his run to catch his breath.
“Oh, h-he’s not my d-dog exactly. I w-watch him for Mr. S-Slade. H-his name is B-Blackie.”
Audrey nodded. “Good name. I bet you have a good name, too.”
The boy’s mouth curled up. “It’s E-Edward. No one c-calls me Eddie.”
“I won’t call you Eddie, either, Edward.”
“Thanks.” He glanced at the dog, patiently waiting to resume the game of chase. “I havta g-go. My g-grandma’s waiting f-for me.”
“Okay, nice to meet you, Edward.”
The boy nodded and took off again.
Luke found her grinning when he walked up a minute later. “I see you met Edward and Blackie.”
The sound of his voice hummed through her body. She couldn’t look at him. She stared at the horses, who were still vying for her attention. “Yes. Seems like a sweet boy.”
“Yeah, he’s a good kid. Ten years old. His grandmother runs the kitchen at Sunset Lodge. It’s a long story, but he loves living at the lodge. My brother Logan and I give him chores to do around here. Blackie’s one of his chores with bonuses.”
“I’m getting the picture.” She finally turned to him. His blue eyes devastated her. It was hard looking at his handsome face.
Get a grip, Audrey. You have to see him every day now.
His stomach growled and he laughed. “Sorry. The housekeeper’s on vacation and I’m hopeless in the kitchen. I was going over to the lodge to scrounge a meal. You wanna come?”
“I, uh… No, thanks. Look at me. I’m not exactly lodge-worthy right now.”
He pulled the bill of her cap down with an affectionate tug, just like he used to do way back when. “Sure you are.”
“I’m not, really,” she said, her eyes flashing. She looked like hell. She could hardly believe she’d walked up to Luke’s door looking like this. “I need a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Besides, I don’t want to leave Jewel alone too long. She needs to adjust to her new environment.”
Lucky cat was probably sleeping the afternoon away.
Luke studied her face a second. “You still got cooking skills?”
“I can stir a pot when needed.”
“I remember. You’re a pretty darn good cook. Why don’t you shower and change and meet me in the kitchen. Between the two of us, we can probably whip up something edible for lunch. I really don’t want to beg a meal over at the lodge. Much rather spend my time sharing a meal with you.”
It would hardly be begging, since Luke and his family owned the place. And she couldn’t take to heart what he said about spending time with her. That throwaway line, while she thought it genuine, was merely Luke being Luke. He was cordial to everyone.
She should refuse. She should tell him she needed to rest, but who was she kidding? She had enough adrenaline pumping through her veins right now to run a marathon. Luke’s beckoning eyes darkened to a deep ocean blue, causing her breath to catch in her throat. Unknowingly, he had powers of persuasion that quelled a woman’s resolve. He was everyone’s Mr. Nice Guy and he’d been her own private knight in shining armor. It was hard denying him anything—thus her taking up residence here and working for him on Sunset Ranch. “Okay. I’ll meet you in the kitchen in thirty minutes.”
His stomach complained again and he grinned like a little boy. “I’ll be there.”
* * *
Audrey turned on the faucet, adjusting the water temperature to medium-hot, and stepped inside the shower. As the pulsating spray hit her naked body, she closed her eyes to the warmth and relaxed as she washed away the dusty morning drive. And just like that, memories rushed into her mind of an awkward, lonely time in her life.
She’d been sixteen and upset about missing her high school dance. Not that she was much of a dancer, but she’d missed being with friends who seemed to be moving on without her. She wasn’t happy spending most weekends on the road with Casey and this one Saturday night, she’d let her sour mood get the best of her.
Judd Calhoon and his friend were slightly older than she was and pretty much harmless. She wouldn’t call Judd her friend. He’d mostly teased her about being scrawny and younger, but they’d shared one common complaint—both would rather be spending their weekends at home. So when he’d dared her to sneak out of the trailer that was her second home with Casey, Audrey had found herself eager and willing to thumb her nose at her