Wild Borders by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online Page A

Charles Turner. You’re the reporter, Lane Stanton?”
    She moved her gaze from Rick to Chuck, and gave him a polite smile. “Please call me Lani.”
    What’s Rick doing here? Lani thought, her body shivering with awareness.
    “Call me Chuck.” Charles Turner’s hand swamped hers, and with his good ol’ boy personality, she almost expected him to slap her on the back and offer her a chaw of tobacco.
    He released her and gestured to Rick. “This is my son. Rick, this here is our reporter, who’ll be staying a spell with us at the JL Star. It’ll be right nice having a pretty lady as our guest.”
    “Your son?” That horrible flush rushed over Lani.
    Rick’s answering grin and the sweep of his eyes told her that he’d noticed. He stood and took her hand, and she felt that dangerous tingle skitter along her entire body.
    Why does he affect me like that every time we touch? she thought, not sure what to think about anything right now.
    She found her voice, and tried to sound like the professional reporter she was. “I thought your last name was McAllister, not Turner.”
    Rick gave a slow nod. “It is. Chuck’s my step-dad.”
    Chuck lifted his bushy brows. “You two know each other?”
    With only a little difficulty, Lani extracted her hand from Rick’s. “We, ah, met yesterday on the plane.”
    “And had dinner last night,” Rick added with a sparkle in his blue eyes.
    Chuck’s eyebrows shot up further. “Well then. Let’s have us some breakfast.”
    After Chuck pushed Lani’s chair in, they ordered from the waitress. Lani chose the fruit plate, not sure the butterflies inhabiting her stomach could handle anything stronger with Rick so close, pressing his leg against hers. When she tried moving the other way, she managed to ram into Chuck’s knee. She flushed with embarrassment as she mumbled an apology.
    When the waitress took their menus and left, Lani picked up her water glass and cut Rick a look that told him exactly what she intended to do with it. He chuckled and moved his knee, the remainder of the meal only accidentally brushing up against her thigh on occasion.
    During the little knee waltz, Chuck explained how large the ranch was, and sure enough, Rick lived at the ranch, in the same house.
    Wonderful. Lani groaned inwardly, wondering if she should say that she changed her mind, then flee back to San Francisco. But to what? The jerk? Her little apartment above the Italian bakery?
    No. Not going to happen. She could keep Rick in his place, finish the feature, conquer the west, and be on her way.
    As the waitress served their breakfast, Chuck launched into his concerns on the illegal immigrant situation and with his permission, Lani brought out her pocket recorder.
    Chuck speared a sausage and gestured with it. “The problems have been there for years. They’ve got to get a handle on it, before more of those poor immigrant souls lose their lives, dying of thirst in the desert.”
    “What about the Border Patrol?” Lani asked. “Can they increase their efforts?”
    “Ask Rick.” Chuck waved his sausage at Rick. “He’s on the patrol.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “You’re a Border Patrol Agent?”
    Rick gave her that easy smile. “I told you I’m in law enforcement.”
    “You didn’t mention which branch.”
    He shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”
    Chuck’s chair scraped against the tile floor as he stood. “Son, I’ve got to go call your mother and let her know we’ll be on our way in two shakes of a jack-a-lope’s antlers.”
    When Lani was alone with Rick, she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “If I thought it remotely possible, I would bet you planned this.”
    “Who says I didn’t?” he smiled. “You missed a spot.”
    As she speared a strawberry, she gave him a puzzled look. “What?”
    He reached up and rubbed her chin with his thumb. “There, all gone.” But he didn’t stop, he continued on, trailing his thumb over her lips in a slow sensual movement.
    She froze,