Cowboy Redemption (Down Under Cowboy Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

residents. 
    They all make sounds of enthusiastic agreement.  Thirty minutes later we arrive and immediately get stuck into the jobs that need doing.  I spend the morning supervising and helping to clean up.  By the end of the day, I’m filthy dirty, covered in sweat, dust, concrete and mud.  My fingers have splinters in them, thanks to a piece of timber, and my feet are killing me. 
    But, as I look around the site, and see the exhausted, but still smiling faces of the residents, a sense of achievement and pride fills my chest.  Everyone pulled their weight today and no one complained, despite the heat and the laborious conditions. 
    When the sun begins to dip beneath the trees, we all collapse onto some makeshift seating and take a breather.  I’m handed a cold bottle of water from someone, and I take it gratefully.
    “Thanks so much for your help today, guys.  We should be finished tomorrow, that means folks can start moving into their homes and getting on with their lives.  You should all be incredibly proud of yourselves for the impact you’re having on these people’s lives.  Congratulations,” Mitch says. 
    I look around the group of residents, and even though they look tired and exhausted, they also look extremely happy and there are plenty of smiles to be seen.
    Kye takes a seat next to me and I give him a weary smile before gulping the rest of my drink.
    He’s wearing a white tank top that is covered in dirt and sweat.  It shows off his incredibly thick biceps and highlights the tribal tattoo that runs from his left shoulder to his wrist.  I’d like to spend more time examining the ink, but that would be inappropriate, so a quick glance here and there will have to suffice.  His dark navy jeans fit him well.  Not too tight, not too loose.  On his feet is a pair of heavy-duty lace-up work boots.
    I’m suddenly annoyed at how gorgeous I think he looks.  I shouldn’t be having thoughts like that.  In the past, I made a lot of errors when it came to guys.  Two years ago, I promised myself I was going to change.  So along with my job, my clothes, my lifestyle, my everything , I also changed my attitude to men.  I don’t need a man – even though I spent most of my life thinking I did.  I actually don’t, and once I realized that, it was liberating.  For the first time since I began my new life, I have an attraction to a member of the opposite sex.
    It’s scary.  To be honest, I don’t want to slip back into my old ways.  Ways of thinking that only a man can make me happy.  Thinking only a man can make me feel complete.  I have done the emotional work, looked deep inside myself and discovered I’m the only one who can make myself complete.  But, what if all it takes is one hot guy and I’m back to my old self?  I don’t want that to happen.  It’s frightening.
    Kye turning toward me and slightly nudging my knee with his pulls me from my internal struggle. 
    “You did good today, Kennedy,” he compliments me and my chest warms.
    “Thank you.  It’s backbreaking work, but so rewarding.  Seeing this entire project come together has me wishing I were part of it from the beginning.”
    “I don’t know what I’ll do when it’s done.  I’m so used to coming here everyday,” he comments casually, but I can sense the underlying melancholy in his tone.
    “I’m sure you’ll find something to occupy your time.  You can always come and help me teach the kids how to bake,” I offer with a laugh.
    He flexes his generous muscles and jokes, “I’d break the whisk if I let the guns loose.”
    I laugh and bump into him with my shoulder. Suddenly feeling a little self-conscious, though why, I’m not entirely sure, I duck my head and bite back a smile before tucking my hair behind my ear.
    I feel awkward.  It’s a strange feeling for a thirty-something year old woman who, growing up, was popular, full of confidence and had a tonne of friends.  I’m not the same person I