Summer Nights

Thirty minutes later, Annabelle had figured out the walking thing and had even been slapped around during a very bone-crunching trot. She’d managed to let go of the saddle and hang on to the reins like a real rider.

“Not bad,” Shane said as she drew Mason to a stop.

“Thanks,” she said, bending over and patting the horse’s neck.

“I was talking to him.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Very funny. So how do I get down?”

She’d used wooden steps to get up to horse level, but wasn’t sure she was comfortable dropping onto them. If Mason wasn’t in exactly the right position, she could easily fall off the stairs and snap a bone or something.

“Swing your leg over and drop to the ground,” Shane said, moving in to hold on to the horse’s bridle. “I’ll keep him still.”

She looked all the way down to the ground, then shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“You can’t stay up there forever,” he pointed out. “You’ll be fine.”

“Do you know how short I am? It’s farther for me than most people.”

“By a couple of inches.”

Inches could be significant. As a man, he should know that. Still, his point about not staying up in the saddle for the rest of her life was a good one. So she followed his instructions on how to position her hands and then swung her right leg over Mason’s wide and very high back. Holding on to the saddle, she reached down and down and finally felt the solid earth with her toe. She released and sank back. Only to find herself unable to stand.

Annabelle’s arms went up and out as she staggered, her legs too wobbly to support her. It was as if the muscles had suddenly become al dente pasta.

Just before she hit the ground, strong arms came around her and saved her.

She found herself pressed up against Shane, staring into dark eyes that were bright with humor. This close, he looked even better. She liked the firmness of his jaw and the shape of his mouth. She was aware of his hands—one on her waist and one resting at the small of her back. Her body nestled against his and there was heat everywhere.

“Your muscles take a minute to recover after riding,” he murmured. “I probably should have warned you.”

She felt the first serious zing of attraction ricochet through her. It left her weaker than being on horseback riding ever could and alerted her to fifty kinds of danger.

Apparently Shane should have warned her about a lot more than riding.

CHAPTER THREE

“I FOUND IT,” THE little girl said proudly, holding up the latest edition in the Lonely Bunny series. This one—Lonely Bunny Goes to the Beach—showed the now-famous rabbit in a sun hat, on a towel with the ocean in the background.

“You’re going to love the story,” Annabelle told the girl. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“I can’t wait!”

The girl ran off to show her mother.

Summer mornings were crazy busy in the library. The summer reading program coordinated between the schools and the library brought in plenty of kids and many of their parents.

For the librarians, the hours were shorter, but the time spent at work was more frantic. Getting the usual amount of work done in less hours with more people milling around. Annabelle loved when the library was crammed, most of the seats taken and the computers hummed with activity.

Normally she didn’t work in the children’s section, but the regular librarian was on vacation and Annabelle was happy to fill in. The unfamiliar work gave her less time to think—a good thing considering the man on her mind.

She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Shane since “the incident on the horse.” Although technically it was the incident getting off the horse, but she didn’t feel the need to be that picky.

She’d been able to deal with Shane’s good looks with no problem. He was a handsome, if slightly strange, man who was going to teach her to ride. Then she’d seen him joking with Elias and she’d found herself intrigued by his sense of humor. Which would have been fine if she hadn’t ended up pressed against his body yesterday. Seriously pressed, with heat and tingles. A dangerous combination.

She knew that when it came to men, she had the word disaster tattooed on her forehead. She was always trying to be whatever the man in question wanted. She had to learn to be herself. Could she do that? Could she let Shane see who she was and take things from there?

If only he weren’t so appealing, she thought ruefully. Because honestly, thinking about the very yummy Shane and his powerful chest, long legs and surprisingly large hands made her want to figure out exactly what he found most appealing and be all that. Which would only get her into trouble.

“I want the real thing,” she reminded herself in a soft voice. That meant breaking old patterns, being strong and, mostly, being herself. So if Shane was into short, plant-killing women who like to read and hang out with their friends, then they had a chance. If not, she was going to have to ignore the tingles he generated and move on.

Not that he was actually asking her to do anything at the moment.

The good news was tomorrow was the Fourth of July. Which meant no library and no riding lessons. She would lose herself in the fun that was a holiday in Fool’s Gold and forget all about the rugged cowboy with the tempting smile.

A small squeal alerted her to the arrival she’d been waiting for. Annabelle walked toward the children gathered around a very worried-looking dog and the pregnant woman holding his leash.

Montana Hendrix Bradley smiled. “We’re here.”

Annabelle’s automatic “Thanks for coming” got lost as she stared at Montana’s huge belly. “Are you okay?” she asked instead. “You look…”

“Huge?” Montana rubbed the small of her back. “I’m counting the days, let me tell you. I can’t get comfortable anytime. I don’t sleep.” She lowered her voice. “I pee every fifteen seconds. Let’s just say I’m not one of those women who glow during pregnancy.”

Annabelle felt a little swish of envy. “But you’ll have a baby.”

Montana smiled. “That’s the best part. Just a couple of weeks to go and then we’ll have our precious little girl.”

“How’s Simon dealing with the waiting?”

At the mention of her husband, Montana’s expression softened. “He’s making me insane, hovering all the time. He phones me every other minute and treats me like I’m breakable.”

“You love it.”

“I do and him. We’re both excited to start the whole kid thing.” She glanced around at the children swarming Buddy. “Okay, let’s get this started.”

It only took a couple of minutes to get the first reader settled with Buddy. Montana had started the reading program the previous year. Buddy, a trained service dog, was the perfect choice. He had a perpetually worried expression and children instinctively wanted to make him feel better. When they read, he relaxed.

During the school year, Buddy traveled to various schools in the district. In the summer, he was a regular tutor at the library. Annabelle had seen the difference he made to the children who had trouble reading. While a child might be uncomfortable reading to an adult, a dog never judged or criticized.

Once Buddy and the first reader had flopped down on the beanbag chairs provided, Montana rejoined Annabelle and carefully lowered her pregnant self into a chair.

“You look as worried as Buddy,” Montana said, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. She still wore it long, with bangs. One of three identical triplets, Montana was as beautiful as her sisters. All three of them had been married the previous New Year’s Eve in a memorable wedding at The Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort.

“While I have plenty of research material on giving birth, what with this being a library and all, I’m not ready to put it into practice,” Annabelle admitted.

Montana laughed. “Don’t worry. The hospital is close and trust me, Simon would make sure I got there. My poor gynecologist is used to dealing with anxious husbands, but with Simon being a doctor, he’s starting to ask her technical questions. I suspect she’ll be threatening to sedate him when I go into labor. How are Heidi’s wedding plans coming?”

“We’re still in the early stage,” Annabelle said. “Heidi’s getting organized and Charlie and I are doing as much as we can to help. Between the remodels on the house, her goats, the growth in her cheese business and being engaged, she’s juggling.”