Silk and Spurs by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online Page B

the armoire that stood against the wall in front of her, but she didn’t really see anything but what was going on in her head.
    She couldn’t get the cowboy out of her mind.
    Damn it.
    Thoughts of Zane kept swirling through her… His sexy smile… The way he always looked at her with his intense blue eyes… The way he’d touched her on their picnic… Watching him work on the ranch, seeing him without a shirt and in his Wranglers and cowboy hat, laughing and talking with him.
    Every thought was about to drive her nuts.
    When the light was off, a pillow tucked under her head, she closed her eyes with intentions of blocking him from her thoughts and sleeping.
    As hard as she tried, he just wouldn’t leave her alone.
    She clenched her jaw and tossed and turned until she got comfortable. It was absolutely ridiculous to fall for someone so fast. She’d done the right thing in coming home and putting some distance between her and Zane.
    Then why did she feel like it wasn’t far enough?
    •  •  •
    Zane,
     
    Something has come up and I’m leaving for Tucson. I will arrange for another photographer to take my place.
     
    Thank you for your hospitality.
     
    Jessie
     
    After rereading it a third time, Zane folded the note and tucked it in his pocket, and stared out at the near darkness. It was just before sunrise, the false dawn edging the sky. He’d been about to go out and take care of early morning chores when he found the note addressed to him on the breakfast bar.
    It had felt like a punch to his solar plexus when he’d first read the note. She’d left. Damn it, she left.  
    He dragged his hand over his face. He’d fallen for her, and he’d fallen hard, no two ways about it. He loved her smile, the way she laughed, her sense of humor and her intelligence. Everything about her made him want her. Need her.
    No way in hell was he going to let Jessie get away from him.
    His gut told him that the reason she’d left was more than something having come up. Well, she might have had to leave, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t follow her. He wasn’t the kind of man who found something good only to let it slip through his fingers.
    He thought about calling her but it was too early in the morning. The best he could do for now was getting his chores done. Then he’d go after her.
     
    The phone rang in his ear as he tried Jessie’s cell phone number for the third time since coming back inside after getting his work done.
    “Answer,” he said as if that would get her to pick up the phone. “Answer, Jessie.”
    If she wasn’t going to answer or come back to the ranch, he would go to her.
    Danica. He would get Jessie’s address from her.
    “Hi, big brother,” Danica said when she answered her phone.
    “How’s New Mexico?” he asked.
    “Good.” He heard a smile in her voice. “I’ll be going home next week. What’s up?”
    He rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. “I need to get the photographer’s address from you.”
    “Jessie’s?” Danica sounded puzzled. “Isn’t she there?”
    “It’s a long story.” One he didn’t want to get into right now. “Do you have it?”
    “Sure,” she said. “I’ll text it to you.”
    “Owe you, kid,” he said.
    “I’m thirty.” She laughed. “One of these days you’re going to have to stop calling me kid.”
    “That’ll be the day,” he said. “See you when you get back.”
    “Bye,” she said before he disconnected the call.
    He didn’t have to wait long for the text from Danica with Jessie’s address. She lived in an apartment fairly close to the University of Arizona in Tucson.
    After taking care of a few things, he got into his truck, ready to make the drive. Before leaving he tried to call her, but again no answer, and he didn’t leave a message.
    With his jaw set, he took off toward Tucson with every intention of bringing Jessie back with him.
    •  •  •
    Jessie pushed her wet hair out of her face. She’d just