How to Lasso a Cowboy Read Online Free PDF Page B

customer. And I don’t go for all that fancy-schmancy stuff. Harlan will do just fine, thank you.” He paused a second, then added, “Sophie.”
    The pink flush turned crimson and washed over her face at the use of her name. Damn. He’d have to do that more often. Just to drive her crazy, of course. Not because she looked so pretty when she blushed.
    She half-rose out of the chair. “I need to get back inside.”
    â€œWhat do you do when you aren’t serving coffee and…what do you call these?” He lifted up one of the cookies.
    â€œBiscotti.”
    â€œNah. I call them bis-yummy.” He bit off another chunk.
    She laughed. There. He’d accomplished his goal. She was smiling now. Even better, she’d slipped back into the chair. “I’m afraid I don’t do much, Mr.—”
    He raised a brow.
    â€œHarlan,” she corrected, stumbling a bit over the use of his name. “My business takes up a lot of my time.”
    â€œSeems a shame, considering you’re living in paradise.” He waved an arm to indicate the sunny sidewalk, the palm trees dotting the landscape, the bay’s beach twenty minutesaway. Like he was one to talk. These few minutes sitting outside were the extent of his time enjoying paradise. In six weeks, he had yet to visit the beaches or watch a sunset.
    â€œDon’t you have to get over to the radio station and embarrass someone else?”
    He took a sip of the tea. “Nope. I’ve already done my show today.”
    He did have a mountain of work he should be doing, not to mention a mile-high stack of financials to review. He also needed to find time to run over to Tampa General and visit Tobias. But right now he wanted nothing more than to soak up the sun. Maybe doing so would clear his head and ease that knot in his shoulders.
    â€œHow disappointed your fans must be.” Her voice was droll, sarcastic. “To have to wait until tomorrow to hear you bash another human being.”
    His ego winced at the bruising. “I take it you aren’t a fan?”
    She arched a brow in answer.
    He chuckled. “Well, I guess I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.” He raised the mug in her direction.
    Silence extended between them. They sat there, watching the people walking by. Everyone knew and greeted Sophie, and a surprising number of people said hello to Harlan, too. That told him the show was growing in popularity. Thank goodness.
    â€œSo what brings you to Florida from…” She let the sentence trail off, the question implied.
    â€œTexas.” He gave her a grin. “For someone who doesn’t like to call her customers by their first name, you’re treading on some mighty personal ground.”
    She colored and got to her feet again. “You’re right. I’ll leave you to your tea.”
    â€œDo you often run away from a challenge, Sophie?” Ifshe wasn’t such an infuriating, difficult woman, he might like the way her name rolled off his tongue.
    â€œMe? Run away?” She parked that fist on her hip again. Given how often she did that, it was a wonder she didn’t have a dent. “If I remember right, you were the one getting bristly at personal questions. Seems I’m not the one doing the running, Mr. Jones.”
    One corner of his mouth turned up. “Oh, we’re back to that now, are we?”
    â€œI do think its best, don’t you?” She gave him a smile that had no hint of flirtation in it and moved her chair back until it sat in perfect alignment with his. A clear signal she was done sitting with him. “Seeing as how we have a business relationship only.”
    â€œAre you saying you want to keep it that way? Business only?” What was he doing? He had no time or desire for a relationship right now.
    He wasn’t pursuing Sophie Watson, he told himself. He was trying to get back at her for her constant rants about his dogs and