smiled right along with her mouth and Dean saw her keen intelligence reflected in them. Her deep blue traveling suit was a little wrinkled and a trifle dusty, but on the whole, she looked as if she’d walked out of a dream.
Dean pulled the team to a stop and stepped down from the wagon. “You must be Theresa.”
She smiled broadly and came down from the wooden porch. “And you must be Dean,” she answered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dean said. “How was your trip?”
“Exhilarating!” she announced. “There’s so much to see and learn about.”
Dean smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad to hear it. You may change your mind once you’re here for a while.”
Tessa tilted her head a little and asked, “Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“What? No, of course not,” Dean said. Then he caught the devilish twinkle in her eyes. “You’re pullin’ my leg,” he said and grinned.
“I must be talented indeed to be able to do that from here,” Tessa joked. “I’m sorry. I must be more tired than I thought.”
Dean laughed. “Don’t be sorry. It’s good to see you have a sense of humor and that you’re not stuck up or anything.”
“Far from it or I wouldn’t be here, would I?” Tessa said.
Dean frowned. “What’s wrong with it here?”
Tessa rushed to apologize. “Nothing, of course! It’s beautiful here.”
It was Dean’s turn to laugh now. “I’m just joshin’ you.”
Tessa pretended to be offended. “You, Mr. Samuels, are a bad man, I think.”
“You have no idea,” Marcus said, speaking for the first time. “I’m Marcus, Dean’s younger brother.”
“Well, Marcus, I’m pleased to meet you. And please, call me Tessa. It’s my nickname and, frankly, I prefer it,” she replied.
“Very well, then, Tessa it is,” Marcus said, with a deep bow over her hand.
Tessa played along and gave him a deep curtsy, and Dean watched her graceful movements closely as she dipped and rose again. “What a gentleman you are,” she commented to Marcus.
Dean said, “More like full of bull crap.”
Marcus scowled at Dean and Tessa laughed. She could see that this was going to be a lot of fun. She sobered and looked at Dean, admiring his fine physique. His shoulders were broad and his chest well-muscled. As his letters had said, he had strong arms, too.
“So, who are these beautiful animals?” she asked, referring to the pair of chestnut draft horses hitched to the wagon. She needed a distraction to keep from staring at Dean.
“This one is Buster and the other one is Nugget,” Dean answered.
Tessa moved to Buster’s side before Dean could warn her. Buster tended to be a little cantankerous around strangers, but he saw that he didn’t have to worry. Tessa whispered to Buster and he watched the big gelding’s ears flick back and forth. She didn’t touch him, but held a flat palm out and let him sniff it. Slowly then, she raised her hand and lightly stroked his neck.
The whole time, she kept whispering to him. Once he’d gotten her scent, Tessa stroked the pretty white blaze enjoying the soft hair and velvety skin of Buster’s muzzle. The horse seemed hypnotized by the treatment and lowered his head to her. Tessa slipped up close to him and embraced his neck briefly.
She then repeated the process with Nugget, who was much friendlier and more mischievous. Tessa laughed softly when he wanted to nibble at a bow on her jacket. She quietly disciplined him and Nugget behaved.
“They’re splendid,” she said as she turned back to the men.
Dean had been watching raptly and found he was jealous of the horses. Her pretty hands stroking their coats made his male flesh remember what it was like to feel a woman’s touch. He shifted his feet a little and cleared his throat.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to delay our departure. I adore horses and can’t stay away from them. However, I’m dying to see your ranch and meet everyone,” she said.
“I didn’t mind at all,”
Dean pulled the team to a stop and stepped down from the wagon. “You must be Theresa.”
She smiled broadly and came down from the wooden porch. “And you must be Dean,” she answered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dean said. “How was your trip?”
“Exhilarating!” she announced. “There’s so much to see and learn about.”
Dean smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad to hear it. You may change your mind once you’re here for a while.”
Tessa tilted her head a little and asked, “Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“What? No, of course not,” Dean said. Then he caught the devilish twinkle in her eyes. “You’re pullin’ my leg,” he said and grinned.
“I must be talented indeed to be able to do that from here,” Tessa joked. “I’m sorry. I must be more tired than I thought.”
Dean laughed. “Don’t be sorry. It’s good to see you have a sense of humor and that you’re not stuck up or anything.”
“Far from it or I wouldn’t be here, would I?” Tessa said.
Dean frowned. “What’s wrong with it here?”
Tessa rushed to apologize. “Nothing, of course! It’s beautiful here.”
It was Dean’s turn to laugh now. “I’m just joshin’ you.”
Tessa pretended to be offended. “You, Mr. Samuels, are a bad man, I think.”
“You have no idea,” Marcus said, speaking for the first time. “I’m Marcus, Dean’s younger brother.”
“Well, Marcus, I’m pleased to meet you. And please, call me Tessa. It’s my nickname and, frankly, I prefer it,” she replied.
“Very well, then, Tessa it is,” Marcus said, with a deep bow over her hand.
Tessa played along and gave him a deep curtsy, and Dean watched her graceful movements closely as she dipped and rose again. “What a gentleman you are,” she commented to Marcus.
Dean said, “More like full of bull crap.”
Marcus scowled at Dean and Tessa laughed. She could see that this was going to be a lot of fun. She sobered and looked at Dean, admiring his fine physique. His shoulders were broad and his chest well-muscled. As his letters had said, he had strong arms, too.
“So, who are these beautiful animals?” she asked, referring to the pair of chestnut draft horses hitched to the wagon. She needed a distraction to keep from staring at Dean.
“This one is Buster and the other one is Nugget,” Dean answered.
Tessa moved to Buster’s side before Dean could warn her. Buster tended to be a little cantankerous around strangers, but he saw that he didn’t have to worry. Tessa whispered to Buster and he watched the big gelding’s ears flick back and forth. She didn’t touch him, but held a flat palm out and let him sniff it. Slowly then, she raised her hand and lightly stroked his neck.
The whole time, she kept whispering to him. Once he’d gotten her scent, Tessa stroked the pretty white blaze enjoying the soft hair and velvety skin of Buster’s muzzle. The horse seemed hypnotized by the treatment and lowered his head to her. Tessa slipped up close to him and embraced his neck briefly.
She then repeated the process with Nugget, who was much friendlier and more mischievous. Tessa laughed softly when he wanted to nibble at a bow on her jacket. She quietly disciplined him and Nugget behaved.
“They’re splendid,” she said as she turned back to the men.
Dean had been watching raptly and found he was jealous of the horses. Her pretty hands stroking their coats made his male flesh remember what it was like to feel a woman’s touch. He shifted his feet a little and cleared his throat.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to delay our departure. I adore horses and can’t stay away from them. However, I’m dying to see your ranch and meet everyone,” she said.
“I didn’t mind at all,”
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