Taking the Bull by the Horns, a Cascade Texas novella Read Online Free PDF

look surprised. “Hey, where’d you run off to last night?”
    Past him, Gertrude stiffened.
    “I was more tired than I thought after that field trip.” Lavender approached cautiously, not sure who to be more wary of. Maybe he’d buy her excuse even though the other teachers hadn’t.
    His gaze traveled lazily over her. “All rested now?”
    She lifted her chin and pushed her hair back, aware of the trio of elderly ladies watching. “Yes, teaching a roomful of five-year-olds is better than yoga.”
    He laughed. “I hear you’re a good cook.”
    She used every ounce of concentration not to blush. “I am a very good cook.”
    “As you can see,” he lifted his basket for her inspection. “I am not. These ladies seem to believe you’ll cook for me.”
    When she looked into those grey eyes, she couldn’t form the word “no.” Where had that word disappeared to? Instead, she said, “Do you like lasagna?”
     
    ****
     
    “You know that boy?” Gertrude demanded once they’d brought the groceries into the house. She was too much of a lady to contradict Lavender’s invitation once issued, but she was upset.
    “I met him at the rodeo yesterday. He showed us his horse.”
    “And he’s the reason you wanted to go out last night even though you never go out with your friends.”
    She didn’t even have friends, really, but didn’t say so. “Yes, ma’am.” No point in lying now.
    “And you told him to finagle an invitation to dinner?”
    “No, ma’am!” Lavender set the canned tomatoes on the counter with a thunk. “I don’t know how he knew that we’d be there.”
    “But you think he was there for you?”
    Lavender turned to put the butter in the refrigerator. “That would be arrogant of me, wouldn’t it?”
    “Lavender, you know what kind of people those rodeo riders are. People who can’t settle down, who shake the dust off their feet when they leave a town.”
    “Like my parents.” Her tone was sharper than she intended, and pain creased her grandmother’s face.
    “You’ve been hurt enough by that type. Why would you think about getting involved with these people?”
    Because she’d stopped being a victim a long time ago, and had learned to appreciate her life, filling all the holes. “I’m not involved with anyone. I danced with him. Once. And not well.”
    “I saw the way he looked at you, Lavender.”
    “I’m not responsible for that. And you’re the one inviting strange men to dinner, so either help or get out of the kitchen.”
    Gertrude eyed the lasagna ingredients on the counter, then propped her hands on her hips. “You’re better at the Italian than me.” So she got out of the kitchen.
    There hadn’t been a man in the house since…well, unless you counted the plumber, who was in his fifties and putting two kids through college, or the air conditioning guy, who was younger than her, happily married to his high school sweetheart and had four kids...since she couldn’t remember. Or wouldn’t remember. Even if there were available men in Cascade, other than the transient cowboys, she didn’t have a place for them.
    Lavender was studying the cabinet, trying to decide what to make for dessert and thinking about how nice it was to cook for someone else for a change when a quiet knock came at the kitchen door. She leaned back to look around the open cabinet door and saw Taylor standing on the other side of the screen, a pink bakery box in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other.
    “I hope you haven’t made dessert,” he said, brushing past her as she held the screen door open for him.
    He smelled delicious, the scent she’d noticed last night layered beneath Ivory soap, shaving cream—was there a more delicious smell?—and shampoo. And that was beyond the rich scent of chocolate coming from the box.
    “I was just trying to figure out what to make. You didn’t have to bring anything.”
    “Good manners, right? When I passed by the bakery, I saw this cake.” He set