Rocky Mountain Cowboy Read Online Free PDF Page A

a good businessman, but an obnoxious companion at times.
    “The Caldwells would like us to come over to dinner before we go back,” he informed her exuberantly. “They’d like to hear more about our design firm.”
    “And to get to know you better,” Brad Caldwell quickly clarified with another charming smile.
    There was a distinct grunt of disgust from the man beside her. “I don’t know what my plans are, at the moment, Mr. Caldwell,” she demurred politely.
    “Of course not,” he sympathized. “You need some time. We’ll wait a week or so to have dinner. You’ll be here that long, won’t you? If I can be of any assistance....”
    “ Ah, hell and damnation! Give it a rest, Caldwell!” Hawk swore, cutting him off brusquely. All eyes shifted to him. He simply tightened his arm around Jenny and scowled. “We need to get home.” After stepping around the Caldwells with her, he cast a look over his shoulder at Peter. “You coming with us, Mason?”
    “In a minute .”
    “Hurry up !” he ordered through his teeth.
    Brad Caldwell moved to partially block their retreat. “Again, my deepest sympathy, Miss Fletcher.”
    Mr. Larson glared at the rancher and moved Jenny easily around him.
    When they got to his truck, he set both hands on her waist and lifted her onto the bench seat. This time she wasn’t as startled as when he’d done it for her at the house earlier. Between the height of his 4x4 truck and the narrowness of her skirt, there was no way she could have climbed into the vehicle without exposing everything. While he went around to the driver’s side, she scooted to the middle of the seat to leave room for Peter, who unfortunately, didn’t appear to be in any hurry to leave his new-found friends.
    Once he’d settled his long frame behind the steering wheel, Hawk slid his arm behind her to rest it on the back of the seat. His dark face expressed his aggravation as he stared through the windshield. In the next moment, he hit the horn with the heel of his hand.
    Jenny winced at Peter’s glowering response. “I’m sorry about the delay. I know you want to get home.”
    With the extraction of a long pearl-tipped pin, she removed her hat and set it on her lap. From hip to knee, her leg was pressed against the man’s beside her. She considered putting some space between them while they waited, but discovered she really didn’t want to. She was still chilled, and his body was generating a lot of very nice heat.
    “I gather you weren’t too pleased to stop and greet the Caldwells.” She tried to read his reaction and wondered if she had interpreted their interaction correctly. “You’re fence-hugging neighbors?”
    Hawk snorted derisively. “Never have been. Neither was Tom.”
    Her hair was swept up loosely into a top knot. Tendrils had come free to curl against her neck. She felt him absently finger one between his thumb and forefinger. His fingertips were work-roughened, and when they came in contact with the sensitive skin of her neck, they sent little shivers down her spine ; nice shivers, she decided.
    “The Caldwells and I go way back,” he elaborated after a long moment of staring out the window at Peter and the couple. “A long history and a lot of trouble.”
    Maybe, but that woman, the sister, didn’t look like she had problems with him. Feminine intuition told Jenny there was something besides trouble between him and Cindy Caldwell. His statement sounded like the only explanation she was going to get for the moment, though, so she let the matter drop. “You did a nice job with the services, Mr. Larson,” she told him sincerely. “Thank you. Your memories of Daddy were very touching.”
    “ Hawk ,” he reminded her with his first true smile of the afternoon as he turned to really look at her. “And I’m glad you approved. I wanted to do it right.”
    “You did,” she said, her voice cracking with unshed tears.
    Immediately, Hawk covered the hand in her lap with his larger