Читать книгу Mckinley's Miracle - Mary Holder Kate - Страница 11

If he was surprised the next morning when she drove her car into the driveway of Cable Downs, he didn’t show it. In fact, he looked downright pleased with himself. The kids wasted no time getting out, though Max was stiff and sore from his injuries and Katie tried to act as if this whole thing was no big deal, when they all knew otherwise.

Lucy followed after a moment or two in which she got her racing heartbeat back under some semblance of control. He’d been hard at it already. Sweat and dust clung to the thin cotton T-shirt that stretched across his chest and shoulders. He was potent. Masculine. Rugged. A down-home original.

Clayton touched the rim of his hat and smiled at Lucy before turning his attention to the kids. “I’ve got hats and sunscreen for both of you up in the house. And it’s good to see you wore sensible shoes. I reckon I’ll make farmers out of you yet.”

Lucy watched them bask in his praise. No matter how she felt about Clayton, this would be good for Max and Katie. They’d been dreading the holidays. Soon enough their farm would be up and running, though not on the grand scale of this one. Until then, the chores were boring, repetitive and uninteresting.

“Go on up to the house,” he said, “and you’ll get morning tea before we head out.”

They didn’t need to be told twice, and when they were gone, Clayton stood face-to-face with the woman who had haunted what little sleep he had managed last night. “So I guess you’re not afraid of me after all.”

If he weren’t so darn charming his words would have almost been arrogant. “I wouldn’t have taken the bet if I was afraid of you.” He smiled and Lucy didn’t even try to shield herself from the effect, taking it as a given when a shiver skittered down her spine.

“Walk with me up to the house before all the goodies disappear with the hungry hordes,” he said, leading the way to the large homestead with its low-slung veranda and jasmine vines clinging to the railing. “I didn’t think you’d go for that bet, but you surprised me.”

“I know I’m going to win.”

Clayton smiled, wondering if he would ever get to see her in anything but jeans. She had a lemon-coloured sweatshirt on today and a pair of worn boots. Granted, she did things to a pair of jeans that would give a corpse palpitations, but he’d wager those legs would look dynamite in a skirt.

“Confidence. I like that in a woman. I find it sexy. You know, wondering if it spills over into other facets of her life.”

His smile had Lucy thinking of crisp cool sheets and Clayton…a combination that would get her in deep trouble, fantasy or not. “Just so we don’t get our signals crossed, are you flirting with me, McKinley?”

He took off his hat as he approached the veranda steps. Damp hair clung to his forehead and he reached up to brush it back with a smooth, long-fingered stroke. “I believe that’s what they call it,” he replied, not the least bit bashful. “Flirting is the basis of any good seduction.”

Lucy took a deep breath. Why couldn’t he just beat around the bush now and again without always having to just come right out with what he was thinking?

“You can’t seduce me.”

“Oh, it might take a while, since you’re not quite sure what my motives are…or whether you can trust me,” he said, never once breaking eye contact with her. “But it will happen.”

“I’m not attracted to you,” she said, wanting it to be true. His expression told her he knew otherwise and darn it if he wasn’t right.

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“That’s right, I’ve had a vaccination to protect me from charming men.”

Clayton raised a dark eyebrow at her. “You think I’m charming?”

Loath as she was to admit it, Lucy knew there was no use denying it. “At the risk of encouraging you, any red-blooded woman would find you charming.” His soft smile sent a spiral of heat through her body.

“But I don’t want just any red-blooded woman…I want you.”

Lucy might be one hundred percent shockproof but she still wasn’t immune to a sexy man saying those words to her, looking at her with unmistakable desire. No man had ever desired her. But she could see it in his eyes. Attraction. She felt it all the way to her bones.

“Does the word subtle have any significance for you?” she said. “You can’t just go around saying whatever’s on your mind.”

He shrugged. “Seems to me it saves time and confusion. Have dinner with me,” he said, changing gears again. “Tonight. In town.”

Lucy chuckled. He got full marks for persistence. “You think I’m going to make it that easy?”

“Lord, I hope not. That would take all the fun out of it.”

Lucy bit back a smile. “I meant it won’t be that easy to catch me out and win the bet by inviting me to some candlelit restaurant.”

