To Wed a Rancher Read Online Free PDF Page A

turned around. You’ll need to know how to get back to Ruby’s.”
    He felt rather than saw her turn to him. “Is it close enough to get there on foot?”
    â€œOnly if you’re a horse and you have a lot of time.” Shane might not want to get to know this woman, but the fact that she had a habit of saying things that forced him to hold back his smile wasn’t a good thing. He’d meant it when he’d said he didn’t want there to be anything personal about this situation. He was here to cut the final cords that bound him to this place, and whenhe left he never wanted to look back again. So, there was no way he’d allow himself to do anything he might regret. Not this time.
    â€œI don’t understand,” she said.
    â€œYou need to know the area, because there may be times when I’ll be out on the far reaches of the ranch and won’t be able to drive you back to Ruby’s when it’s time for you to go home. Or you might need to pick up supplies. At any rate, there are a lot of vehicles at the ranch. Hopefully, we’ll find one that’ll run and you can borrow it. Do you drive stick?”
    There was a slight hesitation. “I do now.”
    â€œThat’ll do. I’ll show you the basics.”
    He felt rather than saw her nod. “And you’ll be very specific about what my job entails, won’t you?”
    â€œIt pretty much just entails basic cleanup work and a few photos.”
    â€œAnd cooking, Mr. Merritt.” She was clutching the handle of the door.
    He frowned. “Shane. Just Shane. I’m not sure what Ruby told you, but I know she’s a good storyteller and a romantic. Just so you know, you’ve got nothing to fear from me. I really meant it when I said that there would be nothing personal involved in this job.”
    Now he had her attention. She sat up straighter. “I never thought otherwise.”
    â€œYou’re practically ripping the handle off the door.”
    Immediately she released it as if it were on fire. “Sorry. I guess it’s just being in unfamiliar territory. I’m a city girl and I’ve never been on a ranch.”
    â€œI see.” But, remembering her rather magnificent tirade in the street yesterday and her long walk down the empty road, she didn’t strike him as the type who was afraid of grass, fences and trees. Still, given thefact that she was stuck in Moraine and broke, she had other reasons to want to hold on tight to something, he supposed. Not that it was any of his concern.
    â€œAnd in case it wasn’t clear yesterday,” she said, interrupting his thoughts, “you don’t have to worry about me, either. I’ll be totally professional. I’m not the type who has romantic notions. I’m not pining for a cowboy. I don’t date people I work with. For the foreseeable future, I’m not dating anyone. If I’m slightly tense, it has nothing to do with anything Ruby may have said. I’m just getting my bearings.”
    â€œPoint taken. I apologize for thinking that Ruby might have told you something that made you apprehensive.”
    She turned toward him then, her dark hair brushing across her cheek. He had a feeling she wanted to tell him that she wasn’t afraid of anything.
    â€œExcuse me, but Ruby said… Have you really been in jail?” she asked, surprising him.
    As if a door had been opened, old bad memories rushed in. “Yes.” No point in denying it, but he knew his tone said back off.
    â€œSorry. That was pretty rude of me, but I needed to know,” she said. “I have a bad habit of being slightly impulsive and too direct. Probing is the way one person put it.”
    Great. He’d wanted an uncomplicated quick fix and he’d ended up with a woman who was going to pry into parts of his life that were open to no one, including himself.
    â€œI’ll work on curbing that. Just tell me if I