The Ranger And The Widow Woman Read Online Free PDF

she’s always right.”
    Her son had asthma, and she was looking for a better place for the two of them to live. Charlie supposed those two things weren’t earth-shaking problems. But they were to someone with not even enough money to get their vehicle repaired.
    But she and the boy weren’t his problem, Charlie quickly reminded himself. No way, no how. He’d never laid eyes on the woman before today, and in a few more minutes he’d never see her again.
    Anyway, she wasn’t exactly poor or homeless, Charlie continued to argue with himself. Her clothes and the make of her car told him that much. More than likely, if she had problems, they were of her own making. She could find that better place for her and her son to live all by herself. She didn’t need Charlie Pardee’s help. And who the hell said he could help her, anyway? he asked himself bitterly. He hadn’t been able to help Lupé.
    The grim thought set off a buzz in his head as he watched her pay the man behind the counter several bills. If he’d only kept Lupé out of that motel. If he’d only taken her home with him instead of leaving her there that night. But like Violet, she’d been insistent that she could take care of herself.
    The buzzing quickly turned to a roar, and the next thing Charlie knew he was inside the office, grabbing Violet by the arm.
    “Get your money back,” he ordered in a dangerously soft voice. “You’re coming with me.”
    Her eyes wide with shock, Violet attempted to jerk loose from his hold. “What are you doing? I’m not going with you!”
    “Yes, you are.” He turned a cutting look on the man behind the counter. “Give her the money back. She’s not staying here tonight.”
    The large man rocked back on his heels and eyed Charlie with a mocking smirk. “Look, mister, I don’t want to get involved with your domestic quarrel. If you want to take the little lady home, take her. But the policy of this motel is no refunds.”
    Violet’s mouth fell open as her eyes darted from one man to the other. “I’m not going anywhere but to the room I just rented!” she practically shouted at the two of them.
    Ignoring her, Charlie pulled out his badge and flashed it to the proprietor. With eyes like steel and a voice to match, he said, “I’m changing your policy this time. Now give her the money!”
    His feathers dampened by the prospect of tangling with a Ranger, the man counted the refund back onto the counter. Charlie snatched up the bills and pushed them into an open pocket on Violet’s purse.
    Because she didn’t have much choice, she allowed him to lead her outside, but once they reached his pickup truck, Violet dug in her heels and refused to go any further.
    “Okay, Ranger Pardee, what was that all about?” she asked, her rising voice quivering with anger. “You just made a mess of everything! Now what am I going to do?”
    He glanced down at her reddened cheeks and flashing green eyes. Even in her agitated state, she was the prettiest woman Charlie could ever remember seeing. But he told himself that had nothing to do with what he was about to say next. “Don’t worry about it, Violet. You’re coming home with me.”
     
    Charlie didn’t know what in hell had come over him. He was supposed to be on vacation. The next four weeks were his and his alone, to rest, sleep and eat whenever he wanted, to do absolutely nothing or whatever he felt like doing, whenever the urge struck him. He hadn’t come back to New Mexico to wet-nurse a young woman and child!
    Even now as Charlie drove east toward Hondo, he couldn’t believe Violet and Sam were still with him. He didn’t know how it had happened. One minute he’d been watching her pay a man for a motel room and the next he’d had her by the arm pushing her into his pickup.
    Maybe his captain had been right a week ago when he’d said, “You need a long rest, Charlie. You’re drained.” For eighteen months Charlie had worked without a break, and nearly six