Wild Cowboy Ways (Lucky Penny Ranch #1)(38)

Allie put a finger over her lips. “Shhh. She’s settled down for a nap. If she hears voices it will upset her.”

Grady’s nose curled in disgust. “She needs to be put away in a place where they take care of people like her. It has to be draining on the whole family to put up with those tantrums when she goes back to being a child, if she does.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Allie asked coldly.

“She doesn’t like me or Mitch. She’s told him that she hopes he dies before the wedding, so I figure that she’s playing the whole bunch of you. I’d be willing to bet that she wasn’t a little kid at all this morning.” Grady tilted his chin up like the know-it-all he thought he was.

“You really think so?” Blake asked.

“I don’t think so. I know it but right now I will speak for the family and say thank you for playing along with her and bringing Allie home early. I hear that you bought the Lucky Penny? How long do you think you’ll last before you give up and go back to wherever you came from?” Grady asked coldly.

“I don’t give up easy. When I want something I work my ass off for it and treat it right,” Blake answered.

“And,” Allie said, “you don’t need to speak for the family since you are definitely not a part of it.”

Grady laid a hand on Allie’s shoulder. “Now don’t get all huffy, darlin’. It’s not becoming for a lady.”

She shrugged it off and sucked in enough air to give him an earful of what she thought of him, when Katy pushed past Grady and hugged Allie. “You are home. I heard y’all talking and wanted to thank you, Blake, personally for what you did today for my mother and daughter. We’ve been told to play along with whatever time frame she’s in and I’m very glad that you helped us out today.”

“You are very welcome,” Blake said. “I suppose I really should be going before the snow gets worse.”

Snow!

God Bless Blake Dawson’s soul!

It could be her salvation from that slimy Grady.

She hugged her mother and ignored Grady. “Granny switched gears about the time we finished eating and she wanted a nap. She’s resting so it might be best if y’all took your conversation back to the kitchen. I’m going to follow Blake over to the Lucky Penny to unload all the supplies I bought yesterday. They’re under a good strong tarp but if they get wet, it could be disastrous.”

Blake nodded toward Grady and smiled at Katy. “It’s been real nice meeting all y’all. I guess we’d best get going if we’re to get things unloaded before the snow gets any deeper.” He ushered her out of the house with his hand on the small of her back.

Allie could feel Grady’s eyes boring holes into her but she didn’t give a damn. If it wouldn’t have wakened Granny, she would have liked to put a well-placed knee in his crotch when he made that remark about her grandmother. Watching him roll around on the floor holding on to his balls would have brought her so much satisfaction.

“Thank you. If I had to stay in that house I might really do what Granny asked me to,” she said.

“Which is?”

“Kill Mitch. Only if I’m going to jail for a murder, I might as well make it two. When Grady looks at me, my skin crawls like it did…” she stopped.

“Go on,” Blake said.

“Not today. I’m sorry we’ve ruined your whole Sunday and now you’ll have to help me unload wallboard and lumber,” she said.

“Do I make your skin crawl?” he asked.

“Hell, no!” she said quickly.

He chuckled. “Then I don’t need to know any more. I’ll follow your van and trailer to my ranch. That way if anything flies off, I can stop and get it. Don’t look like this is going to slow down any.”

“My van is parked around back. I’ll…well, shit…I’m still wearing my Sunday clothes.”

The north wind had picked up and blew Allie’s hair across her face, snowflakes as big as dimes sticking in it. Blake reached out and tucked the errant strands behind her ear. “And you look mighty lovely in that pretty dress. You drive over to my house and I’ll give Deke a call. We’ll unload the trailer for you if you’ll keep that dress on so I can enjoy the view a little longer.”

“Does that pickup line work for you?” She grinned.

He leaned on the hood of his truck and grinned down at her. “Don’t know. You tell me.” His eyes smoldered. “Is it worth writing down in my pickup line book?”

Allie giggled. “You’ve got a book?”

“That’s classified information. See you at the ranch,” he said with a wink.

As she drove from her place to his, she wondered how many names were in that book and how many pages were devoted to pickup lines. Could he tell by looking at a woman which lines he should use and which ones wouldn’t work? Or did he fly by the seat of his pants, using whatever came to his mind in the moment?

Why did she care anyway? She slapped at the steering wheel, which seemed to be a regular thing these days. But dammit anyway! Blake infuriated her with his flirting. She wanted him to back off, but then she loved the excitement in his eyes, in his touch, and in his kisses. Her breath caught in her chest and her hands went clammy when she thought about that heat in his eyes just minutes before. It was one of those damn conundrums that drove her batshit crazy. She couldn’t have it both ways. Either she had to make him step back or trust him, and how in the hell did she do either one?