The Ranger And The Widow Woman Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ll take you.”
    His demanding attitude would have normally infuriated Violet. But in this case she was more suspicious of the man than anything. A few hours ago he’d never laid eyes on her or her son. Their welfare or misfortune was none of his concern. Moreover, he didn’t appear to be all that pleased to be bothered with them. So why didn’t he go and leave them to their own business?
    She tilted her head back to look at him. And from Violet’s height that was a long way up.
    “Are you one of those people who bring home poor strays you find on the street?” she asked him.
    At one time in his life Charlie had been that sort of man. And it was still his nature to help people. Until they wronged him. Then he could be as mean as a diamondback rattlesnake.
    “The things I pick up off the street, Violet, I usually take to jail. You don’t want to go there, do you?”
    She supposed the cynical twist to his lips was supposed to be a smile. But Violet wasn’t particularly warmed by it or his sarcastic brand of humor. It was too close to her fears to be funny.
    “Not really,” she answered tartly, then added, “I get the idea you’d rather be doing anything than what you’re doing now, Charlie Pardee. I don’t understand why you’ve taken my problem upon yourself.”
    He didn’t understand it, either. But ever since the Lup6 Valdez case, Charlie had not been himself. He felt constantly obliged to help and protect anyone and everyone. Even those that weren’t his responsibility. He knew it was an impossible task, and he knew he was killing himself trying, but he couldn’t make himself stop. Having Violet and Sam with him now was proof of that.
    “For Pete’s sake, I’m not making myself your social worker!” he said crossly. “I’m just going to drive you down the street. If you want to feel beholden to me for the rest of your life go ahead, I won’t mind.”
    “You’re making fun of me now.”
    He sighed and tried to shake away the frustration that was making him bite at this woman. “Not for anything would I do that.”
    For a Texas Ranger he was awfully loose, Violet thought, even brazen. But then maybe that was his style, his way of getting to people. Because he sure was getting to her. And the awful thing about it was he wasn’t even trying.
    “Okay, okay,” she said, lifting her palms in a gesture of helpless surrender. “We’ll accept a ride with you down the street.”
    Five minutes later, sitting behind the wheel of his truck, Charlie watched Violet enter the motel office. Beside him on the bench seat, Sam played with a miniature tractor his mother had fished from a bag in the back of the truck.
    What was she going to do? Charlie asked himself for the hundredth time. Where would she find work, and what would she do with Sam, and what the hell did she mean by heading out on an adventure? On the surface the woman seemed sensible enough. In fact, she seemed nothing like a ditzy, half-cocked female just out for laughs and a joy ride.
    Laughs . Charlie wasn’t sure she knew how to laugh. So far he hadn’t so much as seen a smile on her face. But then, to be fair, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d really laughed himself. Perhaps they were birds of the same feather, Charlie decided. They’d both quit singing a long time ago.
    His dark thoughts were suddenly broken by Sam’s wheezy cough. He glanced down at the boy. “Are you getting sick, little guy?”
    Sam shook his head. “Nope. I just have asthma sometimes. Mommy says it’s those damn cattle pens that give it to me.”
    Charlie’s lips twitched at Sam’s innocent use of his mother’s curse word. “Is that so? Did you live on a ranch?”
    His nose wrinkled as he considered Charlie’s question. “No. It wasn’t a ranch. We lived with my grandpa in his house. And there’s a stockyard down the road. But we’re not gonna live there anymore. Mommy says there’s a better place for us to live and there is, ’cause