to like her much.
With a soft sigh, she pulled back and tried a small smile.
"Thank you for seeing me home," she said in a
throaty whisper. She turned and limped toward the bathroom,
refusing to let her mind dwell on the possibility of the two of
than in bed together.
But her body remembered his touch--and
tingled.
Kalli soaked in the tub until she was as
wrinkled as a prune. Slipping on a long T-shirt she'd swiped from
her brother Tony, she lay across her bed face down. Her bottom was
so sore it hurt to lie on her back. Closing her eyes, she relaxed
her tired, aching muscles. It felt so good. There was so much to
do, she'd just rest for a few minutes. It felt so good
It was dark when Kalli awoke. She lay in the
peaceful evening, almost too lethargic to rise. Her stomach
grumbled, letting her know she hadn't had anything to eat since
breakfast. Slowly she pushed herself up and padded barefoot into
the kitchen. She ate a quick sandwich standing at the counter,
making her grocery list as she ate. At least the day wouldn't be a
total waste, though she absolutely had to go get groceries tomorrow
or end up eating with the men. Which wouldn't be all bad, unless
Trace was there to undermine her authority before them.
She frowned. He wouldn't do such a thing.
He'd never hinted at any conflict before the men. But just
instructing her on the way to run the ranch could undermine the
men's confidence in her. They'd do better to continue to eat
apart.
Finishing that task, she wandered into the
office. Sitting gingerly on the chair, she put the March bills and
payments in chronological order. Restless, she pushed them away.
She wasn't up to working on the computer tonight.
She hunted up her boxes of books and rummaged
around until she found a favorite Louis L'Amour. Taking it to bed,
she propped herself up and began to read.
When the alarm rang the next morning, Kalli
shut it off and lay back in bed. God, she did not want to get up!
She was stiff as a board and every movement spiked pain into her
muscles. How did Trace and Jose and Josh do it day after day? Even
with practice, she couldn't imagine becoming used to riding for
hours at a time.
Slowly she stretched, forcing her muscles to
respond. Sitting on the side of the bed, she wondered if she should
just throw in the towel.
The phone rang. She jumped. The ring was loud
in the silence of early dawn.
"Hello?"
"Kalli? It's Trace."
"Is something wrong?" She turned to look out
the window. It was still dark, but dawn was only minutes away.
"Yeah, problem here. I was up all night and
I'm just dead on my feet. I can't come by this morning."
"What's wrong? Do you need my help?"
"No, had a mare in foal, there were problems,
complications. The vet's been here all night, too. Anyway, it’s all
over now. We have a nice filly and the mare's doing fine. But I'm
beat."
"Yeah, you're too old for all-nighters like
that," she said softly, lying back against her pillows.
"Yeah."
She could hear his chuckle across the
line.
"You up?"
"My alarm just went off. I'm still in
bed."
"How do you feel today?"
"Older than you."
"Hell, maybe we both need a day in bed."
Together? Kalli smiled dreamily at the
thought.
"Yeah, maybe. Any orders for the day, boss?"
she asked.
"Catch up on the accounts. You can sit on a
pillow in a chair."
"When do I get a day off?"
"You just got here." Just got here, he
thought. He felt as if he'd been thinking about her all his life.
Had it only been three days? He had it bad. He needed to get her
out of his system and go back to ranching. She had to sell her
place soon, or he'd go crazy.
"Trace?"
"Yeah?"
"Want to come to dinner? After all, I'm so
used to cooking for two now that I'm sure I'll make too much for
just me." She held her breath.
"I usually eat dinner with Becky," he
said.
"Good, bring her, too. I'd like to meet her,"
she said quickly before he could refuse.
"All right. We'll be over around six."
"See you then."
She hung up the phone and
With a soft sigh, she pulled back and tried a small smile.
"Thank you for seeing me home," she said in a
throaty whisper. She turned and limped toward the bathroom,
refusing to let her mind dwell on the possibility of the two of
than in bed together.
But her body remembered his touch--and
tingled.
Kalli soaked in the tub until she was as
wrinkled as a prune. Slipping on a long T-shirt she'd swiped from
her brother Tony, she lay across her bed face down. Her bottom was
so sore it hurt to lie on her back. Closing her eyes, she relaxed
her tired, aching muscles. It felt so good. There was so much to
do, she'd just rest for a few minutes. It felt so good
It was dark when Kalli awoke. She lay in the
peaceful evening, almost too lethargic to rise. Her stomach
grumbled, letting her know she hadn't had anything to eat since
breakfast. Slowly she pushed herself up and padded barefoot into
the kitchen. She ate a quick sandwich standing at the counter,
making her grocery list as she ate. At least the day wouldn't be a
total waste, though she absolutely had to go get groceries tomorrow
or end up eating with the men. Which wouldn't be all bad, unless
Trace was there to undermine her authority before them.
She frowned. He wouldn't do such a thing.
He'd never hinted at any conflict before the men. But just
instructing her on the way to run the ranch could undermine the
men's confidence in her. They'd do better to continue to eat
apart.
Finishing that task, she wandered into the
office. Sitting gingerly on the chair, she put the March bills and
payments in chronological order. Restless, she pushed them away.
She wasn't up to working on the computer tonight.
She hunted up her boxes of books and rummaged
around until she found a favorite Louis L'Amour. Taking it to bed,
she propped herself up and began to read.
When the alarm rang the next morning, Kalli
shut it off and lay back in bed. God, she did not want to get up!
She was stiff as a board and every movement spiked pain into her
muscles. How did Trace and Jose and Josh do it day after day? Even
with practice, she couldn't imagine becoming used to riding for
hours at a time.
Slowly she stretched, forcing her muscles to
respond. Sitting on the side of the bed, she wondered if she should
just throw in the towel.
The phone rang. She jumped. The ring was loud
in the silence of early dawn.
"Hello?"
"Kalli? It's Trace."
"Is something wrong?" She turned to look out
the window. It was still dark, but dawn was only minutes away.
"Yeah, problem here. I was up all night and
I'm just dead on my feet. I can't come by this morning."
"What's wrong? Do you need my help?"
"No, had a mare in foal, there were problems,
complications. The vet's been here all night, too. Anyway, it’s all
over now. We have a nice filly and the mare's doing fine. But I'm
beat."
"Yeah, you're too old for all-nighters like
that," she said softly, lying back against her pillows.
"Yeah."
She could hear his chuckle across the
line.
"You up?"
"My alarm just went off. I'm still in
bed."
"How do you feel today?"
"Older than you."
"Hell, maybe we both need a day in bed."
Together? Kalli smiled dreamily at the
thought.
"Yeah, maybe. Any orders for the day, boss?"
she asked.
"Catch up on the accounts. You can sit on a
pillow in a chair."
"When do I get a day off?"
"You just got here." Just got here, he
thought. He felt as if he'd been thinking about her all his life.
Had it only been three days? He had it bad. He needed to get her
out of his system and go back to ranching. She had to sell her
place soon, or he'd go crazy.
"Trace?"
"Yeah?"
"Want to come to dinner? After all, I'm so
used to cooking for two now that I'm sure I'll make too much for
just me." She held her breath.
"I usually eat dinner with Becky," he
said.
"Good, bring her, too. I'd like to meet her,"
she said quickly before he could refuse.
"All right. We'll be over around six."
"See you then."
She hung up the phone and
Similar Books
