Read A Bride For Abel Greene for Free Online Page A

fine. Maybe we can do something for you, though. You’re not exactly set up for unexpected company over there. Would you like to bring Miss Kincaid and her brother over to the hotel? We can put them up here at Crimson Falls until the storm lifts. Over.”
    Here it comes, she thought. His chance to get rid of them.
    “Not an option,” he quickly said, surprising her. “Until this bad boy blows itself out, no one’s going anywhere. You make damn sure you stay put, too. Don’t go outside if you don’t have to. And don’t let Casey even think about firing up the snowmobile until the snow stops and the wind dies down. She’d get lost so fast in this mess she’d freeze to death before anyone found her. Over.”
    Soft laughter rang over the air. “There you go, sounding just like J.D. He’s already radioed. By the way—did you know he and Maggie are at their cabin? They drove up from the Cities to spend a long weekend. Got here just before the storm hit. Anyway, he’s already checked on us. I’ll tell you the same thing I told him—we don’t need any brother hens clucking over us. Casey and I can take care of ourselves. Over.”
    “Just see to it that you do. Over.”
    “Mackenzie,” Scarlett continued, addressing her instead of Abel, “if you had to get stranded in a snowstorm, you couldn’t pick a better man to rescue you than Abel. He’ll take good care of you. Over.”
    With a reluctant scowl and a long look, Abel handed her the mike, taking great care this time to avoid touching her hand.
    “Thanks, Scarlett,” she said hesitantly. “I’ll try to remember that.”
    “And don’t let his big bad wolf routine intimidate you. It’s all an act. Over.”
    “Thanks again,” she said, and unable to resist she added, “I’ll keep that in mind the next time he bares his teeth.”
    Scarlett laughed again. “Atta girl. Something tells me you can handle yourself just fine with him. Where are you from by the way? Over.”
    “California” popped out before she thought about it. The look Abel gave her made her wish she hadn’t said it.
    “California?” More than polite curiosity colored Scarlett’s surprised response. A short pause followed. “Abel...I thought J.D. said—”
    Before she could finish, he commandeered the mike again. “Time to sign off. I don’t want to tie up the airwaves, in case someone needs help. Let me hear from you if you need anything. Over and out.”
    With a flip of the switch, he broke the connection and backed away from the desk. He moved so quickly Mackenzie felt the air stir like a cool breeze around her. She could almost picture Scarlett on the other end of the line, frowning at the sudden silence and Abel’s puzzling abruptness.
    “Why do I feel like rm the family secret no one wants to talk about?” she mumbled with a final glance at the radio. And why was she getting the impression that in addition to J.D. and Maggie Hazzard, Scarlett Morgan would like to see Abel Greene join the ranks of the happily-ever-after crowd?
    She filed the bit of information away. It could come in handy if push came to shove and he balked at keeping the bargain. The Hazzards and Scarlett Morgan might prove to be just the allies she needed.
    It won’t come to that, she told herself as she turned to leave the room—and ran smack into the solid wall of Abel Greene’s chest.
    His hands shot out to steady her, but not before she’d lost her balance and landed flush against him. Everything registered at once. The feel of those huge hands cupping her upper arms. The heat of him. His dark, woodsy scent. A powerful strength countered by an innate gentleness. The unsteady, heavy pounding of his heart against her breasts.
    She drew a deep breath. When her own heart rate evened out, she looked up at his face, not knowing what to expect.
    His eyes were closed, his jaw clenched. And the hands that held her both steady and captive, tightened before they loosened and he set her away.
    “We have to