Steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.
Excerpt
Craig Harris pushed his half-empty plate away and signaled the waitress for a cup of coffee. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he rubbed his tired, gritty eyes and looked out the window, hoping to avoid idle chit-chat with the woman as she sidled up to him, coffee pot in hand, seductive sway to her hips, a hint of suggestion in her smile.
“Wonder when I’ll have the opportunity to leave you looking so haggard,” she remarked. His gaze cut to her in a quick, scathing look that stopped further conversation.
A flash of movement and color caught the corner of his eye. Craig glanced out the window to see a red Corvette toting a horse trailer pull into service station across the street. Impossible, he thought, shaking his head. He rubbed his eyes again, positive he was hallucinating. Sure enough, it was there, plain as day. Seen it all now, he thought, watching as a petite blonde disembarked from the vehicle, spoke to the attendant then unloaded her horse; admiring the care she lavished on the huge animal. Admiration turned to awe then anger when she loaded the horse back in the trailer and headed in the direction of the diner where he sat. He lay in wait until she was seated comfortably at the counter before approaching her.
“Gonna leave that horse out there long while you sit in here where it’s nice and cool?” he asked. As a rancher, Craig detested the misuse of any animal, especially horses.
Tamera Collins turned and looked into the angriest – and prettiest – steel-gray eyes she’d ever seen. “Are you talking to me?”
“No,” he snarled. “I’m talking to Harry. Who else would I be talking to? You’re the only idiot I’ve seen put her horse in a trailer in one hundred-degree heat!”
Tamera knew the stranger had no way of knowing that her horse trailer was equipped with oscillating fans to keep its occupant cool and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him, but the sheer audacity of him attacking her stayed her words. She stiffened and desperately held on to her rising temper. “Look, Mister, I don’t know where you get off being so rude, but I’ll have you know that my horse is well taken care of.”
With a low growl he grabbed her by the arm, nearly unseating her. “It’s hotter than blazes outside, and even hotter in that trailer! I want to know how long you’re going to leave him in there before you get moving?”
Tamera’s already strained temper shot up another degree. “Don’t manhandle me Mister,” she warned, jerking free from his grasp. “My daddy never manhandled me, and you can bet some half-cocked stranger’s not going to either!”
A collective gasp sounded in the cafe, followed by absolute silence as the customers waited to see what happened next. Not one of them would have crossed him in any manner, and everyone wondered what he’d do to the mere slip of a girl who dared to.
Caught between surprise and shock, Craig bit back a curse. Little spitfire. Got nerve too. “Looks like your daddy never spanked you, either, Sweetheart,” he drawled. “Now answer me and make it soon. I’m not used to waiting when I ask a question, and I’m extremely low on patience right now.”
Tamera saw red – bright, hot, furious, red. Low on patience? More like low on manners! How dare he manhandle her, insult her father then calmly demand an answer to an unwarranted attack on her ability to take care of her horse!
“Cool off, Mister. Show some courtesy from now on and next time you just might get your answer.” Before he could blink she grabbed her glass of water off the counter and tossed it in his face.
Copyright 2008 Pamela S Thibodeaux. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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