Read The Rancher's Second Chance for Free Online

morning,” Cole said, clearing his throat. Gage was right. He was the best damn friend a guy could ever ask for.
    “Can one of you guys help me over here?” They both turned to Melanie who was standing with her hands on her hips, perched on the dining room table. Cole opened his mouth, but Gage had already scurried over to the woman.
    “What can I do for ya’ darlin’?”
    Cole rolled his eyes. His friend was laying it on as thick as the butter on Mrs. H’s biscuits. Melanie didn’t seem to mind; she let out a soft laugh that he found inexplicably appealing. Cole stood watching as his friend hopped up onto the table and basically became the wedding planner’s assistant. He didn’t know why this bothered him. His friend, whom he’d never even seen anywhere near a flower before, was now helping her tuck some roses around the candelabra and offering his opinion on their placement.
    Melanie took a step back a moment later and stared up at the chandelier. “That’s perfect; thank you, Gage.”
    “My pleasure,” his friend said in that stupid voice again. He jumped off the table and then held out his hand for Melanie. She took it, but instead of just helping her down, he watched incredulously as his friend put his hands on her waist and lifted her down.
    Cole walked over to them. Enough was enough. They had work to get done today, and just because Gage thought he could put the moves on Melanie didn’t mean he needed to witness it.
    “Are you done, Gage, or do you want to tuck some flowers in your hair?”
    His friend ignored him. “Anything else you need help with, Mel?”
    “I do need to get up to the chapel. That’s really important. I have some measurements that need to be confirmed.”
    “I can take you.”
    “No you can’t,” Cole snapped before he could stop himself. He caught the gleam in his friend’s eyes.
    “Sure I can.”
    “No, you’re busy. I’ll take Melanie.” He couldn’t believe he’d just said that out loud. And by the looks of things, neither could they. He was doing it because she was Cori’s friend and he was trying to save her from Gage. That was all.
    Melanie’s eyes darted back and forth between them. “I don’t mean to be a nuisance.”
    “Not at all. Cole just mopes around on Saturday anyway,” Gage said smoothly, beating him to saying something even remotely pleasant. Cole held on to every choice curse he had for his friend and just clenched down on his back teeth.
    “Great, well I’ll just get my bags.”
    “I can get them for you, Mel,” Gage said walking toward the door.
    “Make yourself useful and saddle up Cinnamon,” Cole called out. Gage gave him a salute and walked out of the room.
    “Wait. No. No, I’m not riding a horse,” Melanie said.
    Cole sighed roughly. He had a feeling they were about to get a glimpse of high-maintenance Mel.
    …
    “Cinnamon is Cori’s horse. She won’t mind if you ride her.”
    Melanie’s eyes widened. No way in hell was she getting on a horse. “While I’m sure Cinnamon is very lovely, I think I’ll pass. Thank you.”
    Cole shoved his hands in his jeans looking disgruntled. Unfortunately for him she had no intention of changing her mind.
    “Pass?”
    “No horse. You know, come to think of it,” she said, trying to sound excited as she walked away from him to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The vast pasture and the sight of the mountains, massive and majestic in the distance, almost made her believe the lie she was about to tell. “I think I’d love to walk in the brisk, cold, country air. I really don’t get out much and a nice stroll on a day like today—”
    “First off, a day like today is freezing. Just standing on the front porch I can smell the snow coming. We may be in for a storm. And secondly I don’t have all day to wait the two hours it would take you to hike up there.”
    “It wouldn’t take two hours.”
    His brown eyes slowly moved from the tip of her head to her toes, which