Cardwell Ranch Trespasser Read Online Free PDF Page A

horses walked down a narrow dirt road side by side.
    The real Dee Anna Justice had never been exactly forthcoming about her life growing up. But she’d always gotten the feeling that something had happened, some secret that made Dee Anna not want to talk about her life.
    She’d found that amusing, since she would put her childhood secrets up against the real Dee Anna Justice’s any day—and win hands down, she was sure.
    “It wasn’t like this, ” Dee said now in answer to his question. Then she quickly asked, “Did you grow up here? I get the feeling that you and Dana have always known each other.”
    “My father was the marshal,” Hud said. “I grew up just down the road from here. Dana and I go way back.” Something in his tone told her that there had been some problem before they’d gotten together. Another woman? Or another man?
    Dee made a mental note to see what she could find out from the sister, Stacy. She’d only seen her for a few minutes, but Dee could tell at once that Stacy and Dana were nothing alike. And while the two seemed close, she got the feeling there was some sort of old friction there.
    She’d spent her life reading people to survive. Some people were literally an open book. If they didn’t tell you their life story, you could pretty well guess it.
    Glancing over at the cowboy beside her, she knew he was honorable, loyal and trustworthy. She considered what it would take to corrupt a man like that.
    * * *
    H ILDE PUT THE Open sign in her shop window. As she did, she glanced at the deli across the street. She’d gotten used to seeing Deputy Marshal Colt Dawson sitting in that front window and was a little surprised to find someone else sitting there this morning.
    It surprised her also that she was disappointed.
    She shook it off, chastising herself.
    “Colt has a crush on you,” Dana had said a few days before. “Hud says he hasn’t dated a single woman since he asked you out and you turned him down.”
    “I’m sure he’ll snap out of it soon,” Hilde had said. Colt Dawson could have any woman he wanted—and had. The man was too handsome for his own good. He’d gotten his straight, thick black hair from his father, who was Native American, and his startling blue eyes from his Irish mother. On top of that, he was tall, broad-shouldered with slim hips and long legs, and he had this grin that...
    Hilde shook herself again, shocked that she’d let her thoughts go down that particular trail. It was flattering that Colt had asked her out, but she was his age, and he hadn’t dated a woman his own age since he’d come to Big Sky, let alone one who was looking for something more than a good time.
    As she started to turn away from the front window of her store, she saw the man at the deli’s front table get up and leave. Colt Dawson quickly took his place, his blue-eyed gaze coming up suddenly as if he knew she would be standing there.
    Hilde quickly stepped back, but she couldn’t help smiling as she hurried to the counter at the back of the store.
    A moment later the bell jangled as someone came in the front door. Her heart took off like a shot as she turned, half expecting to see Colt.
    “Just need some black thread,” said one of her older patrons. “It’s amazing how hard it is to keep black thread in the house.”
    Hilde hurried to help the woman. When she looked out the window again, the front table at the deli was empty, Colt long gone.
    “Why didn’t you go out with him?” Dana had asked her. “What would it have hurt?”
    She hadn’t had an answer at that moment. But she did now. A man like Colt Dawson was capable of breaking her heart.
    * * *
    D EE HATED IT when the horseback ride ended, even though she could definitely feel her muscles rebelling. She’d insisted on helping as Hud unsaddled the horses and put them in the corral. Helping might have been inaccurate. She’d stood around, asked questions without listening to the answers and studied the man,