Hell on Wheels: A Loveswept Classic Romance Read Online Free

chance.”
    “Yeah, there’s always a chance,” Roan repeated, holding eye contact with her.
    Her eyes widened slightly, as if she couldn’t quite believe her ears or the cocky, flirtatious grin he gave her. She stared at him so long, in fact, his grin faded and he was the one who looked away first.
    “Your chin is bleeding,” she said.
    “Mmm.” He grabbed a tissue from the box Amos carried everywhere with him, and dabbed unconcernedly at the shaving nick. “Is there time for breakfast?”
    “More time than we need,” Victoria said. “I made some bran muffins this morning. They’re in the kitchen. There’s orange juice too.”
    “Bran muffins?” Roan repeated with just a touch of skepticism as he stood aside to let the other two exit the office.
    Amos surreptitiously punched him in the arm with more force than a sick old man ought to be capable of. But it caught Roan’s attention and prevented him from adding,
Blech
. What he wanted for breakfast were someeggs and bacon, pancakes, maybe French toast, but that didn’t mean he ought to insult Victoria’s offering. Given her underwhelming enthusiasm for his company, she might be looking for any reason to call off the whole trip.
    The muffins, laced with cranberries, weren’t half bad, especially with a heavy coating of butter and three cups of coffee to wash them down. But Roan still craved a healthy dose of cholesterol. After camping with those bear-watching people, who acted as if they’d never heard of refined sugar, caffeine, or white flour, much less alcohol or tobacco, he’d had it up to the gills with healthy living.
    “Well, I guess we ought to get on the road,” Victoria said with a baleful face. She looked like she was headed for a jail sentence instead of her vacation.
    Amos ceremoniously handed her the keys to his van. “Take good care of her.”
    “I’ll be careful. And if there’s any damage, I’ll pay for it.”
    “Oh, now, missy, that’s not necessary. It’s about time Chasemobile II got christened with a few hail dents. Just”—his gaze darted toward Roan and back—“just remember what I said.”
    Roan knew Amos’s veiled reference had something to do with him, but he chose to let it pass. Amos had probably warned Victoria not to let Roan take advantage of her, or some such nonsense. Amos was awfully protective of his protégé, even if they weren’t romantically involved.

    “This is some fancy equipment you have here,” Victoria commented as they loaded Roan’s things into the back of the van. He certainly hadn’t scrimped when it came to his video camera, which was an even more recent model than Amos’s.
    “It’s my living. I try to stay up-to-date, except for that old Nikon. It was made back before everything went electronic. No bells or whistles, but it’s the best camera for a flood or rainstorm. It won’t short out if it gets wet.”
    “Like in a hurricane?” She pointedly eyed his HURRICANE ANDREW BLEW ME AWAY T-shirt, noticing the way the thin red cotton stretched across his chest and the sleeves rode up high on his biceps. The thing had obviously shrunk in the wash. Surely he hadn’t bought it that snug on purpose.
    Or maybe he had. She had to drag her gaze away.
    “Most of my pictures of Andrew were taken from inside a car,” he replied, seemingly oblivious of her appraisal. “You ever seen a hurricane?”
    “No, and I don’t plan to. There’s no challenge chasing a hurricane. You always know where it is. Anyone who can’t get out of the way of one is just asking for trouble, in my opinion.” She knew she was being too critical of him, and she vowed to watch herself more closely in the future. Her job was to gently prod Roan to see things her way—not antagonize him.
    He didn’t seem to take offense. “Maybe so, but nothing compares to a firsthand encounter with thoseone-hundred-sixty-mile-per-hour winds. As a meteorologist, wouldn’t you like to experience that?”
    She actually shivered,