Rocky Mountain Cowboy Read Online Free Page B

were brief and that she could partially hide behind the netting of her hat. The support and strength he’d offered throughout the service was an unexpected comfort. Without it, she wouldn’t have made it through the day.
    They got as far as the edge of the cemetery lawn when Peter Mason stopped them. Jenny had brought him along in the hope his presence would be a comfort. So far, he’d failed to offer her much. He seemed to think they had come here for a vacation, not to bury her father. Tom had never been too thrilled about her relationship with Peter, and she was beginning to understand why. He was decidedly self-absorbed. Professionally, they’d always been of the same mind, but personally, they had failed to emotionally connect with one another. Jenny supposed she should have realized Peter’s shoulder was not one to cry upon.
    At the moment, she was irritated that he was going to delay their departure. She had held it together for three hours, but she couldn’t do it much longer. Peter appeared determined, though, to introduce her to the man and woman with him. Beside her, she felt Mr. Larson’s body stiffen noticeably.
    “Jenny, this is Brad and Cindy Caldwell,” Peter announced eagerly. “They own the ranch next door to yours. They’re your neighbors.”
    The black clad arm around her shoulders fell to her waist and tightened. The very clearly communicated tension radiating through the man beside her told her that he was not happy about this interruption.
    Brad Caldwell was in his mid-thirties, nearly as tall as Hawk and attractive. His dark blond hair was precisely cut and styled, and he wore an expensive three piece gray suit and very fancy gray boots. His dark blue eyes missed nothing. The smile he bestowed on her oozed charm and male appreciation. No doubt, this man got a lot of mileage out of his polished manners and million dollar smile.
    He took her hand and offered condolences in a smooth baritone. “Tom was a good neighbor. My family shared a fence line with your dad for years. He and my father, the judge, were long-time friends. I’ll miss Tom.” After finally releasing her hand, he turned his attention briefly to the man beside her.
    “Hawk.” The greeting was terse, an exercise in minimal civility. No love lost there, Jenny surmised. Brad Caldwell then introduced her to the woman standing between Peter and himself. “This is my sister, Cindy.”
    Well, if looks could kill, she’d just been slain.
    Cindy Caldwell was a bit older than Jenny. She was also very beautiful, very high maintenance. Her platinum blonde hair was thick and straight and fell to her shoulders in a n expensively styled cut. She was wearing a designer label dress that Jenny recognized. It was cut narrowly to highlight her long willowy figure, and fit snugly across the bodice to accentuate her voluptuous bust line. Jenny had seen enough breast enlargements to recognize them on Cindy Caldwell. In her very high heels, the blonde was nearly as tall as her brother. She barely managed a nod to Jenny before her eyes slashed to the arm Mr. Larson still had hooked around Jenny’s waist.
    “Hawk.” Verbally, she greeted him the way her brother had, but the annoyance in her gaze immediately softened as her eyes rose to his face. “Are you okay ?
    “I’m managing.”
    “That was a beautiful eulogy you gave Tom.” By this point, it was obvious the woman had feelings for Mr. Larson.
    Whatever they were, though, they did nothing to ease his tension. “Thank you.”
    Jenny had also been going to thank him for his moving tribute to her dad. Now she found herself sharply irritated that this woman had thanked him first.
    She sighed. “Peter, I really need to get home. It’s been a long day.”
    He didn’t look as if he wanted to be hurried. He ’d been talking to Brad Caldwell like he’d known him for years, instead of just a few minutes. Jenny knew Peter could be like that. He knew how to spot money and influence. It made him