Thunder Canyon Homecoming by Brenda Harlen

situation.”
    He turned into the long, winding drive that led to the Hopping H Ranch. “And sometimes a man just doesn’t have the sense to hold his tongue around a beautiful woman.”
    Her cheeks flushed. “I might be a California girl, but I’ve heard plenty of stories about you smooth-talking cowboys to know that I’d be a fool to trust even half of the words that slide off of that glib tongue.”
    He pressed a hand to his heart as he pulled into a vacant parking spot. “Now you’ve wounded me.”
    The look of patent disbelief that she aimed in his direction changed to something more akin to wariness when she realized where he’d brought her.

Chapter Four
    â€œT his is Melanie and Russ’s ranch.”
    Though it wasn’t a question, Corey nodded anyway.
    â€œWhat are we doing here?”
    â€œI would have thought that was obvious.” He got out of the truck and came around to her side.
    This time Erin hadn’t jumped out ahead of him. In fact, she didn’t look like she had any intention of getting out at all. She hadn’t even unfastened her seatbelt, so he reached across to release the clasp for her.
    â€œThis isn’t a good idea,” she said.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause I already missed work today. I don’t want to miss tomorrow, too, because I’m in a body cast in the hospital.”
    â€œYou can’t ride?” He deliberately infused his tone with both surprise and disbelief and a hint of challenge.
    â€œOf course, I can ride,” she said, then added, “waves.”
    â€œWaves?”
    â€œI grew up on the coast, not in cowboy country,” she re minded him.
    The mention of surfing had distracted him with thoughts of Erin clad in a skimpy little bikini, her hair slicked back, her skin wet and glistening as she balanced on a longboard. He knew it was more likely that she wore a wetsuit and figured she’d probably look just as enticing in a full bodysuit of neoprene that hugged her feminine curves, but a man was entitled to his fantasies and Erin in a bikini was definitely one of his. Peeling the little scraps of fabric from her damp skin was another.
    â€œWell, you’re in cowboy country now,” he said, forcing the all-too tempting images from his mind.
    â€œI’m aware of that,” she said, just as Russ came out of the barn.
    The rancher came over to shake hands with Corey and Erin.
    â€œThanks for accommodating us,” Corey said.
    â€œAlways a pleasure,” Russ assured him.
    Erin remained silent, wary.
    â€œI’ve got Lucifer and Jax all saddled up and ready to go, but you just let me know if you need anything else.”
    â€œWill do,” Corey promised.
    And Russ disappeared into the barn again.
    â€œLucifer?”
    Corey pointed out the spirited black stallion in a nearby enclosure. “And here—” he guided her to a closer paddock “—is Jax.”
    She hesitated a few feet from the fence.
    â€œYou’ve never ridden before?” He couldn’t imagine going through life without experiencing the exhilarating freedom of racing over the open fields on the back of a horse.
    â€œNo, I have.” Her gaze flickered cautiously toward the horse again. “Twice.”
    â€œWhen you were a kid?”
    She shook her head. “A few weeks ago.”
    His lips twitched as he fought a smile. “What happened?”
    â€œHaley convinced me that I couldn’t live in Montana if I didn’t know how to ride, so I decided to take some private lessons.”
    â€œAnd you had two?”
    â€œI suffered through each one and decided the bruises on my butt were never going to go away if I kept them up.”
    Corey shook his head. “You don’t strike me as the type of woman to give up so easily.”
    â€œYou don’t know me,” she reminded him.
    â€œI’m working on it.”
    â€œAnd accepting that