Long Tall Drink Read Online Free PDF Page A

appeased Dot’s need to see him settled by enduring a seemingly endless string of uninspiring dates. It wasn’t that the ladies she’d set him up with were unlikable or unattractive; he simply didn’t swing that way.
    A horse squealed aggressively in the distance, interrupting the morning songbird’s conversations.
    Ray turned around with a smile he hoped didn’t look as strained as it felt, that the weariness wasn’t evident in his voice. “It was fine.”
    “Fine?” Dot’s bright eyes popped as her brows shot up. “What kind of date is that? Fine?”
    Ray inhaled slowly. “Sandra was a lovely young woman. We had a nice evening.”
    Dot rolled her eyes. She was clearly becoming frustrated with his complete lack of interest in the women she’d tried so hard to match him up with. He really couldn’t blame her. It had gone on long enough with the same outcome: “Yes, we had a nice time, yes she was lovely, no—”
    “Are you going to see her again?”
    “Don’t think so.”
    “When are you going to stop beatin’ the devil around the stump and find yourself a good woman, Raymond?” She threw her hands up and huffed a small cloud into the space between them. “There are only so many available ladies in these here parts, young man. I’ve gone through just about the lot of them trying to find you the perfect ranch wife.”
    “Maybe you should stop then, because I don’t need a wife.” The words escaped harder than intended.
    Dot’s eyes narrowed, and her sharp gaze bore into him. A shiver of fear ran up his spine. Did she know? Could she see behind his mask, see who he really was? Nothing terrified him more. Dot was the closest thing to a mother he’d ever known, having lost his own in childbirth. His father had never remarried and had tried his best to raise Ray. But he had a ranch to run and not enough time to properly care for a small child. Dot had unselfishly stepped up and added surrogate mother to her long list of ranch duties. She’d given so much of her own life to ensure Ray grew up wanting for nothing and knowing he was loved, no matter what. Even still, he couldn’t chance disappointing her, or worse, having her turn away from him.
    “I’m too busy, Dot. You know how it is around here. I don’t have time for a woman.”
    “Every man needs a good woman, Raymond.”
    Not every man.
    Ray held his tongue and his gaze until Dot cowed, ending their short stare-down with a shake of her head. Her shoulders slumped slightly, just enough to send a spike of regret through his chest. He hated letting her down, but this was one argument she was never going to win. The hardest part of it all was that he couldn’t seem to find a way to tell her why.
    “I just want you to be happy, Raymond.” The fire died out of her voice and twisted the spike.
    “I know, Dot. I know.”
    She gave him a small smile and rubbed her hand up and down his forearm, then turned back for the house. “Breakfast is just about ready, son.”
     
    His ranch hands were already seated and loading their plates when Ray entered the large dining room through the kitchen door. The first pair of eyes he made contact with belonged to Travis Morgan—and they stayed on him until he’d made his way across the floor and pulled out his chair. A rush of heat caught him off guard, scoured his insides, and pooled in his lower abdomen. He cleared his throat, tore his gaze from the cowboy who was quickly overrunning his thoughts, and took his seat beside Dot.
    He nodded. “Morning, gentlemen.”
    A chorus of mumbled, sleep-laden “mornin’s” followed his subdued greeting to the crew.
    Once Ray’s plate was loaded, business began as usual with the men giving him a status report on the livestock, pastures, supplies, and any other issues in need of consideration or direction. He tried to pay attention but found his thoughts, and his gaze, traveling back to the sexy cowboy at the far end of the table.
    “Lost some more cattle on the