The Rogue Read Online Free Page A

months. It smoldered in the look Diana gave him. There was a hesitation in his firm stride when his cool gray eyes saw her. They flicked from her to the saddled horses and bedroll before glancing thoughtfully away.
    When Diana saw him stop to speak to the Major, her lips thinned into an unpleasant line. Her pulse started hammering in ominous premonition as she saw them both glance at her. She didn’t like the way the Major was looking at her, nor the short nod he gave to Holt after a relatively lengthy exchange. When the Major started walking toward her, Diana pretended not to notice, looping the reins over the horse’s neck and preparing to mount.
    “Diana.” His crisp voice called for her attention.
    Damn!
she cursed beneath her breath, but pivoted to face him. She adopted an expression of bland unconcernwhile an inner sense warned her in advance what his next words would be.
    “You’ll be staying home this year, Diana.” Her father came straight to the point.
    “I’ve been going on the fall round-ups since I was eight years old. Besides, you need all the help you can get. And you know I can ride and rope with the best of them.”
    “The work is too hard for a young girl like you.”
    “I’ve never complained,” Diana reminded him. “I don’t mind the dust and the heat and the sore muscles.”
    “I know you don’t complain.” Major Somers had always spoken to her as an adult. His attitude had always been very honest and frank. This time was no different. “You are growing up and filling out, Diana. It isn’t proper anymore for you to be sleeping out for several nights in the company of men.”
    Diana replied with equal candor. “You aren’t suggesting one of the boys might try to molest me, are you? They are all my friends.”
Except Holt Mallory.
“It’s ridiculous. Besides, you’ll be along.”
    “Not this time. I’m getting too old to be sleeping on hard ground,” he informed her. “But that isn’t the point. I don’t want you to grow up to be a rough-talking, hard-riding Calamity Jane. I want you to be a lady and not quite so much a tomboy. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, Major.” She surrendered to his wishes.
    “Good.” He looked satisfied with the outcome. “I’ll be driving out every day in the Jeep™,” the Major continued. “It will be relatively quiet around here for you. Why don’t you arrange to have Sophie take you on a shopping expedition for some new clothes— something a bit more feminine than those Levi’s?”
    “All right,” Diana agreed.
    If it was a lady her father wanted, she was willing to comply. From that morning, Diana began the transformation. She went shopping and bought new clothesdesigned to accent her femininity without going overboard with a lot of ruffles and bows. She began to take an interest in what she believed were womanly things, learning to cook and sew. However, she didn’t go to extremes. She continued to ride frequently and do less arduous chores around the ranch.
    As a rule, only single men made use of the accommodations afforded by the ranch. The small handful of married ranch hands lived off the ranch, generally on small holdings of their own. It was rare, if ever, that Diana came in contact with their wives.
    However, that winter, their closest neighbor, Alan Thornton, who owned the ranch ten miles away, was married. It was only natural that Diana became acquainted with his young schoolteacher wife, Peggy. It was her first real association with an adult female. It was Peggy who persuaded Diana to let the black silk cap of her hair grow to a more complimentary length and made suggestions as to the type and amount of makeup she should use.
    Diana listened to Peggy’s dreams, trying to comprehend the older woman’s romantic imaginings. The Thornton ranch was considerably smaller, thus considerably poorer than the Major’s massive holdings. When Peggy spoke of her plans to remodel the small ranch house, Diana would try to be