The Cowboy's Girl Next Door: A BWWM Cowboy Romance by Monica Castle Read Free Book Online Page B

clear of him as best they could. Lacey had come closest to brokering a truce, finally getting Jess to agree to take Clyde’s daughter, Patricia, on a date  to see if they’d hit it off. They did, for a while, but Jess quickly figured out that the girl was more interested in getting to the city than staying on the ranch, and that was the end of that. Nope, the only way to get past Clyde Halloram’s wrath was to outlive him, and that was what Jess intended to do.
     
    He wanted to talk to Claire. He thought if they could talk, now that she’d perhaps calmed down, they could settle this between them, but his lawyer insisted that he leave her alone. Jess couldn’t help himself, though, from peering in on her whenever his work took him onto the part of the property that ran alongside Heart’s Home, a circumstance that Jasper remarked seemed ridiculously frequent of late. Sometimes he’d catch a glimpse of her out riding Thalia or Calliope; other times, he’d see her and her mother drive past the front of the ranch on their way into town, the sleek black sedan out of place in the rural landscape.
     
    He thought about her in the tack room, too, remembering the straining muscles of her arms and shoulders as she snapped the leather strap taut. Sometimes he allowed himself the pleasure of lingering over her image in his memory, the dark curly ponytail swaying as she tugged the leather, brushing back and forth over her smooth dark skin.
     
    At night, he would dream of her riding free in the fields and pastures and sometimes he’d dream that he was there, too. He’d wake in sweat and groan from the frustration of this woman who’d destroyed the peace of his days.
     
    On the day of the hearing, he dressed carefully, choosing a trim navy suit, crisp white shirt, and burgundy tie. He wore his best boots, black and polished. He’d had Jasper cut his hair, too, at Lacey’s insistence, and when he looked in the mirror, he thought that he’d easily fit into the sort of firm Claire had worked in prior to her move, except, of course, for his choice of footwear.
     
    He stopped in the kitchen for a cup of coffee and toast before he left. Lacey was working on the ranch’s books, and she let out a whistle as she peered at him over the top of her reading glasses. “Looking good, little brother. Too bad ol’ Halloram’s already married.” She chuckled, amused by herself, then added, “Or maybe you’re hoping for a settlement from our new neighbor?” Lacey removed her glasses and stared at him.
     
    “Whatever you do, try to make amends. I’m dying to actually meet her, and Cella hasn’t been able to talk to Pauline for days, now that she’s working at Heart’s Home.” She rose and walked over to adjust Jess’s tie and brush some crumbs from his jacket. “She’s gonna be here for a long time, so make this right.”
     
    Jess scowled. “She’s the one who refuses to settle, not me.” He finished the coffee and placed the cup in the sink. “Still, big sister, I’ll do my very best. I know you’re dying to find out more about her to share with your buddies at church.” He winked at her surprised expression, put on his hat, grabbed his keys, and left the house.
     
    The drive to the courthouse took about thirty minutes, and during that time, he thought about what he’d done wrong. Yes, he could have done a better job of securing Horatio, but the horse was going to get what he wanted; the damage to the corral was plenty enough evidence of that, and yes, he shouldn’t have made light of the incident.
     
    After all, Claire had invested a great deal in her horses and the ranch, and to have such an unfortunate welcome to Kerrville must have thrown her.
     
    Deep down, though, he knew that the real offense had come from his implication that Horatio and he shared similar desires. She’d made it clear, hadn’t she, that she wasn’t interested in romance, and he’d just run off at the mouth, regardless. He might not