Page 68 of Stockman's Showdown

‘Um…’ He focused on adjusting the trolley’s load while she waited for a reply, with her arms full of fire pokers and branding irons.

‘I can see you won’t let this go.’

‘Not now, I’m not.’

His fingers softly grabbed the edges of the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders. ‘If I tell you, will you keep using it?’

She shrugged. ‘I’m not giving it back, if that’s what you think.’

His grin grew into one of those sexy smiles that made her toes curl in her boots.

She swallowed hard, hoisting the bundles higher to create a barrier to any of Ryder’s unprovoked kisses. Even if he was a good kisser, she didn’t want him mussing up her hair and make-up. ‘So, the story on the blanket?’

Ryder exhaled heavily. As a man who wasn’t much for storytelling or conversations, she could tell he was struggling. But then, she’d never stood still long enough to hear his stories, so she waited.

The silence seemed long and empty.

‘When did you get it?’ If she asked questions, hopefully it’d make it easier for him to talk.

‘Just before I started basic training in the Army.’

‘Why the Army?’ Considering the guy seemed happy as a stockman.

Ryder peered out to the paddock where their stockhorses grazed. ‘With six younger brothers and sisters, always in my face, I wanted space… Don’t get me wrong, I love my family.’

‘I know you do.’ The guy bought an entire cattle station for his brothers to call home.

‘But I had to get out. My dad got paid to collect junk off the highway. My parents couldn’t afford to give me the education I wanted, and I wasn’t going to get it as a stockman, but I could in the Army. Unfortunately, some members of the family weren’t happy about it.’

‘Aww, they didn’t want to see their big brother go.’

‘So much so that they hid my mail, and I missed my date to show up for basic training.’

‘Not possible.’ Juggling the fire pokers in her arms, she tapped on her wrist, bare of any watch. ‘You’re a clock-watcher who is never late for anything.’

‘Thank you for noticing.’ He gave her a sideways grin. ‘I think one of my sisters hid that letter from the Army.’

‘That’s kind of sweet.’

‘Yeah, well, I was stuck in a strange city and had to wait for the next intake for basic training. That’s when I met Miss Laurel Thomas.’

‘The…’Girlfriend? Now why did that make her stomach churn?

‘The spinster. Laurel was coming out of the shopping centre and dropped something off her trolley. I helped her. Next thing she insisted I push it to her car, where I noticed she had a flat tyre.’

‘So you changed it?’

‘Of course.’ He shrugged with those big shoulders in that tight black shirt, hooking his thumbs through the belt loops of the jeans made for the man. ‘Laurel asked what I was doing there, and I’d told her I was going to apply for a job at the supermarket, and asked if she knew of any work until I could start basic training.’

‘And…’

‘I’ve told no one this story.’ He winced, pulling off his stockman’s hat to scratch nails though his hair. ‘It’s silly—’

‘You can’t stop now.’ She stepped close enough to admire his masculine scent. ‘Go on.’

He adjusted his hat that cleverly shaded his eyes. ‘Well, to make a long story short, Laurel had very little, but she could offer me food and board for doing jobs around her house. Mostly to stop any of the local kids from hassling her, because her house looked like the scary witch house. It was that run-down.’

‘Witch, huh?’ Like Dex called her that nickname.

---