Cole's Montana Bride (Sweet,clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series Book 7) by Maya Stirling Page A
Authors: Maya Stirling
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to the stables. The sun had disappeared momentarily behind a dark cloud.
Cole paused and looked at Victoria. He scuffed his boot idly across the surface of the dry, dusty ground. "What do you mean?" His eyes lifted and bored into her, seeking a quick answer.
She glanced back at the house. "I mean it's a pretty big place for an unmarried man," she explained.
Cole looked at the ranch house and nodded. "I guess you're right." He folded his arms across his wide chest and peered straight at Victoria. He sighed. "But, who says I'm not planning on ever getting married?" His face had suddenly adopted an expression of good natured challenge.
Victoria frowned. "You've made it pretty clear that you're not interested in marriage," she said.
"To Lucy Carter? Not interested at all," he replied.
Victoria peered into his clear blue eyes. There was a playful look in them that she hadn't seen earlier. She paused, considering whether he had deliberately led her to the point where there was only one question she could possibly ask. She sighed and forced herself to ask the question. "Is there someone else who you might consider an appropriate match?"
Cole leaned forward. His face was so close that Victoria could feel his breath on her forehead. Cole's eyes narrowed and she was sure he had taken the chance to inhale the scent of her perfume. The corners of his eyes creased and he nodded. "I suppose you could say there is someone I might consider as a potential wife," he said. His voice was slow and deep, filled with certainty.
Victoria leaned back and peered at Cole's face. "Really? Like to tell me who she is?"
Cole shook his head and smiled. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he said in an amused drawl. He took a step back and turned to look out across the open fields. "I don't know that there's a whole lot left for you to see here. Not much that anyone like Lucy Carter would need to know about. How would you feel about a little ride down to the river?" he asked, turning and raising a brow.
Victoria glanced over at the stable, the barn and the buildings used to house the ranch hands. It was true. There wasn't much for her to see. She'd felt duty bound to be able to say she'd toured Cole's main residence and had found it fit and proper for a young lady such as Lucy Carter. Not that it seemed to matter, what with Cole's repeated assertions that marriage to Lucy Carter wasn't anything he'd consider.
"You'd get to see more of the spread. Some of the parts I've acquired in the last couple of years," Cole continued.
Victoria thought about riding out with Cole. Would she feel safe? Could she trust him? She looked at Cole's expectant face. "I guess I can trust you," she said, noting the surprised widening of his eyes at her reply.
"Of course you can trust me. We're old friends. Aren't we?"
Victoria tipped her head to one side. "I suppose we are," she responded.
"Let's get on those horses. I've got a whole lot of land to show you," he said starting toward where their mounts were tied at the front of the house. "Before we go I'll let Mrs. Stone know we'll be back in time for lunch."
Checking her bonnet was tight in place, Victoria turned and began to follow Cole. It was going to be an interesting next few hours.
They made their way across the spread, and piece by piece, his voice filled with obvious pride, Cole pointed out where he'd made improvements to the ranch. He showed her the herd, letting out a heavy sigh of satisfaction as they paused on a ridge and looked down into the valley where the hundreds of head of cattle milled and roamed, supervised by mounted ranch hands. Victoria could feel the pride oozing out of Cole.
He told her about the long days of hard work, the dangers of the winter, the lazy, hot summer days that seemed to go on forever. Victoria had forgotten just what it felt like to be in this land, feel yourself a part of the earth, sense a connection to a world that was so different from town life. She'd forgotten
Cole paused and looked at Victoria. He scuffed his boot idly across the surface of the dry, dusty ground. "What do you mean?" His eyes lifted and bored into her, seeking a quick answer.
She glanced back at the house. "I mean it's a pretty big place for an unmarried man," she explained.
Cole looked at the ranch house and nodded. "I guess you're right." He folded his arms across his wide chest and peered straight at Victoria. He sighed. "But, who says I'm not planning on ever getting married?" His face had suddenly adopted an expression of good natured challenge.
Victoria frowned. "You've made it pretty clear that you're not interested in marriage," she said.
"To Lucy Carter? Not interested at all," he replied.
Victoria peered into his clear blue eyes. There was a playful look in them that she hadn't seen earlier. She paused, considering whether he had deliberately led her to the point where there was only one question she could possibly ask. She sighed and forced herself to ask the question. "Is there someone else who you might consider an appropriate match?"
Cole leaned forward. His face was so close that Victoria could feel his breath on her forehead. Cole's eyes narrowed and she was sure he had taken the chance to inhale the scent of her perfume. The corners of his eyes creased and he nodded. "I suppose you could say there is someone I might consider as a potential wife," he said. His voice was slow and deep, filled with certainty.
Victoria leaned back and peered at Cole's face. "Really? Like to tell me who she is?"
Cole shook his head and smiled. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he said in an amused drawl. He took a step back and turned to look out across the open fields. "I don't know that there's a whole lot left for you to see here. Not much that anyone like Lucy Carter would need to know about. How would you feel about a little ride down to the river?" he asked, turning and raising a brow.
Victoria glanced over at the stable, the barn and the buildings used to house the ranch hands. It was true. There wasn't much for her to see. She'd felt duty bound to be able to say she'd toured Cole's main residence and had found it fit and proper for a young lady such as Lucy Carter. Not that it seemed to matter, what with Cole's repeated assertions that marriage to Lucy Carter wasn't anything he'd consider.
"You'd get to see more of the spread. Some of the parts I've acquired in the last couple of years," Cole continued.
Victoria thought about riding out with Cole. Would she feel safe? Could she trust him? She looked at Cole's expectant face. "I guess I can trust you," she said, noting the surprised widening of his eyes at her reply.
"Of course you can trust me. We're old friends. Aren't we?"
Victoria tipped her head to one side. "I suppose we are," she responded.
"Let's get on those horses. I've got a whole lot of land to show you," he said starting toward where their mounts were tied at the front of the house. "Before we go I'll let Mrs. Stone know we'll be back in time for lunch."
Checking her bonnet was tight in place, Victoria turned and began to follow Cole. It was going to be an interesting next few hours.
They made their way across the spread, and piece by piece, his voice filled with obvious pride, Cole pointed out where he'd made improvements to the ranch. He showed her the herd, letting out a heavy sigh of satisfaction as they paused on a ridge and looked down into the valley where the hundreds of head of cattle milled and roamed, supervised by mounted ranch hands. Victoria could feel the pride oozing out of Cole.
He told her about the long days of hard work, the dangers of the winter, the lazy, hot summer days that seemed to go on forever. Victoria had forgotten just what it felt like to be in this land, feel yourself a part of the earth, sense a connection to a world that was so different from town life. She'd forgotten
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