LITMIR.BIZ

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all over her with rules and regulations and that she’d felt like she never fit with anyone, anywhere. How Casey was only her half brother and how she’d had half a life. She was rarely home when it mattered and her only salvation was her love of horses. She’d cried a few times and Luke had leaned over to wipe her tears tenderly with his kerchief.

      She’d spilled her guts and Luke had nodded like he understood, giving her words of encouragement for her to let it all out. He’d truly listened to her and in the end, when her body sagged, spent from her crushing confessions and soulful tears, Luke had offered her a compromise. He wouldn’t tell Casey what happened, and he’d go back to Judd and his friend and make sure they never bothered her again, if Audrey would promise to come to him when she was feeling like doing something stupid or reckless or dangerous. He’d encouraged her to talk to Casey about everything that bothered her, but told her he’d be there if she ever needed him.

      For a girl who’d thought her brother would ground her for life if he ever found out what she’d done, Luke had offered her a dream deal. She’d agreed to his terms and Luke had sealed their little pact with a brotherly kiss to the cheek.

      Audrey wasn’t sure a girl of sixteen knew a darn thing about love, but she was ninety-nine percent certain that that was the night she’d fallen deeply and wholeheartedly in love with Lucas Slade.

      Audrey stepped out of the shower and toweled off vigorously, purging the memory from her mind. She dabbed at her throat, chin and face and talked herself out of any more reminiscing. It wouldn’t help her current situation. She was at a loss here with Luke.

      And ten minutes away from making his lunch.

      “You are in a pickle, Audrey,” she muttered as she dressed in her only change of clothes.

      She combed her hair, banding it in a ponytail, and glanced in the mirror. The clothes were a slight improvement over the ones she’d worn this morning—new black jeans hugged her hips below the waist and a white peasant’s blouse with short sleeves sloped on her shoulders. Her boots were dark tan and well broken in, the most comfortable shoes she owned.

      With three minutes to spare, she closed the door on her sleepy cat and sashayed down the hall, heading to the kitchen wondering if the old cliché still held true. The way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. If only...

      * * *

      “Hey,” Luke said as she entered the kitchen. His head was poking inside the fridge as he perused the shelves. “We’ve got leftover roast beef, turkey, ham and three different kinds of cheeses. It figures. I’m in the mood for a patty melt.”

      As Audrey breezed by him, she picked up the lime scent of his aftershave and refused to let it give her heart failure. Luke smelled good. Period. She’d have to get over it or she’d make a fool of herself. “I’ll make you a patty melt. It’ll be the rich man’s version.”

      His mouth curved up. “What’s that?”

      “Wait and see, big man.”

      Luke laughed and sat at the granite island counter, watching her cook.

      She found a fry pan, sweet butter, bread crumbs and sesame seed buns. It wasn’t rocket science, but she was pretty darn proud of her creation when she was all through heating small chunks of roast mixed with bread crumbs and layered with melted cheese. The patty came together and she plopped it into a bun with a spatula. “Here you go.”

      Luke glanced at the dish she slid his way and cocked a brow. “I’m not that rich, by the way.”

      “Yes, you are.” He was wealthy by anyone’s standards with his shared ownership of Sunset Lodge and Sunset Ranch and, from Casey’s accounting, half a dozen other investments. “But I won’t hold that against you. Eat up.”

      He picked up the bun and dived in, taking a big bite. His eyes closed slowly and his face settled into an expression of sublime pleasure. “It’ll do,” he said.

      “I thought so.”

      He took two more bites before his gaze slid back to her. “You having one?”

      She shook her head. “I’ll stick to a cheese sandwich.”

      He drew his brows together. “That’s no fun, honey.”

      She couldn’t get excited about an endearment he’d used in his usual brotherly tone.

      “You’re doing fine without me.” He’d gobbled up the entire sandwich while sitting on a stool at the counter. “I’ll make you another one, if you’d like.”

      He contemplated his empty plate, then gave two pats to a rock-solid stomach a quarter would bounce off. “Tempting, but I’d better not. Sophia and Logan are bringing us dinner tonight. And she’s cooking up one of her specialties.”

      Us? They’d be a foursome tonight, but it would hardly be a double date. “I heard Logan was getting married.”

      “Yep. My brother’s getting the better end of the deal, if you ask me.”

      She remembered how Logan would come to see Luke at the rodeo and they’d give each other a world of grief. It was all in good fun, for the most part, except when it wasn’t. But even though they teased each other unmercifully, Audrey saw the love they had for each other. They’d have each other’s backs if there was ever a problem. “Logan’s quite a catch. I bet Sophia feels pretty lucky. I can’t wait to meet her.”

      “You will in a few hours.”

      She placed a bun in the fry pan, then added a slab of cheese and a fresh slice of tomato. Luke walked over to the fridge again and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. He poured two glasses and handed her one. He stood close, watching the cheese melt onto the bun as he sipped his drink. A trickle of moisture slipped down her neck. Just being near Luke made her break out in a sweat.

      “What are you doing after you eat that?”

      She shrugged. “I have no plans.”

      “I was gonna wait until tomorrow, but if you’re up to it, I thought I’d take you over to meet Trib.”

      “Ah...the horse that nearly killed you.”

      “An exaggeration. There were a few broken ribs.”

      “He broke your right arm, too.”

      Luke stared at her. “I see your brother filled you in on my injuries.”

      Yes, Casey had told her afterward, but she’d also had firsthand knowledge of his broken arm in the cast. But mercy, the man had left-hand skills that satisfied her just fine.

      “You had a concussion, too.”

      “But I’m right as rain now.”

      It was permission to look him over from top to bottom. Not that she didn’t already know how right the man was. From the top of his sandy-blond hair down to his black snakeskin boots, Luke was perfect. “I’m glad you’ve recovered.”

      “Wasn’t ever any doubt, but thanks. Appreciate it.”

      She took the last bites of her sandwich and rubbed shoulders with Luke, who insisted on helping with the mess. They tidied up the kitchen, cleaned the counters and put the plates away in the dishwasher before heading outside.

      A few minutes later, Luke led Audrey to a distant stable, one built for special cases like Tribute, a stallion with great ancestry and beautiful grace, but temperamental as all get-out. The ranch hands had nicknamed him Tribulation for all the darn trouble the horse gave them on a daily basis. One day Luke thought he’d broken the damn horse’s barriers and had let down his guard. That was the day Trib had sent him to the hospital.

      “I don’t want you near him unless I’m with you,” Luke said. They walked out of the bright sunlight and into the much cooler barn. Even before he laid eyes on the dang horse, he heard the sound of his shuffling in his stall. “He isn’t keen we’re here. Darn horse is antisocial.”

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