Two Spirit Ranch by Jaime Stryker Read Free Book Online Page B

stunning in the luminous moonlight, and she smelled so sweet, like the sweetest spring flower. He held out his hand to be shaken, and he felt her soft yet strong hand in his.
    “I really appreciate this and all you’ve done for me, Jake. You’ve made me feel very welcomed in town. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” she said.
    “Anything you need.  You let me know,” he said.
                They stood like that for a moment, and she impulsively thought of approaching him for a hug when she noticed two glowing eyes staring at her by the trees, and a fear rushed into her.
    “What is that?” she said, jumping back.
    Jake turned around to see instantly what he recognized as a coyote.
    “Just one of them coyotes coming out.  Don't worry.  They're just as scared of you as you are of them. They’re just curious. Just don’t get to close and you’ll be fine.”
    “I'll take your word for it,” Terri said, not entirely convinced.  Country living would definitely take some getting used to.
    “Hope to see you again,” he said, trying to shyly express his interest.
    “Me, too,” she said, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm before she even realized it.
    Terri watched the taillights from Jake's car grow dimmer in the distance.  She sighed deeply while the crickets started their peaceful evening symphony and a slight wind blew through the trees.
    Why couldn't she find a man like that?  Strong and caring, not to mention movie star handsome.  Did any men like him even exist in New York City?  And if by a miracle she found a man like that, would he love her for exactly the person she was?  Or did romance, as she had begun to suspect, only exist in Hollywood movies? She went back into the house and shut the door, eager for a hot shower and warm bed so that she could process the day’s events.

    Off in the distance, beyond where the coyote had stood, a pair of binoculars was fixated on the Terri and Jake’s farewell. The lone figure sat the binoculars on the passenger seat of his Yukon and grunted as Terri entered the house.
    “Cuz does have the hots for the new lady in town,” Carl said to himself, before taking the final drag on a nearly burned out Marlboro. “There's no way in hell I'm going to let some bitch from the city ruin this deal when I'm finally so close.  No matter what I have to do, I’m gonna seal the deal so help me.”
    His cellphone rang, and he reached into the front pocket of his worn Wranglers to pull it out.
    “Talk to me,” he answered.
    He paused to listen to the caller for a moment before saying, “The minute you have something on her you get back to me.  There's got to be something.  Everybody has something.”
    And if he could somehow stick it to his upstanding member of the community cousin at the same time by digging up some dirt on his new lady friend, all the better.  After all, Jake deserved it.  Sherilynn was supposed to be his. She was so beautiful and sweet and funny. Carl had his eye on her ever since they were in grade school and Jake knew it. Before Carl even had a chance to ask her out in high school, Jake came along to spoil everything. Jake always spoils everything. Sherilynn could have been his if he had the chance. But Jake stole her. It was Jake’s fault Carl didn’t have her. And it was Jake’s fault that Sherilynn died .  It was time for Jake to pay.
    This time, Jake, I’m coming out on top , Carl thought to himself.

    Chapter 5

    Right before lunch the next day, Jake pulled into the near empty parking lot of the Clearview Café. He looked up at the sky and noticed that it had turned a dark, almost black, blue.  The wind had started to whip up and leaves blew through the air. Storm’s coming, he thought instinctively.
    He got out of the squad car and could feel the cool crisp air as he walked into the diner to find Mindy reading a fashion magazine and Sally watching the news on a small thirteen inch TV she kept on the