was fun.”
    Matt stopped in his tracks and faced her, boring his gaze into hers. When he wasn’t angry, he had the prettiesteyes, with long, dark lashes sweeping around them. For a minute, Sam wished she wasn’t wearing her brother’s old shirt and britches. She wished she were wearing a pretty dress. Only if she were, he’d figure out in a heartbeat that she was a girl.
    â€œTruthfully,” he prodded.
    She exhaled. “Kinda boring.”
    His mouth did that little quiver as though he was contemplating grinning, but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.
    â€œThat’s the cattle business. Days of boredom, interspersed with a few minutes of excitement.” He continued trudging forward.
    â€œWhen do we get the excitement?” Sam asked.
    â€œWhen the cattle stampede.”
    Faltering, she almost tripped over an exposed root. “Stampede?”
    â€œYep. Longhorn cattle stampede at just about anything: twig snapping, lightning flashing, thunder rolling. It doesn’t take much. When that happens, you just ride the perimeter and stay out of their way.”
    When? Not if. “You ever been on a trail drive when they didn’t stampede?”
    â€œNope.”
    He came to a halt. Beyond him, a river flowed. The shade from the trees lining the bank rested gently on thebrown water. She watched in amazement as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. He had broad shoulders. The muscles across his bronzed chest rippled with his movements.
    Lifting a foot, he hopped while he pulled off a boot. “Come on,” he ordered.
    â€œCome on?” she repeated.
    He tugged off the other boot. “Get your clothes off.”
    Before she knew what he intended, he shucked off his britches, baring his backside and anything else she cared to look at. Sam spun around, her cheeks flaming with the heat of embarrassment. Her breath came in short little gasps.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” he asked.
    She shook her head wildly. When Nate was small, she used to help her mother give him a bath. But her younger brother certainly didn’t resemble Matt. Matt’s body was that of a man, not a baby. And there was a world of difference between the two.
    â€œAre you modest?” Matt asked, clearly baffled by her behavior.
    When she didn’t answer, he laughed. Actually laughed. His low-pitched rumble echoed between the trees, circled on the breeze, touched her heart. How long had it been since she’d heard