My alarm goes off so damn early that it’s still dark. Just like always but I was out late last night and my ass is dragging when I get up and pull on a clean flannel shirt and blue jeans.
Padding down the stairs I grab my boots by the back door and yawning, sit down at the kitchen table to put them on.
Ma turns around and smirk at me. “Little tired today?”
Huffing, I grab a biscuit and slather it with butter and honey. “I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t made me go out last night.”
Snorting, she points her spatula at me before she flips the sausage patties in the pan. Her green eyes sparkle at me happily. “I can’t help it I actually have to force you out of the house to have some fun.”
“I have fun all the time.”
“Work is not fun.”
Jules slides into his chair across from me and an uneasy twinge hits my belly when he grins cheekily at me. Then he turns to ma and says, “did he tell you that he met a woman last night?”
My belly slides to my toes when ma turns around and clasps her hands, still with the spatula so she’s lucky she doesn’t lose an eye, under her chin, her eyes welling with tears.
“Oh shit,” I mutter under my breath.
She runs around the table and hugs me so hard that my vision goes a little dark even as I’m trying to avoid the damn spatula that’s waving in front of my face.
“You met a woman? That’s wonderful! When do I get to meet her? What’s she like? Is she pretty? Do I already know her or is she new to town? Can she come over for dinner tomorrow night?”
She lets go of me and heads out to the porch and the huge freezer, muttering, “I know I’ve got some of those wonderfully thick steaks in here somewhere from that last batch we ordered. I think that was the best steak we’ve ever had. I’m sure she’ll love it.”
Staggering to my feet, I follow her out to the porch, grimacing at the cold air. I hate cold and this time of year it can get damn cold even in Texas.
“Ma…no. She’s not coming over for dinner tomorrow.”
“Well maybe next weekend then?” She’s still happily rooting through the big freezer, humming under her breath.
“She’s not coming out here at all. I didn’t actually meet her.” I keep my face still with some effort. I can’t help thinking about that damn kiss. I’ve never been so damn turned on and so loathe to let a woman go than with her.
“I don’t even know her name.”
“It’s Posy,” Jules says with a grin, crunching on a strip of bacon as he saunters up to the doorway. “Not sure about her last name but how many Posy’s can there be?”
Probably not many. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not dating anybody let alone a woman that’s a stranger round here. She’s probably gonna pack up and leave soon and I’m just not dealing with that.”
Ma turns to me and pats my shoulder, sighing. “I know that that woman hurt you, Stone. But you can’t let her turn you intoyour namesake! You’re a living, breathing man and you deserve to fall in love and raise a family of your own on our ranch.”
My brow quirks and I eye her skeptically. “I’m well-aware that you’re actually only worried about one part of that phrase and that’s family. As in babies. I’m not getting married. I’m not dating a woman who’s from out of town and probably has every intention of taking off as soon as the mood strikes her. I’m just not.”
Stalking to the door, I grab my hat down from the peg and pull on my tan shearling coat. Tipping my hat to ma, I slide out the door but not fast enough.
I hear her mutter, “We’ll see about that.”
Scuffing my old boots, I head over to the barn. I didn’t finish breakfast but I’m not even hungry now. All I can think about is what ma meant by that and just how much of a headache she’s gonna be about that girl.
I wish I could stop thinking about her too though. All night long I kept waking up and the first thing I’d think about was stormy skies over the Texas plains. Gray, forbidding skies just like her eyes. And glorious fire-red hair like the sunsets over the mountains as the last rays of the sun paint the majestic hills in all their fiery glory.
Her skin was a soft ivory that my fingers itched to touch and I can still remember how soft and tiny her hand was in mine. Delicate, slim fingers trembling with anger and surprise as she looked into my eyes.
The world fell away for a moment and thank heaven nobody else noticed that or I might have gotten flattened for the distraction that she was.
Grabbing my gear, I saddle up Honeypot and step outside to mount up. In mere moments I’m off and riding the corral line and then out to the fences to check more over.
The cold air whizzes past my ears and the ground is no longer green. It’s covered with a very light coating of white. It’s beautiful and bright, just like her and I growl out a curse under my breath.
