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She wasn t going to have him arrested. No, she was going to fire his ass.
But at least now he knew the first kiss had been real. The ones they had shared on the other side of the
wooden door behind them was all the proof he d needed. He d known the moment his mouth crashed down on
hers.
Yeah, I heard you. He looked at the bottle in his hand. Damn, these things were going too fast. He hoped she d
let him sleep it off before he had to hightail it off her land.
He returned the empty to the cardboard container and pulled out the last two. Want one?
Maggie hesitated. I don t want to take your last one.
This is my last one. He gestured with the bottle in his left hand. A smirk he couldn t stop pulled at the corner
of his mouth. If he was out of here, he wasn t going to make it easy for her. Not when she d wanted the kiss as
much as he wanted it. Come on, Ms. Stevens, aren t you in need of a little liquid courage?
Annoyance flashed in her eyes. Good.
Why not?
She grabbed the bottle. Her fingers brushed across his and fire danced through his veins. He watched her pop
the top, her lips cradling the opening as she tipped it. Eyelids fluttered closed, neck arched and breasts pushed
out against the faded words on her T-shirt.
Down, boy.
Landon inhaled deeply, pulling in Maggie s magical scent of a summer s day and clean, fresh linen. Mixed with a
trace of smoke from the bar and her sweat from a hard night s work. It intoxicated him.
When she lowered the bottle, a drop of liquid hung on her bottom lip. She brushed it away with the tip of her
finger. Mmm, tastes good. I m usually the one handing beers to people, not the other way around& except for
you. Where d you go tonight?
He busied himself opening his own beer. I don t do well in crowds.
How d you know I worked at the Blue Creek, anyway?
Hank told me it was the best place to get a cold beer on a Saturday night. I didn t know you d be there until I
saw you with your friends.
Oh. Maggie took another sip. Why didn t you join us instead of staring from across the room?
Like I said, you were with friends. Landon mirrored her movements with a long swallow. He wasn t about to
tell her he avoided the law. I don t mix business with pleasure.
A slight frown creased her brow. Neither do I.
Here it comes. Landon swallowed hard and looked away. Yeah?
Ah, I never I need to thank you for the sale to your brother s ranch.
It took a second for him to process what she d said. A thank-you before she kicked him to the curb? I told you I
didn t
But you started the ball rolling, Maggie interrupted. More than I ve been able to do in the last few months.
Thank goodness I got the offer to rehabilitate Black Jack.
Willie said your work has been hit-or-miss with the beast.
True, but it s part of the process. Just one more thing to do around here. Maggie s voice faltered before she
continued. That s what I need to talk to you about. I ve got too much on my plate to& ah, to& well, to add
anything else.
Relief flooded his veins. She wasn t firing him, she was warning him off.
He didn t understand the sudden desire to stay on this little scrap of land, but hell, at least he acknowledged it, if
only to himself. It sat hard in the pit of his stomach. He didn t want to leave.
A sense of dizziness overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes and let his head drop back against the porch post.
Like what?
Excuse me?
His eyes remained closed. You said you ve got a lot on your plate?
Well, there s Anna and the rest of my family.
And Kyle Greeley.
Yes, Kyle, too. She paused and he could feel her studying him. His skin prickled as if she d touched him with
her fingers instead of her gaze. I suppose after you talked to Tommy, Willie told you about my dealings with
Greeley.
Landon swallowed the bad taste her neighbor put in his mouth with another mouthful of beer. Tommy?
Tommy Bailey, the sheriff s deputy.
Ah, right. Another reason for him to keep his distance. Yeah, Willie loves to talk. His voice was the last sound I
heard each night and the first I woke to each morning.
What exactly did he tell you?
Did the temperature drop a few degrees? Landon opened his eyes to find her staring out into the darkness. He
told me about your divorce and Greeley hanging around ever since. I guess that s why he s part of your crowded
plate.
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