Unlucky in Love by Maggie McGinnis Read Free Book Online Page A

casually it had been delivered.
    “You’re hardly bothering me. And thank you.”
    He shrugged. “I’m headed home myself. Things get rolling before the crack of dawn around here.”
    “Where’s home?”
    He pointed past the cabins and stables, where pasture gave way to a grove of trees. “Staff cabins are in the woods back there. Ma likes the family ranch thing, but she prefers that her cowboys stay separate from her guests at night. Some of our guests would prefer that not to be the case.”
    Lexi coughed. “So not everybody comes here for the…horses?” She could hardly be surprised. She’d seen the website, after all.
    “I wish they did. Would make our lives a lot easier.” He shook his head, raising his eyebrows. “Speaking of horses, any chance you want to take a ride tomorrow morning before things get rolling for guests? I could show you around a little.”
    Lexi shivered, pulling her legs in close. Horses were beautiful, but damn, they were big. No, she definitely didn’t want to take a ride. Not yet, anyway.
    She closed her eyes. What would Katie do? What would cheerleaders one and two do?
    Dammit.
    “I’d love to.”
    The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she couldn’t pull them back in, and for a moment, she was ready to flush the whole Lexi 2.0 thing right down the proverbial drain.
    Then Gunnar smiled, and in the golden evening light, with his five-o’clock shadow giving depth to his face, she melted just a little bit.
    “Okay, Lexi. Sleep well. See you at breakfast.” He started to head for the stables, then turned around. “Welcome to Whisper Creek.”
    —
    Ten minutes later, Lexi headed inside, intent on finding her toothbrush, then going straight to bed. Someone had delivered her suitcases to her porch while she’d been at dinner, and she couldn’t wait to see if the bedroom was as cozy as the rest of the cabin.
    Just as she reached for the handle of one suitcase, her phone erupted with a song Katie had chosen long ago as her personal ringtone, and Lexi realized she’d forgotten to call home to report that she’d arrived in Montana in one piece.
    “Kinda rebellious not to even call us, don’t you think?” Katie’s laughing voice came over the line before Lexi could say
hello
. “I love it!”
    Lexi smiled. “Not rebellious. Just forgetful. Sorry.”
    “Because you already met a cowboy and fell deeply in lust?”
    Lexi paused, picturing Gunnar as he’d stood in the fading twilight just now. Then she shook her head quickly, trying to erase the vision.
    “Yes. Exactly. Because that’s so me. And can we remember I haven’t even been here for twelve hours? Pretty sure it’d be impolite to elope after less than a day at my new job.”
    “Fine. Maybe tomorrow. So? Does the place live up to the website pics? Are you actually in Heaven-on-earth?”
    “I might just be.” Lexi nodded as she parted the lace curtain to look down the hill toward the stables, now lit with soft yellow lanterns that made them glow from within. A gentle sunset was touching the tips of the trees with wispy light, and the breeze coming through the window was soft and fragrant. Country music played from somewhere, turned down low, and she could hear clanking in the kitchen of the main lodge as someone finished up the dishes.
    “So give me the scoop. How’s the bunkhouse? Are there cowgirls, too? Or just guys?”
    “Ha.” Lexi smiled. “No bunkhouse at all. I have my own personal cabin. I’ve got a porch with a swing, my own little kitchen, and a fireplace.” She walked over to open the door to the bedroom, then sighed happily. “And a four-poster bed with a patchwork quilt, just like Mimi used to make.”
    “Sounds fantastic.”
    Lexi walked a few steps farther and pulled open another door. “Okay, I’m never leaving. Tristan’s just going to have to come out here if he wants me back. I have a claw-foot tub. And there’s bubble bath and big soft towels.” She leaned