Texas Rose Forever (Texas Rose Ranch #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

charm. “Now, Miss CanDee, we wouldn’t throw you out. We’d only suggest strongly that you vacate the premises immediately and never return.”
    “Can I kill him now?” Cinco pleaded to his mother as his hand found the small of CanDee’s back again. It felt more than a little possessive, but she kind of liked it. “When I was ten, you said that one day you’d let me kill him, and today’s as good as any.”
    “No murder in the living room.” His mother took everything in stride. “Take it outside.”
    “She’s right. Blood is so hard to get out from between the cracks in the wood floor. Grass, on the other hand—all it takes is a hose and some water to make that mess disappear.” Either Dallas or Worth was speaking—she couldn’t tell them apart.
    “I went to Texas State instead of the University of Texas. Does that help your opinion of me?” CanDee liked the big, loud Rose family. Every touch and jibe showed how much they loved each other.
    “Well, that’s something.” This time it was the other twin. “I guess she can stay.”
    “Let me introduce you around.” Cinco put a small amount of pressure at the small of her back, urging her forward.
    CanDee looked around. Besides her and Lucy, there didn’t seem to be any other women. “Does this party seem a little male heavy?” Not that she was intimidated, it was just a little strange. She’d been to a couple of parties at the King Ranch and even they hadn’t been this XY-chromosome laden.
    “Female ranch hands are hard to come by.” He shrugged. “The guys would love it if I hired more women, but cowgirls don’t grow on trees.”
    A Christmas tree with cowgirls as ornaments popped into her mind. “That’s an interesting image . . . the cowgirl tree. I bet harvesting them would be difficult.”
    Cinco just grinned and shook his head.
    “Good to know that you’re an equal-opportunity employer.” CanDee smiled at the group of men they were approaching. “There’s something I don’t understand. There’s supposed to be an after-party, right?”
    “In the bunkhouse.”
    “So why didn’t your brothers hire the stripper for the after-party? Wouldn’t that have been a better choice than having her drop by this afternoon?” Not that stripper scheduling was CanDee’s forte, but a little common sense went a long way.
    “Scheduling conflict. She said something about doing a CIA gig this evening.” He bit his top lip. “Just so you know, I sent her home after you walked out.”
    “I bet your brothers weren’t too happy that you didn’t enjoy their present.” It was really none of her business, but she was a little relieved that he’d sent the stripper home instead of enjoying the show. It was interesting that she felt relief—or anything about someone she’d just met.
    “I think it’s time my brothers and I created a new tradition that doesn’t involve strippers for my birthday.” He was dead serious.
    “My birthday’s in a few weeks. Can you ask them to get me a stripper?” She grinned. “I want a dude, though, maybe dressed as a cop.”
    She glanced up at him. The horror on his face was hilarious.
    “And he needs to be able to dance. I don’t mean a little either. He needs to have more than two moves that he does over and over. I expect some pelvic thrusts in my direction before he yanks off the pull-away pants. It is my special day.” She had a hard time keeping the giggle out of her voice. Cinco was such an easy mark.
    “I’ll see what I can do.” He sighed like his burden was great.
    “You’re a good man.” She patted his cheek.
    It was too early to tell, but she wanted to believe that he really was a good man.

CHAPTER 4

    CanDee put a hand on Cinco’s shoulder and leaned against him as she slipped off her shoes. “I told you I was going to be crippled by the time your party was over.”
    What were the chances that he’d carry her? She glanced down at her dress. It was kind of short. If he Rhett Butlered