Secret Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

together did a fantastic job.”
    Unable to help himself, Jake reached for another cookie. It seemed he had eaten a couple of dozen of them already. “My sisters-in-law will appreciate hearing that. It was a joint effort between the six of them and was intended to be a gift to the woman who was my wife at the time.”
    Diamond nodded, hearing the slight bitterness in his voice. Sterling had told her that he was a divorcé. “Did she forget to take it with her when she left?”
    “Nope.” Jake’s eyes narrowed. “She didn’t want it. She didn’t want anything to remind her of this place.”
    Diamond knew it was probably none of her business, but she couldn’t help asking. “Why? It’s beautiful here.”
    Coolly, Jake’s eyes met Diamond’s inquisitive ones. “She didn’t think so. She hated this place. She was a city girl from Boston, and married me hoping she could one day convince me that ranching wasn’t what I was good at, and that I’d eventually move with her back to Boston. On the other hand, I believed that one day I’d be able to convince her that ranching was what I was good at, and that she would be happy here. In the end, we both lost out. She went back to Boston and I remained here. End of story.”
    Diamond’s eyes grew thoughtful as she watched Jake take another bite of his cookie. She doubted in all actuality that that was the end of the story. It was all he cared to share with her at the moment.
    “So tell me. What brought you by? Did Sterling ask you to check up on me again?”
    Drawn as if by magnet, his gaze locked with hers. “No. Coming out here was my idea. I was wondering how you were getting along.”
    Diamond smiled. “Other than my fight with the flour today, I’ve been fine. On my first day I mostly slept in, and yesterday I decided to explore the great outdoors. I even went berry picking. I collected two pailfuls.”
    Jake nodded. So Lowell had actually seen her near the south pastures picking berries after all. “What do you plan to do with all those berries?”
    Diamond lifted a brow as if the answer to that question should have been obvious to him. Since it wasn’t, she decided to respond. “I’m going to make pies.”
    “Pies?”
    She nodded. “I came across a pretty good recipe in that book. I believe I picked enough berries for at least ten pies. They will be my gift to your men. That’s the very least I can do for their willingness to be discreet about me being here.”
    Jake fell silent as he studied her. He was astounded that she was again thinking about the men who worked for him. He shook his head. He wasn’t sure if any of them would be able to handle receiving a piece of pie made by Diamond Swain’s very own hands.
    He downed the last of his milk, knowing it was time for him to leave. The last thing he wanted to do was to get any ideas that Diamond was different from most sophisticates that he knew.
    Jake stood. “Thanks for the cookies and milk.”
    “You’re welcome, and if you’re out this way again, Jacob, do stop by. I enjoyed your company.”
    Jake looked at her and felt that same sizzle he always felt around her. He was attracted to her, way too attracted. Suddenly he jerked his attraction back like a whiplash, refusing to go there. It had been years since he’d had woman troubles and he intended to keep it that way. His love affair was with Whispering Pines. She was the only lady in his life right now. He felt content in knowing she would always accept him for what he was and not try making him into something he was not.
    “I doubt I’ll have time to drop by again. There’s plenty of work to do around here. I can’t very well expect my men to pull their share of the load if I’m not pulling mine,” he said curtly.
    Because he had presented his blunt statement like he had expected some sort of response, Diamond said, “Of course you can’t. And I apologize if I’ve kept you from your work, Jacob.”
    Jake didn’t like the idea that