Book: Temptation Ridge
Quotes of Book: Temptation Ridge
I haven't seen you in a couple of days. Are you avoiding me again?" "I should, but I haven't been. I've had stuff going on. Does the general know you're doing this?" he asked. "Of course. They're his horses." "Aw, Shelby," he said, sounding a little miserable. He took off the tool belt and buttoned up his shirt. "What did he say?" "He said, 'You be careful of that Black Hawk pilot. They have a reputation for abusing women.'" He shoved his shirt into his pants. "God," he moaned. "Why don't you go away and leave me alone before you get me shot." She laughed. "He didn't say that. He said, 'Be sure to tell Luke that Plenty nips and bolts.' So-Plenty, short for Plenty of Trouble, nips and bolts. You'll have to pay attention." "Bolts?" he asked a little nervously. "Not usually with a rider. But if you get off, keep the reins. She can be a handful when she acts up, but she's a pretty good ride." "Aw, man. I have a feeling this is going to be humiliating. Where are we going?" "How about upriver a ways to check out the turning leaves?" she asked. "Think you can handle that?" "I'll give it a go," he said. book-quoteI don't come here every night, so I thought maybe we just missed each other. But I asked Jack-you haven't been around for a beer at all. A couple of weeks, I think…." Eleven days, he thought miserably. "And you were going to make a break for it once I showed up. I hadn't even considered you were avoiding me. Do I make you nervous or something?" she asked. "Whew," he answered, shaking his head. "I haven't been out of the army long enough to get over that rank thing. Your uncle-" "Isn't anywhere in sight," she said, cutting him off. "Is it just my uncle?" "You're a pretty girl, Shelby," he said. "And you're just a girl. Puts me on edge, yeah." "Well then, we're even," she said. He gave her a perplexed look and she said, "You're a good-looking guy, obviously been around a lot more than I have, and you're older. Scary." He laughed at her candidness. "There you go-like water on a grease fire. Let's play it safe, huh? Now tell me about your day." "Nothing to tell. Besides, this is interesting. I'd like to know what's going on here. So, it's pretty much that I'm a lot younger than you are. Or you just don't like me." And then she blushed, which made him squirm. It obviously took guts for her to push on this issue. But she wanted to know. So he decided to tell her. "You know what it is, Shelby," he said. "You're young and tender. A sweet young thing. I'm hell on sweet young things." She laughed at him. "I bet anything you usually find a way to get past all that." Well, she didn't scare easy, Luke realized with some admiration. book-quoteIf you get a whiff of anything in there that has my scent on it, back away. If you touch it, you're a dead man." Sean grinned. "Okay, now I'm catching on. Oh man, this is going to be fun." He jumped out of the truck and bounded up the stairs, clearly dying of curiosity. Luke was right behind him, but almost plowed into him. Sean stopped short right inside the door. Walt and Shelby were sitting up at the bar and both turned at the sound of someone entering. Luke put a firm hand, a reminder, on Sean's shoulder. "Holy shit," Sean whispered. Luke gave his shoulder a little shake and pushed him forward. "General Booth," Luke said. "Shelby McIntyre. Meet my brother Sean." "Sir," Sean said. "Miss." Standing behind him as he was, Luke couldn't see Sean's dimpled grin, but knew it was huge. It made Luke's frown a little deeper. God, he thought, why couldn't I have had sisters? Jack book-quote
