Courtship of the Recluse, Linda Rigsbee [e novels to read online txt] 📗

up at her. “I don’t thinkyou could find anything I wouldn’t like. I enjoy variety and I’mnot afraid to try anything new, so just cook what you like.”

They finished the snack in silence. Afterwardhe took a book from the shelf and retired to his room. The livingroom floor could use a mopping and then it would be time to startsupper. A glance out the window revealed that the snow had piled upto four or five inches. Was Cade weathering out the storm? The woodbox was looking skimpy. Where did he keep the rest of the wood? Shewandered through the house, peering out the window until shespotted a small shed. That was probably it. Donning a heavy coatand some rubber boots that she found in the entry closet, shebattled the storm to the shed. Opening the door, she found herassumption correct. The shed was piled high with wood. She leanedover and picked up a block of wood.

A yellow ball of hissing fur flew past her.She dropped the wood and screamed before she realized it was only ayoung cat. She stumbled to the door. “Here kitty kitty.”

But the cat had no intention of coming nearher. “Are you hungry?” She called to him as he hunkered down besidea rose bush with a few brown leaves clinging to it. He stared ather suspiciously.

She shrugged and went back for an armload ofwood. Had the cat been locked in the shed, or had he found a waythrough the old walls? She piled one arm high and closed the door.If he couldn’t get in the shed, he’d probably find some other placeto stay warm. She crunched through the snow back to the house andremoved her coat and boots before entering the living room.

Cade leaped from the couch as she entered.“Here. I’ll get that.” He took the wood from her arms and droppedit into the wood box. “You don’t need to be carrying heavy thingsand getting out in this weather. I’ll do it.”

“It’s all right. I enjoyed the fresh air andI even found a potential friend. Did you know you have a cat in thewood shed?”

He made a face. “He comes in through a holein the floor. I guess I’ll have to put something over it. Theoffspring of some stray, I guess.”

“Well, at least you won’t have mice in thewoodshed.”

She watched as he added more wood to the fireand stirred the coals up with the poker. “Do you ever feedhim?”

Another sour look. “You start that and he’llhang around for sure.”

She dropped to the floor in front of thefireplace and crossed her legs. “I take it you don’t likecats.”

He squatted beside the fire. “I take it youdo.”

She shrugged. “It’s your ranch. If you don’twant me to feed it, all you have to do is say so.”

He jabbed at the fire a few times. “I don’tcare. If you think he’ll make good company, go ahead and feed him.”He stood and returned the poker to its holder. “Just don’t try totame any of those black kitties with the white stripes down theirbacks.”

She stared up at him. He was obviously makinga joke, but she would never have guessed it from the expression onhis face. He looked so tall, standing over her that way. Sheshifted her attention to the fire and rubbed the beginnings of acrick from her neck. Working for Cade might not be as dull as shehad first thought.

CHAPTER THREE

In the next month, her schedule becameroutine. Once the floors had been waxed and the furniture polished,the house sparkled - in an empty kind of way. The work wasrewarding, though, as the house began to take on a homeyatmosphere. If only there were some curtains on the windows andrugs on the floors.

The house wasn’t the only thing changing,though. Both occupants were gaining a healthy glow...and gainingwas the operative word. Cade had put on enough weight to take thehollows out of his cheeks, making him look a good ten yearsyounger. As for Cynthia, her cheeks weren’t the only things fillingout. All her dresses now fit snugly across the bust, and even herskinny legs were beginning to have some attractive curves. Some ofthe money she had saved would have to go into new clothing - andsoon.

Cade was slowly emerging from his shell, butthe cat was still as wild as ever. Scraps from the table coaxed himout even during the daylight hours - but only when she stepped backinto the house. She watched from the family room window as hewolfed the food - a habit that had prompted Cade to dub himScruffy. It was another indication of that underlying humor. Ifonly he would smile with something besides his eyes.

The weather grew intermittently warmer and onone of those sunny warm days, Cade invited her to pack a lunch andjoin him in a ride on the ranch. The idea was especially welcome,as she had become so organized that cleaning took no more than halfthe day.

Cade selected a bay mare for her and thenreluctantly surrendered the duty of saddling. When Cynthia finishedtightening the cinch and lowered the stirrup, she turned to findhim watching her. His eyes expressed approval and the thin lipstwitched in what she had grown to accept as a smile - fleeting asit was. She wrinkled her nose at him.

“I know. I’m slow.”

“The job is done - and done correctly.”

That was as close to praise as she was likelyto get from him and she smiled her appreciation. Tucking a toe inthe stirrup, she swung up into the saddle. Cade mounted a graygelding and they headed out across the treeless hills.

After nearly an hour of riding, theydescended the steep walls of a draw and followed it to a smallvalley. Protected from the harsh winter storms, the valley wasalready lush and green. The valley was speckled with healthy Anguscattle. Here and there, calves frolicked with each other, kickingtheir heels in the air and bellowing their delight at the balmyweather. The adults ignored them, grazing contentedly on the deepgrass.

They rode through the herd, which paid littleattention to their passage. The animals were sleek and