Read Cooking For Cowboy (Stampede Sizzlers) for Free Online Page B

ranch more each day.” Chad grinned. “I’ll be boots up before they haul me off this land.”
    “I can see why you love it so much.” Sierra glanced across the truck’s cab and met his eyes. “The Garden of Eden had nothing on this place.”
    Chad chuckled at her statement. “That observation is a first.”
    “Well, it’s true. Now I know what they mean by ‘God’s country’. I’ve spent my whole life in big cities. Who knew such beauty existed in my own backyard?” She returned her eyes to the expanse of grassland spread before her. Sunshine reflected off of the white-capped mountain peaks in the distance.
    “I’m happy you appreciate my home and my heritage. My great, great grandfather settled on this land in 1892 and every generation of our family has lived here since. The original old house is now used as a tool and storage shed. The existing ranch house was built in the 1920s, but several additions and renovations to the house have been done over the years.”
    “Wow! I can’t wait to see it. Your home is almost a hundred years old, and I bet it still holds a lot of its original character.”
    “My family thinks so.”
    “Tell me more.” Sierra shifted in her seat, genuinely interested in everything he was sharing with her.
    “The cattle and horse operations have grown continually. A second and then third barn were built, and additional land was purchased. But the same love of the land, and the unwavering determination, and the blood-sweat-and-tears mentality that was passed down from generation to generation, exists in me today,” said Chad.
    Sierra heard the emotion in his voice. Clearly, he was very proud of his ancestry. “I can’t imagine what it must feel like, having all those generations of remarkable men behind you. I’m certain they’re looking down on you from heaven, cheering you on, and watching over all the outstanding work you are doing. They must be so proud of you for carrying on their legacy.”
    Chad reached across the cab and took her hand. Warmth radiated up her arm and her breath caught when she met his eyes. Why was being near him having such an intense effect on her?
    “Thank you for saying that.” He smiled before returning his attention to the road. “I’ve tried so hard to be the man that my father was. And his father before him. And his father all the way back. There has been a Parker living on this land for over a hundred and twenty years, and I want there to be a Parker living here another hundred years from now.”
    Sierra noticed his ring finger was bare, and he hadn’t mentioned any woman in his life other than his mother last night. He was definitely single. “Then you’d better get busy and find a wife. You need an heir, Chad,” she teased, grinning.
    His face reddened and he squirmed in his seat. Had she actually embarrassed the guy? Or was his reaction directly related to her comment?
    “I’ll take your suggestion to heart,” he countered. “Are you sure you haven’t met my mom yet? She’s constantly harping at me to get married. She’s picked out a few potential candidates, too. None of them qualifies in my opinion though. I intend to do my own choosing.”
    Good to know, she thought. She immediately second-guessed her reaction. True, she loved spending time with Chad, and she felt quite comfortable talking with such an easy-going, laid-back, and fun-loving guy. But a week couldn’t go by without her making a trip to the zoo or one of the museums. Window shopping at the mall was always fun, and she loved to jump in her car and meet Diane or one of her other friends for a coffee or a movie on the spur of the moment. She was a city girl through-and-through, totally urban, whereas Chad exuded rural.
    Not to mention, living on a ranch would mean chores. Her idea of chores was an hour of doing laundry, vacuuming, and dusting her basement apartment once a week, not toiling from sunup to sunset. Or maybe she’d just read too many western romance