yourself over that one bale?”
Lara’s sarcastic comment broke through his musing, and he looked down to find her smirking up at him, an expression that made him want to strip her bare and do all sorts of dirty things to her until she was as pliant and agreeable as a newly broke filly. Damn it, with all of the women who’d gladly jump into his bed without so much as a wink, why was he so obsessed with the one who didn’t seem to want anything to do with him?
Well, it didn’t take a mind like Freud’s to figure that one out.
He hoisted another bale into his grip and dropped it down onto the flatbed. Lara slipped his gloves on and moved the alfalfa next to the first bale. One thing was for certain: Lara Montgomery was damned tough.
It took half as long to load the truck as he’d expected. And though there’d been next to no conversation, it was a companionable silence. Something he rarely experienced with other women. He enjoyed working alongside Lara. And wasn’t that damned domestic of him? “Ready?” he asked as Lara hefted the last bale into place. He hopped down onto the truck from the loft and pushed his hat back on his forehead.
“To the feedlot?” she asked.
Down to business. She could deflect all she wanted, but Ryder was more determined than Lara was stubborn. “Yup. We’ll feed and then break for dinner.”
It took all of about an hour to throw out thirty bales of alfalfa for the cows and calves they’d moved to the north pasture. The supplemental feeding was important, and for some stupid reason, Ryder wanted Lara to know that he was looking out for his stock and making sure they were well taken care of. When the last bale was spread and followed the long line of strewn alfalfa he’d constructed, he had her circle back around toward the house.
Ryder sat on the flatbed, legs dangling off the edge as the old truck rocked and teetered on the unsteady ground. It was a piece of shit and only ran about half the time, but he kept it to remind him of his roots. And a few other things. He pulled off his gloves and brought his hand to his temple, tracing the scar above his left eyebrow. It took eight stitches to close the split in his head, an injury sustained when his dad got pissed at his brother Luke and Ryder stepped in to take the brunt of his father’s rage. His eyes wandered to the corner of the flatbed, to the very spot he’d smacked his head when his dad shoved him and he’d tripped into it.
He couldn’t erase the past. But he could damn well make sure history didn’t repeat itself. Ryder had been only sixteen when he finally took matters into his own hands. It had been the first and last time that he’d let his own rage spur him to violence. And he vowed he’d never lose control like that again.
“Where do you want me to park?”
Lara’s words cut into his thoughts like a soft rain on a sultry afternoon. Only now did Ryder realize that his fists were clenched tight, and his heart raced in his chest. He banished the unpleasant memories that threatened to suck him into a dark place he rarely visited and focused his attention instead on the sound of Lara’s voice. “You can pull up to the main house.”
The truck rounded the stables and approached the house, and Pepper shimmied her little black body out from her doghouse and bounded next to the pickup, tail wagging as she yipped in welcome. “Somebody’s glad to see you,” Lara remarked as she killed the engine and hopped out of the truck. “Come here, girl.”
Ryder watched as Lara snuggled Pepper, ruffling the fur at her ears. “She’s a mixed breed, isn’t she?”
“She’s a mutt all right,” Ryder said with affection as he bent down beside Lara to stroke Pepper’s fur. “Blue heeler and border collie. She’s smart as a whip and the best-tempered dog I’ve ever owned.”
“I believe it,” Lara said with a laugh. “You sure showed those ornery cows who’s boss this morning, didn’t you, girl?”
Pepper
Lara’s sarcastic comment broke through his musing, and he looked down to find her smirking up at him, an expression that made him want to strip her bare and do all sorts of dirty things to her until she was as pliant and agreeable as a newly broke filly. Damn it, with all of the women who’d gladly jump into his bed without so much as a wink, why was he so obsessed with the one who didn’t seem to want anything to do with him?
Well, it didn’t take a mind like Freud’s to figure that one out.
He hoisted another bale into his grip and dropped it down onto the flatbed. Lara slipped his gloves on and moved the alfalfa next to the first bale. One thing was for certain: Lara Montgomery was damned tough.
It took half as long to load the truck as he’d expected. And though there’d been next to no conversation, it was a companionable silence. Something he rarely experienced with other women. He enjoyed working alongside Lara. And wasn’t that damned domestic of him? “Ready?” he asked as Lara hefted the last bale into place. He hopped down onto the truck from the loft and pushed his hat back on his forehead.
“To the feedlot?” she asked.
Down to business. She could deflect all she wanted, but Ryder was more determined than Lara was stubborn. “Yup. We’ll feed and then break for dinner.”
It took all of about an hour to throw out thirty bales of alfalfa for the cows and calves they’d moved to the north pasture. The supplemental feeding was important, and for some stupid reason, Ryder wanted Lara to know that he was looking out for his stock and making sure they were well taken care of. When the last bale was spread and followed the long line of strewn alfalfa he’d constructed, he had her circle back around toward the house.
Ryder sat on the flatbed, legs dangling off the edge as the old truck rocked and teetered on the unsteady ground. It was a piece of shit and only ran about half the time, but he kept it to remind him of his roots. And a few other things. He pulled off his gloves and brought his hand to his temple, tracing the scar above his left eyebrow. It took eight stitches to close the split in his head, an injury sustained when his dad got pissed at his brother Luke and Ryder stepped in to take the brunt of his father’s rage. His eyes wandered to the corner of the flatbed, to the very spot he’d smacked his head when his dad shoved him and he’d tripped into it.
He couldn’t erase the past. But he could damn well make sure history didn’t repeat itself. Ryder had been only sixteen when he finally took matters into his own hands. It had been the first and last time that he’d let his own rage spur him to violence. And he vowed he’d never lose control like that again.
“Where do you want me to park?”
Lara’s words cut into his thoughts like a soft rain on a sultry afternoon. Only now did Ryder realize that his fists were clenched tight, and his heart raced in his chest. He banished the unpleasant memories that threatened to suck him into a dark place he rarely visited and focused his attention instead on the sound of Lara’s voice. “You can pull up to the main house.”
The truck rounded the stables and approached the house, and Pepper shimmied her little black body out from her doghouse and bounded next to the pickup, tail wagging as she yipped in welcome. “Somebody’s glad to see you,” Lara remarked as she killed the engine and hopped out of the truck. “Come here, girl.”
Ryder watched as Lara snuggled Pepper, ruffling the fur at her ears. “She’s a mixed breed, isn’t she?”
“She’s a mutt all right,” Ryder said with affection as he bent down beside Lara to stroke Pepper’s fur. “Blue heeler and border collie. She’s smart as a whip and the best-tempered dog I’ve ever owned.”
“I believe it,” Lara said with a laugh. “You sure showed those ornery cows who’s boss this morning, didn’t you, girl?”
Pepper
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