Page 2 of His Little Pumpkin
There’s something about this girl. She feels…right.
“The bakery here must be fantastic,” she grins once she’s finished.
“Oh, I made that.”
Laura blinks up at me. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I turn onto a back road, smiling harder than I have in months. “Working on a ranch can be tough. Sometimes you’re in the heat, or the dust, or the filth. It’s important for the men have great food. Not just for fuel. For comfort.”
She nods. “I get that. Everyone needs something to look forward to, to make it through the day.” A quick glance toward her soulful eyes tells me it’s been a long time since this precious girl has had something to look forward to.
We pass the sign of the Off-Duty Rescue Ranch. “Rescue Ranch?” Laura asks. “What’s that?”
“We look after retired and abandoned horses.” I nod to the houses near the front of the property. “And the guys who work here are all ex-military, so even though we’re working, we kind of feel like we’re off-duty.”
I park at the back, right by the kitchen. I bring Laura in and get her settled on a chair beside the heater. A nearby linen closet has some huge fluffy towels for when people get caught in the rain. I bundle her up in two of them, switch on the electric kettle, then go back out to bring in the groceries.
By the time I have everything put away, Laura has towel dried her hair and is looking a bit brighter. She stands and pulls off her hoodie, draping it over the chair next to the heater.
She turns away long enough for me to get a good look at her. This beautiful young woman is utterly gorgeous. It’s obvious from the way her clothing clings to her that she has incredible race-car curves in all the right places. At the same time, her skin is very pale, her cheeks are a little hollow, and her jeans are baggy along the bottom of her ass.
This sweet girl has suddenly dropped some weight, and I’d guess not on purpose. I don’t like it. Something is terribly wrong with the world if life has been unfair to this beautiful younglady with eyes like the early morning sky and a smile that sends waves of warmth straight through me.
I’ve never had feelings like this. I don’t know a damn thing about them. But I do know that I’m going to make Laura feel safe and comfortable for as long as I can.
2
LAURA
Maybe I should know better than to jump into a truck with a stranger, but I love the way this hot man stares at me.
There’s a depth in Eldon’s gorgeous, dark blue eyes. Like a small lake that goes unfathomably deep. And I kinda want to dive right in.
I watch as he moves around the kitchen, methodical and efficient. It’s pretty obvious that he was in the military. A lot of men well over six feet tall don’t stand at full attention. It’s as if they’re always waiting to duck their heads to get through a doorway. Eldon stands ramrod straight, his shoulders back, looking ready to take on the world.
He also seems completely oblivious to the fact that he’s unbelievably handsome – while still being rough – with a short scruff of beard and that stare that I can feel in my soul.
I’m suddenly painfully aware that I lookabsolutely terrible. Not that he’d ever be interested, but still… A girl wants to look her best around a gorgeous man, right?
“Is there a bathroom I could use?” I ask.
“Sure.” Eldon steps out into the hallway, then rummages in a closet before handing me a t-shirt. “Here. You need something warm and dry against your skin. And take these, too.” He hands me a pair of thick black socks, then points to the bathroom door.
I get changed, grateful for the clean, dry clothing even though the t-shirt hangs on me like a tent. I pull an elastic from my pocket, relieved to see that my jeans are only slightly damp. With a quick finger comb, I pull the top half of my hair into a loose braid so it’s out of my eyes, letting the rest hang down my back. Not glamorous, but a bit tidier. I also pinch my cheeks to give me some color.
In the hallway, I sneak a peek into the dining hall. Like the rest of the building, it’s simple and rustic, with plenty of polished wood, but it looks brand new. Expensive, too – as if this whole ranch had been recently built with quite a lavish budget.
When I return to the kitchen, Eldon is just removing the lid from a slow cooker, giving me a burst of fragrant herbs and roasted meat. He looks me up and down, and a hint of a smile plays over his lips.
He’s taken his jacket off, leaving me trying not to gape at his thick biceps and the sheer size of his massive chest, clearly outlined under his thin gray t-shirt.
“Warm and dry?” he asks.
“Getting there. Thank you.”
Eldon walks toward me slowly, picking up a paring knife on the way. “Listen, I’m comingover toyou with a knife, not comingatyou with a knife, okay? That spare shirt is from one of our grain suppliers, and they just don’t come in women’s sizes.”
I start to laugh, then my breath halts as he comes right up to me, carefully pulling out the shirt before slashing the side along the seam. With a few quick twists, he knots it on my hip. He’s so close, with his hands nearly on my waist. I can’t help breathing him in. Spice and cedar and pure masculine warmth.
