Heart of Texas Vol. 2 Read Online Free PDF Page A

willing to make a fool of himself, either. Other men had made that mistake before him. Glen Patterson, for one. The poor guy had come off looking like an idiot at the Cattlemen’s Association Dance. Richard and Glen had nearly come to blows over Ellie, with half thetown looking on. They might have, too, if Sheriff Hennessey hadn’t stepped in when he did.
    â€œGood.” Laredo slapped him on the back and the two went their separate ways.
    Grady didn’t stay in the barn long. He gave himself ample time to control his resentment, then decided that, while he wasn’t going to accept the role of fool, he didn’t intend to just give up, either. He’d tried to make sure Caroline understood that their lunch today was more than a meal between friends. Hell—despite what she’d said—he didn’t know if she even considered him a friend.
    Grady found her sitting on the porch with Savannah sipping hot tea. Maggie sat on the steps cradling her doll. He strolled toward the women, without a clue what to say once he joined them. He supposed he’d better learn a few conversational rules, he thought grimly, if that meant he’d have a chance with Caroline.
    The two women stopped talking as he approached, which led him to surmise that he’d been the topic of conversation. He felt as awkward as a school boy and, not sure what else to do, touched the rim of his hat.
    Savannah, bless her heart, winked conspiratorially at him and stood. “Maggie,” she said, holding out her hand to the little girl, “I found one of my old dolls this afternoon. Would you like to play with her?”
    Maggie leaped to her feet. “Could I?”
    â€œYou bet.”
    As Savannah and Maggie disappeared into the house, Grady lowered himself onto the rocker his sister had vacated. He felt as tongue-tied and unsure as he had that afternoon. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remember that he’d been talking to Caroline all her life. It shouldn’t be any different now.
    â€œBeautiful night, isn’t it?” he commented, thinking the weather was a safe subject with which to start.
    â€œThose look like storm clouds to the east.”
    Grady hadn’t noticed. He gazed up at the sky, feeling abashed, until Caroline leaned back in her rocker and laughed. He grinned, loving the sound of her amusement. It was difficult not to stare. All these years, and he hadn’t seen how damn beautiful she was. While he could speculate why it’d taken him this long, he didn’t want to waste another minute. It was all he could do to keep his tongue from lolling out the side of his mouth whenever he caught sight of her. He longed to find the words to tell her how attractive she was, how much he liked and respected her. It wasn’t the first time he’d wished he could issue compliments with Richard’s finesse.
    â€œCome on, Grady, loosen up.”
    â€œI’m loose,” he growled and noted how relaxed she was, rocking back and forth as if they often sat side by side in the evening. His parents had done that. Every night. They’d shared the events of their day, talked over plans for the future, exchanged feelings and opinions.
    The memory of his mother and father filled his mind. Six years, and the pain of their absence was as strong now as it had been in the beginning. Some nights Grady would sit on the porch, the old dog beside him, and silently discuss business matters with his father, seeking his advice. Not that he actually expected his father to provide answers, of course; Grady was no believer in ghosts or paranormal influences. But those one-sided discussions had helped see Grady through the rough years. It was during those times, burdened with worries, that he’d been forced to search deep inside himself for the answers. And on rare occasions, he’d experienced moments when he’d felt his father’s presence more in tensely than his