The Cowboy Earns a Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek Book 8) Read Online Free PDF

about.”
    Luke shrugged out of his own jacket, craning his neck to see what Jake was pulling out of the envelope. Some kind of paperwork and several photographs. Hannah looked over Jake’s shoulder. “Wow—look at that place. It’s a palace.”
    “Come on, Hannah,” Evan said. “You must have been in on it too. Jake couldn’t pull that off all by himself.”
    “What is it?” Luke asked, making his way over to his brother’s side. The photographs showed a beautiful mansion surrounded by green lawns that flowed down to a beach and the ocean. In the background he spotted a tennis court and possibly a putting green. He flipped the photo and read, “The Breakers, Carmel, California.”
    “Sweet pad. You thinking of buying it, Evan?”
    “Hell, no. I’ve already got property in California,” Evan said. “And Bella and I are settled here. This is Jake’s idea of a joke.”
    “What’s the punch line?” Luke turned to Jake.
    “I don’t know. It’s not my joke,” Jake said. “Sorry, man—you’ve got the wrong guy. Rob’s the joker in the family.”
    “I didn’t do anything,” Rob called from the dining room.
    Evan waved the idea off. “You said just yesterday you wanted to buy my house, Jake. Then today Bella spotted a guy drive up and drop this in our mailbox.”
    “What color was his truck?” Jake asked.
    “I couldn’t see. It was early—still pitch dark,” Bella admitted. “But he was tall. Lean. Your size.”
    Jake made a face. “It wasn’t me.”
    Luke took the paperwork from him. It was an offer to buy the Mortimers’ ranch—or to do a simple swap for the property in California pictured in the photographs. As you can see , the handwritten note read, the Breakers is worth far more than your property . Luke whistled. “Well, they’re right; that mansion must be worth ten times as much cash as your place. No offense.”
    “None taken,” Evan said, though he did sound offended. “But I think my property is pretty nice.”
    Evan was right, Luke thought. The Mortimers’ home was nothing to sneeze at. Designed and built for Carl Whitfield, a wealthy man who’d left Chance Creek after being jilted by his fiancée, it was the largest home in the district and beautifully appointed. The grounds were extensive—stretching back into the hills to the north. Only someone as wealthy as Evan Mortimer could have afforded to buy it, but it paled in comparison to the seaside estate shown in the photographs.
    “I’m serious. I didn’t drop that off in your mailbox,” Jake said.
    “Yeah, yeah, Matheson. I believe you.” Evan turned away.
    “Time to get to work,” Camila said, bustling in from the kitchen. “Men—set up the seats in the solarium. Women—follow me. We’ll work on the table settings.”
    Two hours later, the house was nearly ready. Ethan, Cab and Jake were busy repairing the bent metal support to one of the rental tables, so when Ethan’s phone warbled, he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Luke.
    “Ethan’s phone,” Luke said.
    “It’s Autumn,” the voice on the other end said. “I’m ready to be picked up.”
    “Hi, Autumn. It’s Luke. Someone will be right there.” He figured she must have stayed home to rest before the wedding. Nearly nine months pregnant, the last time Luke saw her he wasn’t sure how the woman kept her balance. Her belly was all out of proportion to her petite frame, and he figured she’d been smart to take it easy rather than try to help out with setting up.
    “Thanks.”
    She hung up and Luke handed Ethan back his phone. “I can get her. I’ll bring Mia along.”
    “You sure?” Ethan looked up from where he was unscrewing the support.
    “No problem.” It would give him a moment alone with Mia, something he was hard-pressed to get these days. A familiar frustration welled up within him. He knew nothing would come of it. No matter what he tried, Mia held back. How much longer could he wait for her to change her mind?
    He