“It is.” His chest puffed up a little. Why did this stranger’s words mean something to him? The knowledge unsettled him. He’d prided himself on being a loner, on not caring what others thought of him.

Besides, he couldn’t afford to risk getting to know Lexi better. When she found out the truth about him—that he was just a dumb cowboy—she’d laugh at him. Voices from the past echoed in his mind. He’d been the butt of the kids’ jokes while in school. Cord the gourd! Cord the gourd! Dumb as a board!

Finally all grown up, he’d thought those days of public ridicule were over. Then he’d become the target of gossip when his marriage crumbled. The fact that his thoughts were unearthing ancient history threw up all sorts of warning flares.

Cord hitched his thumbs in his jean pockets and pulled back his shoulders. “I have work to do. Can we get to the point of your visit?”

Lexi opened her mouth, but all that came out was a cough, followed by another.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. Her voice was a bit raspy when she spoke. “My throat is dry and it tickles.”

“Come sit on the porch. I’ll get you a drink.” He led her to the porch.

It’d been a long time since he’d had a woman here. Not that Lexi was his invited guest or anything. Soon she would be gone. The thought didn’t comfort him like he thought it would. Maybe he was lonelier than he was willing to admit.

CHAPTER FOUR

This cowboy was certainly full of surprises.

Alexis swallowed hard, trying to soothe the dry tickle in the back of her throat. All the while her thoughts were on the compassionate side of Cord she’d just witnessed. He’d been so kind and friendly as he helped her work past her nervousness about being around horses again. How could a man who could be so patient with animals and humans have gained a reputation that had people hesitant to deal with him?

She leaned against the wooden porch rail. Something sure wasn’t adding up. There was a lot more to Cord Lawson than she’d uncovered so far. And that only intrigued her all the more.

Her gaze sought out the man at the center of her thoughts as he headed for the door. His long legs covered the expansive porch in just a few steps. She couldn’t help but notice his broad shoulders that narrowed down to his trim waist. When her gaze lowered to his firm backside, she swallowed hard again.

Checking out this very fine cowboy was the absolute last thing she should be doing. Men were nothing but eventual trouble. In her experience, they couldn’t be trusted.

She forced herself to glance away. The hominess of the porch drew her in. She’d dreamed of one day slowing down long enough to kick back on one of her own. In the shade, she’d sip at a tall glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade while taking a moment to watch the world go by—but that wouldn’t be happening any time soon. Her duty was back in New York, taking care of the one person in this world who’d always stuck by her—her father.

Still, her imagination strayed, conjuring up a similar image. Only this time, Cord and a smiling woman were the ones relaxing on the two matching white rockers, laughing at some private joke. Alexis frowned and turned away. Sometimes her imagination knew no bounds.

She forced her attention back to the ranch that seemed to spread off in every direction for miles and miles. Standing there with the wide-open range at her feet was so liberating. This was the perfect place for a person to forget their troubles and just take in the majestic wonder of New Mexico. When the resort was built, its guests would love this setting. She certainly did.

Cord strode out of the house with a tall glass in hand. She readily accepted the drink and lifted it to her parched lips. The ice-cold water rolled over her tongue, cooling her windpipe and soothing her cough.

He sent her a concerned look. “Better?”

“Much. Thank you. I’m sorry to have bothered you. I’m just not used to these hot, dry conditions.”

“It’s no problem.”

The cloudless sky rained down an endless supply of sunshine. She refused the urge to fan herself. What in the world made her think a suit would be proper attire for standing around in the desert? But with her luggage missing, she couldn’t exactly meet him in her running attire.

“It would help if I wasn’t overdressed.”

“Lexi, what I said earlier about your clothes, I didn’t meant anything negative by it. You look good. Real good.”

She lifted her chin and their gazes collided. “Thank you.”

His brown eyes captivated her with their intensity. Alexis pressed her lips into a firm line, holding back her retort over him shortening her name. No one called her Lexi. But at this point, staying on the cowboy’s good side overrode her burning desire to correct him.

With effort, she glanced away, shrugging off her crazy interest in this cowboy. No matter how striking his looks, she couldn’t forget she was here for one thing and one thing only—to buy a ghost town.

She moved and set the glass on the table between the two rockers. “You must spend a lot of evenings out here, enjoying the view.”

“I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Tags: Jennifer Faye Romance
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