The Legacy of Copper Creek Read Online Free PDF

slow smile touched her lips and she grabbed a pencil and pad of paper. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Cowboy, but just for the sake of honesty, I’ll keep score.”
    “Suit yourself. I should warn you, though. I’m considered something of an expert around the bunkhouse.”
    “Oh, I’m sure those brainy cowboys are a real challenge.” Her tone was as smug as his.
      
    Whit stared at the board as Cara carefully laid down her last letters. “What’s that?”
    “Abacus. It means—”
    “I know what it means. How’d you get another A ?”
    “I just dug one out.”
    He looked down at the X and Z in front of him. He’d been hoping for a vowel, and now the bag was empty. “I guess I’ll have to declare you the winner. Again.”
    “Let’s see.” Cara began tallying up the points before looking over with a triumphant smile. “You owe me seven dollars and twenty-five cents.”
    “If you don’t mind, I’d like to check those figures.” He circled around the table and bent over her shoulder.
    As he did, she breathed him in and felt a quick little flutter of nerves. For the past hour she’d been forced to sit across the table from him, watching those midnight blue eyes narrow in concentration or crinkle with joy whenever he came up with an impossible word. She’d been absolutely enthralled at the range of emotions that crossed that rugged, handsome face. And it was handsome, made even more rugged with the growth of dark hair on his cheeks and chin.
    “All right. The numbers tally.”
    He dug into his pocket and counted out the money, dropping it on the table in front of her. “You play this game like a pro. I thought you said you hadn’t played since you were a kid.”
    “What I said was I played this game when I was a kid. I’ve also been known to pass the time beating boyfriends at it when they started thinking they were smarter than me.”
    He shook his head. “I’ll give you this. You’ve got a way with words, Goldilocks.”
    “You’re not bad yourself, Cowboy. I expected you to be easy, but it was a challenge just to keep up with you.”
    “Uh-huh.” He chuckled. “Goldilocks, any time you’d care to sharpen your vocabulary, just let me know.”
    “You do the same.”
    He stretched his arms over his head. “All this competitiveness has made me hungry.”
    She looked over, trying not to stare at those long, lanky legs accentuated in the faded denims and that muscled torso and flat stomach. “Tell you what. We could play one more game, double or nothing. The loser makes dinner.”
    He shot her a look of surprise. “You never quit, do you? Especially since you’re on a winning streak.” After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded and took the seat across from her. “Okay. Loser makes dinner.”
    They bent over the board, each studying the letters they’d fished out of the bag.
    “I’ll start.” Whit set out the word sexy .
    Her eyes rounded. “An S and a Y . You’re good, Cowboy.”
    “Maybe I’m inspired by my opponent.”
    She looked up sharply. “I’m not sure how to take that.”
    “You’re the one who’s good with words. Are you going to tell me you don’t know you’re sexy?”
    She felt her cheeks grow warm.
    A moment later she laid down the word hot .
    His smile grew before he set down the word body .
    She couldn’t stop the grin that tugged on her lips. “Is this some kind of message?”
    “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
    She set out four letters that spelled uh uh .
    He looked at the words, then into her eyes, crinkled with laughter. “Nice try, but that’s not a word.”
    “It is when I say it firmly. Read my lips, Cowboy. Uh-uh.”
    Despite the laughter, she felt his gaze narrow on her mouth. Though he remained perfectly still, she could feel a shaft of heat slice through her veins.
    Silence stretched between them.
    Finally he leaned back, reminding her of a sleek panther eyeing its prey. “Okay, Goldilocks. I’ll give you a pass. But just