Takin' The Reins Read Online Free PDF Page A

stood up, the bell jingled again. A good-looking man stepped through the door. Appearing to be about her age, he had dark hair, bright blue eyes, the face of a movie star, and a muscular build. His tee shirt was smudged with dirt and he wore steel-toed work boots. Their eyes locked briefly. He smiled and then acknowledged each person in the café by name as he strutted toward the counter.
    “Hi, Cole!” the boys shouted, each giving him a high five.
    He sauntered next to Jordan and cheerfully said, “Afternoon, Nicki. I’ll have the usual.”
    “No problem, honey.” She batted her thick eyelashes and sashayed to the grill, swinging her broad hips provocatively. The young man with the tattered jeans frowned at Cole.
    “Still suffering, I see, Duane.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Never give up, buddy. One of these days she’ll have a bad day and you just might get lucky.”
    “Cole Roberts!” Nicki shouted and spun around. Her eyes flashed a warning. “I ought to slap you silly. Stop telling that boy things like that.” She marched over to stand in front of Duane. “Honey, please go find yourself a nice girl your own age to make goo-goo eyes at. I’m old enough to be your…big sister. No offense, but you’re starting to creep me out.” She rolled her eyes and smiled knowingly at Jordan.
    Cole laughed and then glanced at the two men sitting at the counter. He seemed to know them. He gave them a slight nod. They glowered back with threatening eyes. He finally turned to Jordan and extended his hand. “Hi. I’m Cole Roberts. I’d bet my truck you’re Lydia Albright’s niece from Colorado.”
    She shook her head in amazement. “Does everybody know everybody else’s business in this town?”
    His grin showed a beautiful and even set of gleaming white teeth. “Yep. You’ve caught on real quick.”
    She accepted his hand outstretched hand. “Jordan Mackenzie, but I guess you already knew that.”
    “I remembered hearing your first name. Didn’t know your last name. I knew your aunt. She told me about you right before she died.”
    “Is that so?”
    “Yeah. I liked Ms. Albright. She was a feisty lady.”
    “How did you know her?”
    “I’m a contractor. I did a couple of minor fix-it jobs for her around the ranch. Lydia was pretty tight with her money, so when I say minor, I mean very minor. I’d change a fuse or put up a shelf. That sort of thing. She called me once to take a rat out of a trap in the barn. She didn’t much care for rodents, she said. I usually ended up staying for coffee and we’d visit.”
    Jordan slid him a sly smile. “Did you ever think maybe she simply wanted the company?”
    When he grinned, his entire face lit up. “Yeah, I did, and I was happy to oblige. From what I could tell, she stayed to herself a lot. But she was a nice lady. I enjoyed talking with her now and then. I’d like to offer my condolences on your loss.”
    “Thank you. I appreciate it, but the truth is you knew her better than I did.”
    His eyebrows arched in surprise. “What do you mean?” He took a sip from the soft drink Nicki had set in front of him.
    Jordan explained, giving the short version. “I hadn’t seen my aunt in many years. I was a child the last time. I barely remember anything about her.”
    “You don’t say?” Cole spun on the stool and grabbed one of the young boys who’d snuck up behind him and started tickling him in the ribs. The boy had tapped him on the shoulder as a joke and was now laughing like a hyena and trying to catch his breath. When Cole released him, the boy rejoined his buddies and they all laughed and went back to their fries. Turning his attention back to Jordan, Cole jumped to another subject.
    “What are you doing tomorrow? You just got here, right? I’d be glad to show you around the area. I’m a great tour guide.”
    She eyed him askance. “You have a short attention span, don’t you?”
    The grin he flashed was sheepish. “Sorry. I get nervous around pretty