Dakota Heat (Book 3 - Dakota Hearts) Read Online Free PDF Page A

looking forward to working a job Ian had dreamed of doing himself. For the first time Sam questioned urging his cousin to meet Adam White and talk about his future possibilities working in some capacity with the Interagency Fire Crew.
    As they approached the dispatch office, Ian stopped Sam. Summer was standing by Adam’s office door. The smile was gone and was replaced with the deer-in-headlights expression he’d seen on her at the side of the road last week.
    “Everything okay?” Sam said as she breezed by them quickly.
    Summer drew in a deep breath as she turned and focused on his face. As recognition set in, she said, “Yes, of course.”
    Before he could introduce Ian, Summer turned on her heels and headed to the dispatch room, leaving both Sam and Ian wondering what had just transpired.
    “I can handle this on my own,” Ian said, motioning to Adam’s closed office door. “You’ve got someplace else you need to be.”
    Sam shook Ian’s extended hand. “I’m glad you came down. Let me know how things go.”
    * * *
    “You look like you’re all settled in.”
    The deep sound of Sam McKinnon’s voice was both startling and comforting. Summer glanced down at her hand and saw it shaking. She stuffed her hand into the pocket of her jeans and turned in her chair.
    “I should be. I’ve been here a week.”
    “You’ve been ignoring me.”
    Her mouth dropped open when she saw Sam was actually serious. She didn’t know exactly how to take Sam McKinnon. In the week she’d been here, she’d heard stories, especially from one particular waitress at the diner near the motel, who clearly still carried a torch for the man.
    “I’ve been busy,” she said.
    He dragged a chair from one of the other desks and turned it around, straddling it as he sat down.
    “I thought we hit it off that first day.”
    “From what I hear you hit it off with all the women. No thank you. I’m not sticking around long enough to make it worth your while.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Fire season hasn’t even started yet.”
    She’d fumbled, but recovered quickly. “I’ll be here this season. But you won’t be seeing me after that.”
    A satisfied smile that she couldn’t ignore touched his lips. “You’ve been talking about me? I’m flattered.”
    She sputtered. “It’s hard to work here and not have you end up in the conversation down at the diner.”
    “So you’ve met my mother,” he said with a smile.
    She nodded, finding it hard not to smile with him. Summer had immediately taken a liking to Kate McKinnon. There was something about her that was so familiar that it made it hard for Summer not to miss her mother now that so much had changed in her life.
    When Summer had arrived in Rudolph, she’d called her parents in Florida. But instead of relaying her reasons for coming to South Dakota, she’d simply told her parents she’d decided to test her training in fire dispatch for a change of pace. Thankfully, they hadn’t questioned her.
    “Your mom is very nice. And she’s obviously thrilled you’re home. So much so that I think she’s forgotten she has other sons.”
    Sam cocked his head to one side. “I can’t help it if I’m the favorite,” he said quietly.
    Summer chuckled while shaking her head. “You’re so full of yourself.”
    “Some women find that charming.”
    Her smile faltered. “Well, I’m not like most women.”
    “I knew that the moment I met you.”
    He was looking directly into her eyes, probing as if he could read her mind. Her head went dizzy and her heartbeat quickened.
    “I told you you’re wasting your time. After fire season I’m heading back to Providence to resume my old job. And from what I hear you’re only here for the season anyway and then you’ll be off to some other location next season. Surely there is some old flame of yours you can play with while you’re home.”
    “You remind me of that quote from Hamlet. ‘The lady doth protest too much,