Should've Said No Read Online Free PDF Page A

signals from women. Had Lindsey been into him, too? He gazed up into the darkening clouds.
    “Don’t be making too much of what you thought you saw,” he said. “I’m not sure she even knew I was the same guy she met the other night.”
    Gran crossed her arms. “Let me guess. You had your old Rockies cap on, a three-day beard, a greasy T-shirt, and torn-up jeans. And it was dark.”

    “It was a four-day beard.”
    She pursed her lips and shook her head. “And she’d just driven in from D.C. to see that she’d be living in Dean’s cabin? Poor girl was probably in shock. Is he still using those pictures from ten years ago to rent that place?”
    “Far as I know.” Several cows wandered over to the fence—Herefords, with numbered yellow tags on their ears. Blue perked up as the cows got closer.
    “Did you two talk about anything?” Gran asked. She wouldn’t give up until she had enough details to satisfy her.
    “We didn’t have a conversation, really. I mean, I was kind of taken by surprise.”
    “Not expecting a girl like her?”
    Not ready for one, that’s for sure. He shook his head.
    “I was,” Gran said. “A girl that could steal your heart.” She let that sit a second. “ And who’d make sure the museum presents the truth about the Crenshaws and the Karlssons.”
    For generations, the Crenshaws had been on the right side of a family feud with the Karlssons that still flared up fairly frequently—as if that disputed land deal had happened just yesterday.
    “I imagine she’d see things our way,” he said.
    “It wouldn’t be wise if she didn’t.” Neither Carden nor anyone else liked it when Gran took that tone. But cliché or not, truer words were never spoken. Everyone knew not to mess with Stella Crenshaw. Either you stayed on her good side, or you wished you were dead.

    “But Tansy was at the museum this morning, too,” Carden said. “She’ll be trying to influence Lindsey the same way we will.”
    “No she won’t.” Gran grinned slyly.
    Carden cocked his head and grimaced. “I hate to say it, but maybe you’ve finally started losing your mind. That woman will be plotting against us from her grave.”
    “But we’ve got the truth on our side,” Gran said. “And we’ve got you. There’s no way Tansy can compete with that.”
    Carden narrowed his eyes. “We’ve got me? I don’t like the sound of that.”
    “I’m just suggesting we put those sparks between you and Lindsey to good use. If she falls for you, she wouldn’t be tempted to skew the history in the museum to favor the Karlssons.”
    Lightning flashed behind majestic Paintbrush Peak, the steel gray clouds headed their way fast.
    Carden shoved his hands in his pockets. “I hate to disappoint you, Gran, but I’m not looking to make Lindsey fall for me.”
    Shifting winds blew her hair across her face, then away from it. The cows that had gathered moved restlessly and started to moo. Blue paced along the fence line.
    “And why on earth not?” Gran asked.
    “I don’t know anything about her other than she looks like a fresh summer sunrise.” He bowed his head and dragged his fingers across his brow. “Besides, I’m not available.”
    Even so, he’d spent the last couple days wondering how Lindsey had gotten into his head when no other girl had…since Amanda.

    And that was years ago.
    Everyone except Gran and his late grandfather, Pops, thought Carden had never been in love. He even got teased about it, as if he couldn’t relate to anyone who was. But he’d been in love all right.
    Lesson learned.
    By the time Carden had graduated from college, his mom and dad had leased out their ranch land in Thistle Bend and moved to Denver part time. He could’ve headed there, but he’d wanted a ranch of his own. Thistle Bend was in his blood. He’d lived and worked on his family’s ranches all his life, but his grandfather wanted him to prove he could run one before he would deed Carden his inherited land. By