When It's Right Read Online Free PDF Page A

how to be a real man here.
    That is, if her grandfather wasn’t like her father.
    She needed to find that out before she and Justin got too comfortable.
    When she pulled up and stopped near the house, she spotted a horse in the closest corral. She wanted to kill whoever had hurt that poor animal. Half starved, his ribs and bones were clearly visible beneath his spotty brown coat. He looked like a mangy dog, only much larger and much more sad, because his eyes had the look of a lost child. She recognized that look, the one she often saw in the mirror when she just couldn’t hide it or fake it anymore.
    She didn’t know anything about horses, but she knew a lot about neglect and abuse. She fought the urge to turn the truck around and leave. She didn’t want to be here if this was how her grandfather treated the animals on this ranch.
    All the other horses looked healthy. That was the only thing that gave her hope.
    Two men stepped out of the house and stood on the porch, staring at her. She studied the older man, guessing he was her grandfather. Graying brown hair and mustache, taller than she expected, her grandfather probably topped out at six feet. The old man stood tall and proud. She liked that about him. He wore worn jeans and brown cowboy boots. She should have known. Ranch and all . His chambray shirt was neatly pressed, and he wore a black down vest to ward off the chill.
    The other man’s rugged good looks sparked something deep inside her. A bit taller than her grandfather and much younger—­not quite thirty if she guessed right. His face was as tan as her grandfather’s. He wore pretty much the same attire: jeans, shirt, black boots, and a heavy, shearling-­lined denim jacket. His hair was mostly brown, though the sun brightened the dark mass with gold streaks that made the color shift and change with the waning light.
    Something about him pulled at her. Yes, he was probably the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, but that isn’t what drew her in. No, it was the way he leaned against the porch post with such casual ease and patience, like he’d wait all day for her to come to him. Funny, she felt like doing just that, laying her head on his broad chest and snuggling into the comfort and warmth she saw in his dark eyes.
    Stupid. You’re here to give Justin a good life, not fall for a cowboy.

 
    Chapter 5
    B lake stepped out the front door and stood beside Bud on the porch. He surveyed the red ’57 Chevy stepside truck in the driveway. He liked her taste in trucks. Old and scarred, but it had good tires. The engine purred before Gillian cut it. Definitely a good sign. She took care of her truck. With a little work and some money, she could have a killer classic.
    Gillian got out of the truck, slowly, cautiously, and limped to the walkway leading to the porch. A brace covered her leg from her ankle up to her hip. A hinge on the metal bars along the sides kept her knee in a permanent slight bend that made her walk unevenly. She tried to walk on her toes, but she couldn’t seem to put her weight on them, which made her hobble even more.
    A little bit of a thing. What he could see of her, that is. Honey blonde hair disappeared into the back of the oversized man’s jacket that engulfed her slight frame. The aviator sunglasses covered her eyes but didn’t hide all of the bluish-­green bruises on her cheek and along her jaw on the left side of her face. The bastard. Look what that asshole’s fist had done to her beautiful face. Every drop of sadness wrung from his soul settled in the pit of his stomach for this waif of a woman. So much so that the sorrow engulfed him in a wave that rocked him and nearly sent him to his knees.
    The first glimpse of her made everything inside Blake come to attention. The damage to her face sent a flash of fury through his veins that surprised him. He banked the rage quickly enough and felt his heart warm with