Romancing the Ranger Read Online Free Page B

Breakfast .
    Wade carried the dog and held the door for her as she entered the quaint house.
    She found the country decor of overstuffed couches, quilted throw pillows, and antiques enchanting and itched to explore the dozens of books that filled the shelves lining the far wall.
    The air smelled of vanilla and baking bread, and the tiny woman that bustled out of the kitchen had a smudge of flour on her cheek.
    “My lands, child,” the woman said, drawing her hand up to cover her mouth. “The judge called and told me he was sending over Bud and Dotty’s granddaughter, but sakes-a-mercy, you’re the spitting image of your mother.”
    A warmth filled her at the woman’s words. Her dad rarely spoke of her mother. “Thank you. I miss her.” Her words were soft, and she didn’t quite know why she’d said that last part.
    Something about this woman reminded her of her own grandmother.
    “I bet you do. Your grandmother and I were friends for most of our lives, and I watched your mother grow up. She had a wonderful spirit, and I loved her as if she were my own.” The woman crossed the room and engulfed Reese in a heartfelt hug. “You poor thing. It sounds like you’ve had quite a time of it today.”
    She almost came undone at the sincerity of the woman’s words, and she wanted to stay wrapped in her cozy embrace.
    It had been so long since she’d felt any kind of motherly affection, and she swallowed at the lump forming in her throat. “Thank you,” she whispered, sinking into the hug and drawing strength from it.
    The older woman patted her back then straightened and narrowed her eyes as if taking stock of her appearance. “Think nothing of it. We’ll get you fixed up here. You call me Miss Abigail.” She lifted the bandage and peered at the cut on her head. “Looks like you conked your noggin a good one, but I’ve got some ointment and fresh bandages that I can send up to your room.”
    Miss Abigail was a tiny petite thing, but she ruled the room as if she were a General Staff Sergeant. Reese was pretty sure that Wade was going to be returning those panty hose, there was no way this lady was queen-size or tall.
    He took the sleeve from his front pocket and dropped it on the table. “Reese grabbed you your hose for tonight.”
    “Oh thank you, sugar.” Miss Abigail looked up at her with a mischievous grin. “I always like to buy them big otherwise they’re so tight you need a forklift and some—”
    “Don’t say it,” Wade interrupted.
    Miss Abigail laughed. “Well, you know what I mean.” She took the injured pug from Wade’s arms then instructed him to take Reese’s things up to the suite on the second floor.
    She turned back to Reese. “I’ll get your little poochie here some water. You follow my grandson up, and get out of those filthy clothes. I’ll bring you some fresh towels and a couple of aspirin. Have you eaten? Never mind, I’ll bring you a sandwich.”
    Wade bent to kiss the woman’s wrinkled cheek with a murmured “Yes ma’am,” before leading the way up the stairs and depositing her into a charming room that smelled of cinnamon and apples. A blue and white quilt covered the bed, and an overstuffed chair sat in front of the window.
    “I adore your grandmother already,” Reese told him.
    “Yeah, me too. She’s pretty great.” He grinned then caught himself and returned to his former scowl. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said, before pulling the door shut behind him.
    Reese looked around. The room was big, obviously remodeled to combine two rooms into one large suite. A deep claw-foot bathtub sat in one corner of the room, and all she wanted to do was fill the tub with hot water and sink into its depths.
    Five minutes later, she sighed as she sank into the sudsy bubbles in the bathtub, the warm water a balm to her aching and bruised body.
    She knew she should probably be calling her dad and her clients and figuring out how she was going to take two weeks out of her life to