The Manning Sisters Read Online Free PDF Page B

raining that morning, so she’d brought her car.
    â€œDid you know your back tire’s flat?”
    Taylor’s eyes flew to her Cabriolet, and sure enough the rear tire on the driver’s side was completely flat. “Oh, great,” she moaned. She was tired and hungry and in no mood to deal with this problem.
    â€œI’ll change it for you,” Russ volunteered, immediately vaulting from his truck.
    It was kind of him, and Taylor was about to tell him so when he ruined it.
    â€œYou independent women,” he said with a chuckle. “You claim you can take care of yourselves and you’re too damn proud to think you need a man. But every now and then we have our uses. Now admit it, Taylor. You couldn’t possibly handle this without me.” He was walking toward her trunk, as haughty as could be.
    â€œHold it!” Taylor raised one hand. “I don’t need you to change my tire. I can take care of this myself.”
    Russ gave her a patronizing look and then chose to antagonize her even more. This time he laughed. “Now that’s something I’d like to see.” He leaned against her fender and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Feel free,” he said, gesturing toward the flat.
    â€œDon’t look so smug, Palmer. I said I could take care of it myself and I meant it.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t know one end of the jack from the other.”
    Taylor wasn’t going to argue with him about that. “Would you like to make a small wager on my ability to deal with this?”
    Russ snickered, looking more pompous every minute. “It would be like taking candy from a baby. The problem with you is that you’re too stubborn to admit when a man’s right.”
    â€œI say I can deal with a flat tire any day of the week.”
    â€œAnd I say you can’t. You haven’t got enough strength to turn the tire iron. Fact is, lady, you couldn’t get to first base without a man here to help you.”
    â€œOh, come off it. It’s about time you men understood that women aren’t the weaker sex.”
    â€œSure,” Russ said, without disguising his amusement.
    â€œAll right,” Taylor said slowly. She deliberately walked past him, then turned to give him a sultry smile. She narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps you don’t care to place a small wager on my ability. Having to admit you’re wrong would probably be more than a guy like you could take.”
    His dark eyes flared briefly. “I didn’t want to do this, but unfortunately you’ve asked for it. What shall we bet?”
    Now that he’d agreed, Taylor wasn’t sure. “If I win…”
    â€œI’d be willing to do something I consider women’s work?” he suggested.
    â€œSuch as?”
    Russ took a moment to think it over. “I’ll cook dinner for you next Saturday night.”
    â€œWho’ll do the dishes?”
    Russ hesitated. “I will. You thought I’d have trouble going along with that, didn’t you? But I don’t have a thing to worry about.”
    â€œDream on, Palmer. If I were you, I’d be sweating.”
    He snickered, seeming to derive a good deal of pleasure from their conversation. “Now let’s figure out what you’ll owe me when you realize how sadly mistaken you are.”
    â€œAll right,” she said, “I’d be willing to do something you consider completely masculine.”
    â€œI’d rather have you grill me a steak.”
    â€œNo way. That wouldn’t be a fair exchange. How about if I…do whatever you do around the ranch for a day?” Taylor felt perfectly safe making the proposal, just as safe as he’d felt offering to make her dinner.
    â€œThat wouldn’t work.”
    â€œI’d be willing to try.”
    Russ shrugged. “If you insist.”
    â€œI do,” Taylor said.
    Still leaning smugly against the side of her car,