Read Any Thursday (Donovans of the Delta) for Free Online Page B

Raking her hand through her disheveled hair, she looked him squarely in the eye. “That was a nice try, Jim, but I’m not touched.”
    He roared with mirth. “You lie so beautifully. If it wasn’t for that bedroom look in your eyes, I’d almost believe you.” He turned away nonchalantly and reached for the reins of his horse.
    “What are you doing?”
    “I thought I’d catch that white stallion so you’d have a ride back to the barn” —he vaulted onto the filly and grinned down at her— “unless you have another mount in mind.”
    Hannah suppressed her grin. Jim’s wickedness reminded her of her own irrepressible brothers, especially Tanner and Jacob. Besides that, his devil-may-care attitude helped dilute the spell of passion she was under.
    “If that’s an offer to ride with you, I’ll stay here with the snakes.”
    “You’re more than a match for them, Hannah.”
    “Why, thank you. You say the most romantic things.”
    “I try.”
    “By the way, I expect that’s all you’ll be doing with El Diablo—trying. Tanner and I are the only ones who can handle him.”
    Jim chuckled. “Yesterday when Tanner showed me his horses, I had the stallion eating out of my hand. I’ll be back before you can miss me, Hannah.”
    She shaded her eyes against the sun and watched Jim ride toward the stallion. Just as she had predicted, El Diablo bolted at Jim’s approach. She wasn’t sure what happened next. All she knew was that she’d witnessed another example of Jim’s remarkable horsemanship. The sound of pounding horse’s hooves echoed around the pasture as the small chestnut filly closed on the stallion. Suddenly Jim was in the air, flying across the space between the horses. Then he was in El Diablo’s saddle.
    The stallion, recognizing a master’s touch, trotted obediently back to the creek, proudly bearing his new rider and leading the filly.
    Jim slid from the saddle, lifted Hannah off her feet, and set her unceremoniously on the filly. “The stallion is too much horse for you to handle, wildcat.”
    Before Hannah could protest, he was trotting off, leading her bridle as if she were a child. No man ever had dared treat her in such a high-handed manner. But then, no other man was called the West Coast Warrior. It was more than a name, she thought: It was a description. Jim Roman was a warrior in every sense of the word.
    “Are you taking me captive?”
    “The thought did occur to me.” He moved the big stallion in close enough to pat Hannah’s cheek. “But I prefer that you come to me.”
    She fought the quick rush of desire that surged through her. “Never.”
    He quirked an eyebrow upward in that sardonic, wicked way of his and grinned.
    Hannah knew she had been bested. Instead of feeling anger, she felt a strange kind of triumph. On the heels of the triumph came the old wariness.
    Turning her head away from the West Coast Warrior, she rode the rest of the way to the barn in silence, plotting her revenge for his tyranny.
     o0o
    Hannah was saved further battling with Jim by the arrival of a lavender Eldorado Cadillac convertible. As the horses rounded the barn, the convertible came to a gravel-scattering stop in the front yard. The driver pressed the horn, and a raucous metallic rendition of Alabama Jubilee split the air.
    “Hallie’s home.”
    Jim watched as a carbon copy of Hannah emerged from the car. Wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots and surrounded by two Great Danes and a huge, smiling man, Hallie didn’t merely step from the car: She made a grand entrance into the yard, like a brass band. No wonder Josh Butler was smiling, Jim thought. He was a hell of a lucky guy to have a woman like Hallie.
    His gaze swung around to Hannah, who sat atop the chestnut filly with the air of a sleek, exotic cat waiting its chance to pounce. Lord help the man who hitched his fate to Hannah’s.
     o0o
    The Donovans poured from the house to greet Hallie and her fiancé.
    Everybody started talking at once.