Janet Daily Calder 10 Calder Storm

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A deep tenderness ran through his kiss, creating an intimacy beyond mere
passion. Life, in all its vitality, seemed to fill her with its heady glow. He
was solid and strong. The smell, feel, and touch of him livened all her
senses.
They were slow to separate. A breath feathered from her that was not a sigh
but a reaction to the glory she had glimpsed.
You still haven t given me an answer. Trey stood close, close enough that
her body tingled with its awareness of him. Are we going to turn your car
in?
We are. The decision made, Sloan was determined not to look back.
Then let s get it done. Trey wasn t about to give her any chance to change
her mind.
Roughly an hour later Trey loaded her bags in the pickup and headed back into
the motel. Sloan turned away from the registration desk, creasing the receipt
in precise folds, when he entered the lobby. But the sound of a familiar voice
coming from the hall drew his attention away from Sloan s approach.
All set, she told him and slipped the receipt into one of the vest s
pockets.
Just a minute. He lightly took her arm and turned her back toward the desk.
There s someone I want you to meet.
He felt the touch of her curious glance, but his own gaze focused on the hall
entrance as his mother walked into view, followed by Laredo.
It ll be good to get home, Jessy said to Laredo, then noticed Trey in the
lobby. The beaming look on his face and the proprietary way he tucked a hand
under the arm of the woman beside him immediately shifted her attention to the
brunette.
Tawny streaks lightened the dark color of her hair. She was slimly built and
tall almost as tall as Jessy herself. The clean line of her features and the
flawless quality of her skin gave her an impression of beauty, but it wasn t
the breathtaking kind that so often blinded men. Jessy took some comfort from
that.
Automatically she altered her course away from the desk to approach her son.
I was about to check out. Did you drop off your room key?
I took care of that earlier, Trey confirmed, then turned a soft, warm glance
on the woman beside him. Mom, I d like you to meet Sloan Davis. I invited her
to spend a few days at the ranch with us. Sloan, this is my mother, Jessy
Calder. And that s Laredo Smith behind her.
It s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Calder. Sloan was quick to extend a hand
in greeting, yet there was just a trace of self-consciousness in her demeanor
that betrayed an otherwise undetectable vulnerability. I hope it won t be too
inconvenient for me to come on short notice.
Not at all. Company is always welcome on the Triple C on short notice or no
notice at all. Trey knows that. She spoke the absolute truth. And please
call me Jessy. Everyone does.
Thank you.
Laredo stepped forward, touching his hat in greeting. It s good to meet you
at last, Ms. Davis. I guess you know Trey hasn t had anything else on his mind
since he met you.
The man s wide smile made it impossible for Sloan to take any offense at his
comment, yet the reference to her relationship with Trey made her a little
uncomfortable, mostly because she wasn t used to total strangers making
personal remarks.
Trey, on the other hand, was completely unfazed by it as he curved his arm
around her shoulders and smiled down at her. I know a good thing when I see
it.
I ll take that as a compliment, Sloan replied and exchanged a quick glance
with Trey.
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You should, Laredo replied. I meant it as one.
Thank you.
I ll call Cat and make sure she has a guest room ready when you arrive,
Jessy said to Trey, then clarified, You are driving back tonight, aren t
you?
He nodded. As soon as the last rider touches the ground.
Laredo and I will be leaving before that, she told him and smiled at Sloan.
I ll see you later tonight at The Homestead.
I m looking forward to it, Sloan echoed.
Trey touched her arm. We d better go if you want to grab something to eat
before the action starts.
Of course. Sloan let Trey draw her away.
Be careful on the road, his mother offered in parting.
Always, Trey responded with his usual answer to the admonishment.
It wasn t until they were outside in the pickup that Sloan s curiosity got the
better of her. What did your mother mean when she said she would see us later
at The Homestead? I thought the ranch was called the Triple C. Or is The
Homestead just your name for it?
It s the name for the house where we live. Trey turned the ignition key and
started the engine. It was built on the site of my great-great-grandfather s
original homestead claim, and it s gone by that name ever since.
Really?
You sound surprised.
I suppose I am, Sloan admitted. I guess I never thought of ranchers as
homesteaders. And I certainly would never have suspected that the Triple C
Ranch started as a one-hundred-and-sixty-acre claim.
The ranch has a long history behind it. You ll have to get Gramps to tell you
about it. He knows all the old stories. Trey pulled out of the motel parking
lot. Did you want to go to a restaurant or grab something to eat at the
fairgrounds?
The fairgrounds, she answered without hesitation and absently touched the
camera that hung from her neck.
He saw the movement in his side vision and knew without being told that she
wanted to be on hand when the first chute opened so she and her camera could
capture the action. It was a pairing that always left him the odd man out.
It was her work. A dozen times that afternoon Trey told himself that he
respected that. The pride she took in it and the satisfaction she got from it
were obvious. But that didn t make it any easier for Trey to stand on the
sidelines and watch while she moved from one vantage point to another, always
intent on getting the next shot.
Horse after horse went out of the chutes, some bucking respectably, a few
bolting into a dead run, others crow-hopping halfheartedly, and a small number
successful in dumping their riders. None of it held Trey s attention.
Impatient and restless, he gravitated to the alleyway behind the chutes. He
spotted Tank standing off to one side, buckling on his chaps. Johnny was there
as well, an Ace wrap girdling his right knee.
Joining them, Trey nodded at the wrapped knee. What happened to you?
Caught it on the chute when I went out on that last damned horse, Johnny [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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