Read Her Lifeline: (A Romantic Suspense) for Free Online Page B

attributes right off the bat – her long, dark hair, her curvy figure, her blue eyes that stuck out against her than skin. Taking a deep breath, he tried to think about something else as he climbed into the cab of the pickup. It had been so long that he had been with a woman that it was the first thing his mind went to, especially when one was as attractive as her. He had to think of her as his boss. That’s what she was and he needed this job.
    “You ready to go?” Amelia asked, grasping the gearshift.
    Nick nodded. “You bet.”
    “If you have any questions or anything, just fire away. I mentioned during the interview that there aren’t any other men around, but my dad is there. Like I said, he’s not fit to do the job I need, but he’ll argue with you. He still thinks he can run with the best of them.”
    Nick smiled at the thought. From the little he had gathered from Amelia, it sounded like she had a strong family, something he never really had experienced. Pushing the thought aside, he looked out the window at the winding and lush highway they were traveling down. The Austin area was just as pretty as he had remembered, and though he missed the military, something about that moment made him feel welcomed.
    Amelia turned the truck down a long driveway shaded by tons of trees. They crossed over a cattle guard that rumbled under the tires. “This is the start of the ranch. You can see our house back off to the side and the bunkhouse is about half a mile behind that. I’ll let you get settled in before I give you our royal tour.” Amelia’s eyes squinted as she smiled. “Noah is going to be excited. If he bothers you, don’t hesitate to tell him. He can be a little much at times.”
    Nick shook his head. “Won’t bother me. I remember how it was to be a curious kid.”
    “Well, that and his dad has been out of the picture for the most part since we split. He’s got my dad, but you know what I mean.” Amelia’s cheeks reddened and Nick let out a quick laugh. “And I’m saying too much. You probably don’t want to hear about all of the Tucker problems. You just wanna earn a paycheck.”
    “It’s fine, Ms. Tucker. It doesn’t bug me.” Most times, Nick felt awkward when someone gave too much information, but this was different. There was something about Amelia that made him comfortable. Maybe he had just been lonely. It didn’t matter. Tonight he would have a roof over his head and he’d soon begin his new job. Income, food, and a place to sleep – Nick was fine with just those three things. Amelia’s cute ramblings just added onto it.
    She parked the truck and pointed. “This is the bunkhouse, and as you can see, Noah is waiting on the porch. This is where you’ll stay, but like I said, you’re welcome to join us at the house for all of our meals.” They both got out of the truck and Nick followed her up the steps. “We usually eat early, about seven AM and lunch is around twelve. Dinner is about six o’clock.”
    “Is this the new guy?” Noah asked, hopping down from the railing.
    Nick reached out and shook the young boy’s hand. He looked a lot like Amelia with his dark hair and blue eyes. He was energetic and his smile was just as welcoming as Amelia’s had been.
    “Yes, Noah, this is Nick. He’s gonna be helping us out.” Looking up, she said, “Nick, this is my son Noah.”
    “Nice to meet you,” Nick said. He didn’t have a lot of experience with kids.
    “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Nick.”
    “How about you go check on the horse’s water? I’m gonna show him around. You’ll have time to talk to him more later.”
    The kid nodded and ran off, several dogs following him as he disappeared behind some trees. “Cute kid,” Nick said.
    “Give it time. Like I said, if he bugs you, just let him know.”
    She unlocked the front door of the bunkhouse and led him inside. To his surprise, the place was very clean and larger than how it appeared on the outside. The living room