Wish Upon a Cowboy Read Online Free
crazy women," he muttered darkly and nudged his horse closer to the little animal. Swinging down from the saddle, he ordered, "Stay put, I'll get the damn thing."
He figured he'd have to chase the cat, but once again, he was wrong. When he reached for it, the animal leaped at him, digging its claws into his shirt and scaling him like it would a handy tree. In seconds, he had a cat perched on his shoulder. Mac turned his head to stare at it and met the little beast eyeball to eyeball. It meowed once, then dug its talons into Mac's flesh as if digging a bed. Wincing slightly at the needle-sharp stings, Mac considered yanking it off and tossing it at its owner. Then he heard the muffled roar and snort of that blasted bull and remembered where he was.
Shoving a steer out of his way, he stepped into the stirrup, climbed aboard his horse, wrapped his arm around the woman again, grabbed the reins in his free hand, and turned the black for safe ground.
From the corner of his eyes, he watched the bull, free now, stand up and amble off in the opposite direction.
Immediate danger past, he gave his attention to the woman on his lap. He looked down into the biggest, greenest eyes he'd ever seen and once again felt that odd constriction in his chest. He ignored it. Her hair fell across her shoulders in waves of a blond so rich it looked shot with gold. The top button of her simple white shirt was opened and her full red skirt was hiked up to the knees of shapely legs covered by pale white stockings. Even as he looked, though, she squirmed on his lap and tugged the hem of her skirt down.
Just as well.
Meeting her gaze again, he told himself that, pretty or not, she was clearly addle-brained or she wouldn't have been dancing in the middle of a herd of cattle.
Blond eyebrows arched high on her forehead and her full lips curved into a delighted smile as she stared back at him. "You're the Mackenzie, aren't you? I can tell by the way Hepzibah has taken to you. She doesn't care for just anyone, you know."
"Lucky me," he said tightly, with a quick glance at the cat, still sitting like a sentry atop his shoulder. Shifting his gaze back to the woman, he continued, "Yeah. I'm Jonas Mackenzie. What were you thinking, lady? You always go dancing in the middle of a herd?"
"No," she admitted, giving a quick glance around her at the cattle wandering aimlessly across the grass. "But sometimes you just feel so good, you have to dance. No matter where you are. Don't you think?"
"I don't dance." Stupid conversation.
"That's a shame," she said and actually looked sorry for him.
Scowling slightly, he ignored her sympathetic expression and asked, "Who are you, lady? And what are you doing on my land? Besides dancing, I mean."
She gave him a smile so dazzling, his breath caught in his chest. An instant later, though, it left him in a rush as she said, "My name is Hannah Lowell. And I'm here to marry you."
Chapter Two
"I don't know who put you up to this, lady," he said, "but I can tell you I don't think it's funny."
"It's not a joke," she told him, clearly surprised that he would think so.
"Lady, I don't even know you."
"In good time," she said and settled herself more comfortably in front of him.
Everything inside him went cold and still. Jaw tight, he stared down into those eyes of hers and tried to guess what was behind all this. But there were no clues to be found in those deep green depths.
Mac inhaled deeply, drawing the cool mountain air into his lungs, and told himself that if no one had sent her on a lark, she had to be crazy as a bedbug. And wouldn't you know she'd find her way to his ranch?
He steered the horse through the meandering crowd of cattle, mostly giving it its head. A fine cutting horse he'd trained himself, the black was as at home in a herd as it was in its stall. After a long, calming moment, Mac said. "Lady, are you lost or something?"
"Oh, I never get lost," she assured him.
So, the crazy woman had a good sense of
He figured he'd have to chase the cat, but once again, he was wrong. When he reached for it, the animal leaped at him, digging its claws into his shirt and scaling him like it would a handy tree. In seconds, he had a cat perched on his shoulder. Mac turned his head to stare at it and met the little beast eyeball to eyeball. It meowed once, then dug its talons into Mac's flesh as if digging a bed. Wincing slightly at the needle-sharp stings, Mac considered yanking it off and tossing it at its owner. Then he heard the muffled roar and snort of that blasted bull and remembered where he was.
Shoving a steer out of his way, he stepped into the stirrup, climbed aboard his horse, wrapped his arm around the woman again, grabbed the reins in his free hand, and turned the black for safe ground.
From the corner of his eyes, he watched the bull, free now, stand up and amble off in the opposite direction.
Immediate danger past, he gave his attention to the woman on his lap. He looked down into the biggest, greenest eyes he'd ever seen and once again felt that odd constriction in his chest. He ignored it. Her hair fell across her shoulders in waves of a blond so rich it looked shot with gold. The top button of her simple white shirt was opened and her full red skirt was hiked up to the knees of shapely legs covered by pale white stockings. Even as he looked, though, she squirmed on his lap and tugged the hem of her skirt down.
Just as well.
Meeting her gaze again, he told himself that, pretty or not, she was clearly addle-brained or she wouldn't have been dancing in the middle of a herd of cattle.
Blond eyebrows arched high on her forehead and her full lips curved into a delighted smile as she stared back at him. "You're the Mackenzie, aren't you? I can tell by the way Hepzibah has taken to you. She doesn't care for just anyone, you know."
"Lucky me," he said tightly, with a quick glance at the cat, still sitting like a sentry atop his shoulder. Shifting his gaze back to the woman, he continued, "Yeah. I'm Jonas Mackenzie. What were you thinking, lady? You always go dancing in the middle of a herd?"
"No," she admitted, giving a quick glance around her at the cattle wandering aimlessly across the grass. "But sometimes you just feel so good, you have to dance. No matter where you are. Don't you think?"
"I don't dance." Stupid conversation.
"That's a shame," she said and actually looked sorry for him.
Scowling slightly, he ignored her sympathetic expression and asked, "Who are you, lady? And what are you doing on my land? Besides dancing, I mean."
She gave him a smile so dazzling, his breath caught in his chest. An instant later, though, it left him in a rush as she said, "My name is Hannah Lowell. And I'm here to marry you."
Chapter Two
"I don't know who put you up to this, lady," he said, "but I can tell you I don't think it's funny."
"It's not a joke," she told him, clearly surprised that he would think so.
"Lady, I don't even know you."
"In good time," she said and settled herself more comfortably in front of him.
Everything inside him went cold and still. Jaw tight, he stared down into those eyes of hers and tried to guess what was behind all this. But there were no clues to be found in those deep green depths.
Mac inhaled deeply, drawing the cool mountain air into his lungs, and told himself that if no one had sent her on a lark, she had to be crazy as a bedbug. And wouldn't you know she'd find her way to his ranch?
He steered the horse through the meandering crowd of cattle, mostly giving it its head. A fine cutting horse he'd trained himself, the black was as at home in a herd as it was in its stall. After a long, calming moment, Mac said. "Lady, are you lost or something?"
"Oh, I never get lost," she assured him.
So, the crazy woman had a good sense of
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