Shadows of the Mountain Page 29
“There’s no need,” Carter said.
But there was a need, Allie thought. Sharon often confided in her and she already knew about today’s complaints. Of course, everything Sharon told her was confidential and she would never betray her boss. But she couldn’t stop herself from trying to warn Carter.
“At least try to use the guests’ names a little more,” she said. “They really like that. So does Sharon.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he muttered, staring fixedly over her head.
“But I am worried.” She tugged at his arm, determined to gain his attention. “We should have coffee too, maybe some cold lemonade for Tove.”
“Let me rephrase that. I meant to say: no.” His tone was curt and he stared at her hand in a way that said she’d better move it. And fast.
She yanked her hand back, hiding her hurt behind a tight smile. It was wasted on him though, since he didn’t care enough to look at her. It seemed one had to be an Olympic athlete or a horse expert to warrant his attention.
“This is so exciting!” Nikki bounced up waving a signed sneaker. “I got both their autographs and even touched Janet’s gold medal. You’re going to have a tough time catching her, Carter. What horse are you riding?”
“Probably Hawk or Freckles,” Carter said. “Depends on who Monty takes.”
Allie crossed her arms, feeling out of her element. She hadn’t even thought to ask Carter what horse he would be riding. And as she listened to them talk about stamina and big trots and which horse was best at crossing water, she wished she could ride like Nikki.
“What do you think, Allie?” Carter asked, surprising her with his abrupt question. His eyes were that soft caramel color again, as if he really wanted to draw her into the conversation. Or was he being superior? Trying to rub it in that her knowledge was limited to dancing and yoga.
“Is it better to take a big horse with a ground-covering trot?” he asked. “Or a smaller one that can fit beneath the trees?”
She studied him warily, searching for hostility. Didn’t see any.
“It’s impossible to say what ground you’ll be riding over,” she said. “The route is always secret. So I think you should ride whatever horse you like best.”
Nikki gave an enthusiastic nod. “Good point.”
“Kate says it helps to have an alert horse,” Allie said, encouraged by Nikki’s support. “She’s caught people hiding in the woods just by watching her horse’s ears.”
“Hawk then,” Nikki said. “He’s always alert for danger. I think that’s because he was gelded late.”
Allie nodded. She didn’t know why horses acted the way they did, but obviously she hadn’t sounded stupid. At least not to Nikki. Carter hadn’t spoken again but he hadn’t shot her down.
Maybe he was already refocused on Janet.
She peeked up, surprised to catch him staring at her. And he wasn’t scowling as if she were a foreign bug species. In fact, there was so much hunger in his expression it made her breath stall. Nikki’s voice faded to the background, swept away by the scent of man and leather and testosterone. And Allie couldn’t look away. Couldn’t move.
Not until he turned his attention back to Janet could she take a gulp of air. But it wasn’t normal breathing. It was fast and shallow and she was intimately aware of his proximity, so close her skin still felt hot, as if it were too tight for her body. Now she understood why he didn’t bother making nice. With a look like that, all he’d have to do is lift an eyebrow and he could have any woman he wanted.
And it was abundantly clear why Sharon wanted to lock up his photo rights. If they could capture that masculine image, the raw desire on his face after looking at Janet, the ranch calendars would make every woman’s heart pound with hope.
Just as hers was doing now.
To continue reading Along Came A Cowboy, or for more information, click here.
Author’s Note
THANK YOU FOR TAKING your valuable time to read Shadows of the Mountain! If you enjoyed this book would you help others find it as well? Lend it (this book is lending enabled so you can share it with a friend), recommend it, or leave a review. If you’d like to know of special deals or when the next book is available, please sign up for my newsletter at www.BevPettersen.com My family and I appreciate you! - Bev
OTHER BOOKS BY BEV PETTERSEN
Jockeys and Jewels
Color My Horse
Fillies and Females
Thoroughbreds and Trailer Trash
Studs and Stilettos
Millionaire’s Shot
Riding For Redemption
A Scandalous Husband
Backstretch Baby
Along Came A Cowboy
A Pony For Christmas (Novella)
About the Author
BEV PETTERSEN IS A three-time nominee in the National Readers Choice Award and a two-time finalist in the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® Contest as well as the winner of other international awards including the Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Award, Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Award, NEC-RWA Reader’s Choice Award, Write Touch Readers’ Award, a Kirkus Recommended Read, and a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit. She competed for five years on the Alberta Thoroughbred race circuit and is an Equestrian Canada certified coach.
Bev lives in Nova Scotia with her family—humans and four-legged—and when she's not writing novels, she's riding. If you’d like to know about special offers or when her next book will be available, please visit her at http://www.BevPettersen.com where you can sign up for an email.
Copyright © 2017 Bev Pettersen
Digital ISBN 978-1-987835-12-0
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or a portion thereof, in any form except for the use of brief quotations in articles or reviews. This book may not be resold or uploaded for distribution to others.
This is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Editor: Pat Thomas
Cover Art Design: Vivi Designs
Formatting: L.K. Campbell
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