Karen Whiddon - Texas Ranch Justice

As he wound down, he became aware of Scarlett watching him. The hunger he thought he saw in her gaze rekindled his own desire, simmering flame igniting into an instant inferno.

Look. Away. Mindlessly, he reached for his coffee cup, gulping down the last two swallows. “I’ve got to get going.” He pushed back his chair, scraping it on the linoleum floor.

Trying not to rush, he strode to the coatrack, grabbed his hat and crammed it on his head. He slammed outside without another word.

Though today was one of those days when he probably needed to take the truck, instead he went to the barn and saddled up his favorite gelding. He needed to clear his mind and get himself straight. Not only did he still not trust Scarlett Kistler, but he couldn’t help but be aware of how the lure of a sexy woman had brought stronger men than him to their knees.

And it wasn’t just that he wanted her. He could tell she wasn’t the kind of love ’em and leave ’em woman who could handle a strictly sexual fling. Which was all it could ever be between them. She definitely wasn’t the type who’d thrive on a ranch, with a simple man like him. Angry that his thoughts had even gone down this path, he shook his head. His horse snorted, sensitive to his mood.

Calming himself, he slipped the bridle on and adjusted the bit. Working the familiar motions of saddling his horse helped. Climbing up, swinging his leg over and settling into the saddle helped even more.

When he rode out onto the dirt trail, he felt like himself again. The easy rhythm of hooves hitting the earth, the warm spring breeze and the birdsong from the nearby trees helped to erase his tension.

His cell phone rang, startling him. Caller ID showed the landline from his house, which meant either his mother or his sister needed something. Despite the fact Travis had told both of them numerous times not to call him during the workday unless it was an emergency, they still did.

Since he still had a few more minutes before he reached the area where he knew the men would be working, he went ahead and answered.

“Good morning, son,” Vivian chirped. “I tried to catch you before you left, but I overslept.”

In all the time she’d been living with him, he’d never once seen her up before sunrise, so he didn’t reply.

“Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about that girl.”

Of course she did. She’d been out late the night before, so she hadn’t gotten the opportunity to bring it up before bedtime.

“What about her?” he asked, unsuccessfully trying to keep from letting his annoyance show.

“Do you think she’s for real?”

“What I think isn’t important. Hal believes she is, so that’s all that matters.”

Her expressive sigh told him what she thought of that.

“I’d planned on going over there today to visit with Hal, but now I’m not sure I should,” she said. “But I need to try to get to know her. I feel like I should try to keep Hal from getting hurt.”

“I feel exactly the same.” Inwardly wincing, he went ahead and said it anyway. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to get to know her. You and Amber might be able to learn things about her more easily than I would.”

Vivian laughed. “Okay, you twisted my arm. It’s always best to keep your enemies close.”

Poor Scarlett. He almost felt sorry for her, as if he’d unleashed a horde of locusts or something. His mother definitely could be a force to be reckoned with.

“You never know,” Vivian continued. “She might be for real. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted.”

“You do that,” he agreed, and ended the call. He fought back the desire to call the main house and warn Scarlett. Where had that notion come from anyway?

He’d just settled back into the saddle, enjoying the natural beauty of the landscape, when his phone rang again. He groaned, especially when he realized it was from the same number.

“What now, Mom?” he asked, by way of greeting.

“It’s not Mom, it’s Amber,” his sister replied. “Did you really just sic Mom on Scarlett?”

“I wouldn’t put it quite that way. If Scarlett’s planning to be around awhile, which she said she is, she needs to get to know everyone.” His answer, while true, sounded weak, even to him.

Amber snorted. “You have a point, but maybe you should have let it happen a bit more gradually instead of having Mom go at her full strength.”

Ahead, he could see the group of ranch hands, loading cattle into chutes in preparation for the work they had to do.

“Look, Scarlett’s a grown woman. I’m sure she can handle anything Mom throws at her. Now, unless there’s anything else you need, I’ve got to get to work.”

“Nope, I’m done. But a word of warning, big brother. Don’t be surprised if this backfires on you.” She ended the call before he could ask her what she meant.

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