The Rancher and His Unexpected Daughter Read Online Free PDF Page A

you’re here, she’ll be glad to teach you. She’s related to Rosa, who owns the Mexican Café in town.”
    â€œI hate Tex-Mex,” Jenny declared.
    â€œYou do not,” Janet said, giving Harlan an apologetic smile. “She’s a little contrary at this hour.”
    â€œSeemed to be that way at midday, too,” he stated pointedly. “Not to worry. It would be an understatement to say that I’ve had a lot of experience with contrariness.”
    He led the way through the magnificent foyer and into a formal dining room that was practically the size of Janet’s entire house. Her eyes widened. “Good heavens, do you actually eat in here by yourself?”
    He seemed startled by the question. “Of course. Why?”
    â€œIt’s just that it’s so…” She fumbled for the right word.
    â€œBig,” Jenny contributed.
    â€œLonely,” Janet said, then regretted it at once. The man didn’t need to be reminded that he was a widower and that his sons were no longer living under his roof. He was probably aware of those sad facts every single day of his life.
    He didn’t seem to take offense, however. He just shrugged. “I’m used to it.”
    He gestured toward a buffet laden with more cereals, jams, muffins, toast and fruits than Janet had ever seen outside a grocery store.
    â€œHelp yourself,” he said. “If you’d rather have eggs and bacon, Maritza will fix them for you. She doesn’t allow me near the stuff.”
    â€œHow come?” Jenny asked.
    â€œCholesterol, fat.” He grimaced. “They’ve taken all the fun out of eating. Next thing you know they’ll be feeding us a bunch of pills three times a day and we won’t be needing food at all.”
    â€œThere are egg substitutes,” Janet commented.
    â€œYellow mush,” he contradicted.
    â€œAnd turkey bacon.”
    He shuddered. “Not a chance.”
    Janet chuckled at his reaction. “I’m not going to convince you, am I?”
    â€œDepends on how good you are at sweet talk, darlin’.”
    Her startled gaze flew to his. Those blue eyes were innocent as a baby’s. Even so, she knew in her gut, where butterflies were ricocheting wildly, that he had just tossed down a gauntlet of sorts. He was daring her to turn this so-called arrangement they had made for Jenny’s punishment into something personal. The temperature in the room rose significantly.
    Nothing would happen between them. Janet was adamant about that. She was in Texas to tap into her Native American roots, not to get involved with another white man. She’d tried that once and it had failed, just as her mother’s marriage to a white man had ended in disaster exactly as Lone Wolf had apparently predicted when her mother had fled the reservation.
    She drew herself up and leveled a look at him that she normally reserved for difficult witnesses in court. “That, darlin’, is something you’re not likely to find out,” she retorted.
    Jenny’s eyes widened as she listened to the exchange. Janet was very aware of the precise instant when a speculative gleam lit her daughter’s intelligent brown eyes. Dear heaven, that was the last thing she needed. Jenny was like a puppy with a sock when she got a notion into her head. If she sensed there were sparks between her mother and Harlan Adams, she’d do everything in her power to see that they flared into a blaze. She’d do it not because she particularly wanted someone to replace her father, but just to see if she could pull it off.
    To put a prompt end to any such speculation, Janet forced a perfectly blank expression onto her face as she turned her attention to the man seated opposite her.
    â€œExactly what will Jenny be doing today?”
    â€œI thought maybe I’d teach her to ride,” Harlan replied just as blandly, apparently willing to let that sudden flare of