of the swing seat.
“News travels fast here,” Jennie said dryly.
“Jared called Darleen.” Ryder’s smug gaze said he enjoyed wrong-footing her.
Jennie’s heart plummeted, but her optimism interceded. Jared had chosen her, not Darleen, to lean on when he’d fallen apart earlier. “Would you like coffee, Ryder?”
“Yes, I‘d love one.” He opened the porch doors and stepped back to let her walk into the house.
“Thank you,” Jennie replied as she hurried indoors. The click of the latch and the steady thud of heavy footsteps on the wooden floorboards suggested Ryder was close behind her. She barely suppressed a shudder when his hot breath ruffled her hair. He was too close.
“So can you bring me up to speed on Harry?” Ryder sat at the kitchen table as if he belonged there as Jennie poured water into the coffeemaker. Although calmer now she’d regained her personal space, she still dropped some coffee beans, uncomfortable under Ryder’s intense gaze. She scooped them off the counter into the bin and carefully poured the rest into the coffee grinder. She ground the coffee beans, tipped them into the machine, and wished she wasn’t alone with Ryder.
“Your clothes are damp.”
Ryder’s intimate observation unnerved her. “A bunkhouse flooded. I helped Rod and the others clear up.” Jennie pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call the hospital and check on Harry while the coffee brews.”
“Another unfortunate accident.” Ryder’s scrutiny unnerved her.
“I guess so.” Jennie nodded, noncommittal. Ryder wasn’t a confidant. Anything she said would go straight back to Darleen.
“Ralf hinted the ranch might be having financial difficulties.” Ryder looked away as if the subject embarrassed him.
Jennie disliked the inference behind his remark, but financial problems would explain why Jared wanted her in England rather than Texas. “What do you mean? You can’t drop a bombshell like that and then clam up. Go on, tell me. How do you even know about the ranch’s financial state?”
Ryder’s expression darkened, but he didn’t elaborate. “It’s not really my place to tell you, is it, honey? I would have said ask Harry, but now he’s out of action, you should discuss it with Jared.”
The aroma of fresh coffee filled the kitchen. With nothing to do until it brewed, Jennie escaped the awkwardness and called the hospital.
“Harry’s condition’s the same—critical and unconscious,” Jennie said as she ended the call. They sat around the scrubbed-pine table and drank the hot, strong coffee, and Jennie dug a little deeper, but Ryder remained vague. It seemed an offhand remark from Ralf had provoked Ryder’s comment, but nothing else substantiated his belief about the Unicorn’s financial status. Jennie knew all ranchers complained about livestock prices. It didn’t signify financial difficulty. Ryder wanted her worried for some reason. Not knowing why made her uncomfortable.
“I must get changed.” She picked up the coffee mugs, and Ryder looked disgruntled with her summary dismissal. Tough. She had to quiz Jared about the ranch’s finances, and they couldn’t put off their conversation about her future at the ranch any longer, either.
Ryder rose from the table in a graceful, sinuous movement. “Don’t fret, sugar. I’ll call Darleen down.” He walked into the hallway.
“Where is she?” Jennie hated the way her voice escalated.
“Jared’s room, I guess.” Ryder stared at her as if she were a specimen in an experiment.
Jennie unclenched her hands. She wouldn’t play Ryder’s game. “Does she always go into other peoples’ houses uninvited?”
“This is Texas, Jennie. Perhaps you’ve forgotten. It’s always open house between neighbours.” Ryder shook his head as if he was disappointed in her.
Jennie blushed. “Of course. I’m sorry.” Annie and Ralf would have been ashamed of her lack of neighbourliness.
Ryder shouted upstairs, “Darleen, time to go
“News travels fast here,” Jennie said dryly.
“Jared called Darleen.” Ryder’s smug gaze said he enjoyed wrong-footing her.
Jennie’s heart plummeted, but her optimism interceded. Jared had chosen her, not Darleen, to lean on when he’d fallen apart earlier. “Would you like coffee, Ryder?”
“Yes, I‘d love one.” He opened the porch doors and stepped back to let her walk into the house.
“Thank you,” Jennie replied as she hurried indoors. The click of the latch and the steady thud of heavy footsteps on the wooden floorboards suggested Ryder was close behind her. She barely suppressed a shudder when his hot breath ruffled her hair. He was too close.
“So can you bring me up to speed on Harry?” Ryder sat at the kitchen table as if he belonged there as Jennie poured water into the coffeemaker. Although calmer now she’d regained her personal space, she still dropped some coffee beans, uncomfortable under Ryder’s intense gaze. She scooped them off the counter into the bin and carefully poured the rest into the coffee grinder. She ground the coffee beans, tipped them into the machine, and wished she wasn’t alone with Ryder.
“Your clothes are damp.”
Ryder’s intimate observation unnerved her. “A bunkhouse flooded. I helped Rod and the others clear up.” Jennie pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call the hospital and check on Harry while the coffee brews.”
“Another unfortunate accident.” Ryder’s scrutiny unnerved her.
“I guess so.” Jennie nodded, noncommittal. Ryder wasn’t a confidant. Anything she said would go straight back to Darleen.
“Ralf hinted the ranch might be having financial difficulties.” Ryder looked away as if the subject embarrassed him.
Jennie disliked the inference behind his remark, but financial problems would explain why Jared wanted her in England rather than Texas. “What do you mean? You can’t drop a bombshell like that and then clam up. Go on, tell me. How do you even know about the ranch’s financial state?”
Ryder’s expression darkened, but he didn’t elaborate. “It’s not really my place to tell you, is it, honey? I would have said ask Harry, but now he’s out of action, you should discuss it with Jared.”
The aroma of fresh coffee filled the kitchen. With nothing to do until it brewed, Jennie escaped the awkwardness and called the hospital.
“Harry’s condition’s the same—critical and unconscious,” Jennie said as she ended the call. They sat around the scrubbed-pine table and drank the hot, strong coffee, and Jennie dug a little deeper, but Ryder remained vague. It seemed an offhand remark from Ralf had provoked Ryder’s comment, but nothing else substantiated his belief about the Unicorn’s financial status. Jennie knew all ranchers complained about livestock prices. It didn’t signify financial difficulty. Ryder wanted her worried for some reason. Not knowing why made her uncomfortable.
“I must get changed.” She picked up the coffee mugs, and Ryder looked disgruntled with her summary dismissal. Tough. She had to quiz Jared about the ranch’s finances, and they couldn’t put off their conversation about her future at the ranch any longer, either.
Ryder rose from the table in a graceful, sinuous movement. “Don’t fret, sugar. I’ll call Darleen down.” He walked into the hallway.
“Where is she?” Jennie hated the way her voice escalated.
“Jared’s room, I guess.” Ryder stared at her as if she were a specimen in an experiment.
Jennie unclenched her hands. She wouldn’t play Ryder’s game. “Does she always go into other peoples’ houses uninvited?”
“This is Texas, Jennie. Perhaps you’ve forgotten. It’s always open house between neighbours.” Ryder shook his head as if he was disappointed in her.
Jennie blushed. “Of course. I’m sorry.” Annie and Ralf would have been ashamed of her lack of neighbourliness.
Ryder shouted upstairs, “Darleen, time to go
Similar Books
