Commando Cowboys Entice Their Beauty [Wyoming Warriors 6] Read Online Free Page B

of the third tribe, and we care about your daughter’s welfare.”
    “I see. Come in and have dinner with the family. My sons are in that car coming down the road. We’ll be sitting down to the table in a few minutes.”
    “We’d like to meet Jewel’s family. Let me call Mitch and notify them Jewel is all right and that we’re staying for dinner,” Raoul said. He stepped to the side and called.
    Aleron moved up the steps and followed Jewel and her father inside. Raoul was right behind.
    Jewel hadn’t believed they’d accept. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and her heartbeat raced. She wasn’t sure if it was their effect on her or her worrying about her family’s reaction to them.
    Her brothers, Payton and Joe, looked surprised at the guests but didn’t comment. They waved and hurried to shower before dinner. Dad introduced Aleron and Raoul to Mom and her sister and sister-in-law. Once her brothers returned, Mom shuffled them all into the dining room to sit.
    After the rest of the introductions, Mom motioned for them to start passing the dishes. Raoul and Aleron managed to sit on either side of Jewel. Her mom’s eyes sparkled. Jewel knew she thought finally Jewel had some admirers. She had been encouraging Jewel to find a husband or husbands and settle down. Joe had married last year and her sister, Mary, two years ago. Mary’s husband was a firefighter and still out monitoring the last of the fire. Their mother’s mission was to see Jewel and Payton married.
    “You’re very quiet,” Raoul said.
    “You’ll see my family is able to carry on the conversation without my help.”
    Payton looked across the table at Raoul. “You and your firefighters were a big help today. We were lucky. I don’t know who sounded the alarm, but if we’d been any later we’d have lost more land and maybe people.”
    “Rae had a dream about dawn,” Jewel said. Then she wished she hadn’t when all eyes turned to her. “Rae told me while I was at the ranch house today.”
    “And Jewel sounded the alarm,” Raoul told her family. Jewel frowned at him. “They should know. You were our hero.”
    “Jewel, we’re so happy for you,” Mary said. “You two might not know, but Jewel hasn’t got the usual enhanced senses most of us have. I believe that may be why she lives in Oregon.”
    Damn, will Mary never stop talking? Jewel glanced at her father, but he didn’t look worried.
    “We’ve all tried to watch out for her. She hates our protectiveness, but we saw her as being more vulnerable than the rest of us,” Payton explained.
    “I see.” Aleron glanced at Jewel. “No special gifts?”
    “None!” She glared at him.
    “We don’t care.” Raoul put his arm around her. “We like you anyway.” His teasing glint annoyed her.
    Mary blushed. “I’m sorry if I spoke out of line.”
    Jewel realized Mary had always been the one to bring up her deficiencies. She looked from her sister to their father. Mary probably noticed her and their father talking out on the porch earlier. Did Mary resent the close tie between Jewel and their father?
    Mom spoke up. “How do you like the cabin?”
    “I like the tiny bit I saw of it. Mitch made me stay with Sara and Rae at the ranch house.”
    When Aleron began to speak, Jewel knew what he was going to say. She hit his thigh under the table. He raised an eyebrow then faced the family and told them of her actions earlier in the morning to save Rae and Sara.
    “Wow, you’ve had a big day, sis.” Joe smiled at her.
    “You weren’t going to tell us,” Payton said. “We all brag on ourselves. But you’ve always been the quiet one.” His love for her shone in his eyes. She and Payton were the closest.
    She hadn’t minded his being protective.
    The dinner went on forever. Aleron teased her by keeping his leg, the one she’d slapped, up against her leg. Raoul had noticed what happened, and he rubbed the opposite thigh. Her body was aching with desire. Her face had to be