Clayton held the door open for her. “You’ll say yes to me, eventually.”

And she wondered if that was another McKinley promise he intended to keep. Inside she didn’t get much of a chance to do more than nod politely to the four men who sat around the oblong-shaped wooden table in the kitchen. No sooner had Clayton introduced her to Shay Hamilton, ranch housekeeper and family friend, and the farmhands than the men were plucking hats off the rack in the corner and heading back out to work.

Shay looked across at her. “Coffee?”

Lucy smiled. “Thanks.”

“Boss, me and Charlie will keep going on that other section of downed fence.”

Clayton poured himself a cup of coffee. “Okay, Bob. We should finish it in case that predicted storm blows in. I’ll be down in a few minutes. Harry, you and Derek keep going on the combine so it’ll be ready when that part comes in this afternoon.”

The tall, red-haired man nodded. “Real nice scones, Shay.”

“Thank you, Harry.”

Lucy watched the young auburn-haired woman fuss over Max and Katie, who both milked the attention for all they were worth. They questioned Clayton about everything from what kind of animals he had apart from sheep, to what they might be doing all day. Clayton mentioned they had a pig that was pretty close to giving birth and Katie was in heaven. Max, on the other hand, seemed more interested in what a combine was.

“Will we get to see any cowboys?” asked Max, sipping his milk.

Shay chuckled and Clayton smiled broadly. “The blokes that work the sheep and cattle aren’t called cowboys, they’re called ringers,” he told Max.

“Except Clem,” said Shay, coming to sit beside Max. “He’s what’s known as a roustabout. He used to be a ringer but now that he’s older he has other chores.”

Katie reached for another scone. “Like what?”

“He makes certain we’ve got fresh milk every morning, he tends the chickens that give us our free-range eggs and he’s an expert at slaughtering meat for us. He also does the gardening, but he insists he doesn’t enjoy it.”

Max grinned. “Wow! You eat your own animals?”

Clayton spread preserves on a scone and looked across at him. “It’s no different to going to the supermarket and buying it in those little plastic-wrapped trays.”

Katie cast a wary glance at Lucy. “Tell me we won’t be eating any of our animals when we get the farm up and running.”

Lucy smiled. The kids were certainly going to get an education working here. “When we get the fences fixed and so forth, we’ll probably try keeping animals…but I think we’ll start off small and raise them to sell.”

Katie turned a questioned glance at Clayton. “What about the piglets when they’re born? Do you…eat them too?”

Lucy had a fair idea of where this conversation was headed. Given her way, the girl would have two of every animal sleeping in her room! Even before Lucy could intervene, Clayton preempted her.

“We have about three dozen. Some are used for meat, some are kept for breeding, but most we sell at market.”

“If I saved my money, could I buy one off you?”

“I guess you’ll have to talk it over with Lucy.”

Katie looked at her expectantly. “Can I, Lucy?”

“Maybe when we have somewhere to put it.”

Max grinned mischievously. “You’d better let her have one, Lucy, otherwise the next time she sees it, she could be eating it with eggs and toast.”

Katie looked across at Lucy. “Do boys ever stop being irritating?”

Lucy looked at Shay, who seemed amused by the question. “No,” they chorused in unison, both chuckling at the look of mock disgust Clayton sent their way.

“Max, my boy, we’d better get out of here. I’m beginning to feel like a duck in hunting season,” he said, scooping his hat off the rack. “You ready, Katie?”

She wasn’t, but in three seconds flat the glass of milk was gone and she was following behind him. He touched his hat. “I’ll be seeing you again, Lucy.”

“No doubt. You do have my kids.”

“That’s not what I was talking about and you know it.” Then he was gone.

“Good grief! Maybe I should get the hose.”

Shay’s statement caught Lucy off guard. “I beg your pardon?”

“The hose. With the look he gave you just then I’m surprised you’re not going up in flames.”

Lucy took a sip of coffee. “Really? I’m surprised I haven’t murdered him.”

“Already? It usually takes women a little longer to realize how persistent he is!”

“Well, there’s persistent and then there’s annoying.”

“When he walked out of here you looked like you didn’t know whether to kiss him or strangle him.” Shay laughed and shook her head. “He likes you.”