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"Don't interfere in my personal life, Sabrina. You and I have a business relationship, and nothing more."
She refused to be dismissed. This was a two-way street, and she'd already walked down one side of it. Now it was his turn. "Then why did you ask me questions about my childhood? Why did I give you so much personal information?"
He smirked at her. "Because, as is typical for a woman, I ask one simple question and I get an hour-long dissertation on your life. I didn't have to pull the information out of you, honey, you volunteered every last sordid morsel."
"You bastard." They were practically nose-to-nose, both breathing heavily, so close Sabrina could feel Kyle's breath on her cheek. Her heart pounded as she remembered what happened the first time she raised her voice to her ex-husband. Oh, he hadn't struck her--Mark punished her in more subtle ways. Belittling her, making her feel small and worthless.
Sabrina almost retreated, but held her ground. She was so scared her knees were shaking, but she would not back down. Not this time, never again.
This was a different type of argument. He was clearly angry at her, and she at him, but a current of something else ran between them, stoking the fires, flaming the argument, making her aware of him as a man, and herself as a woman.
Sabrina noted Kyle's hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he glared at her, unmoving, unspeaking. The two of them stared at each other, an argumentative dance, a stand off. And yet, in the back of her mind, something else.
A spark that had nothing to do with a fiery argument.
Finally he spoke, his voice low and simmering with anger. "Let's go.
It's getting late and we need to go back." He turned abruptly and stomped over toward the horses, leaving Sabrina standing in the field alone.
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She took a couple deep breaths to quell the seething emotions she felt all the way to the pit of her stomach. Her heart was racing with the heat of battle. As she headed toward the horses, she realized something new had just happened.
She'd had an argument. With a man. Had actually yelled at him and held her own while he yelled back. Kyle even insulted her, but Sabrina didn't cry, and didn't back away. And she had survived it.
Not only that, she felt something that passed between them, something elemental and passionate. Beyond anger, yet an equally fierce emotion. But she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
What she could admit was that she'd fought, and stood her ground.
For the first time in her life.
Maybe she'd finally found her long-missing backbone.
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Chapter Four
They rode back in virtual silence, lost in their own thoughts. Sabrina felt good despite the uncomfortable lack of conversation between her and Kyle. Her first day as a rancher, and she had learned to saddle and ride a horse, fix a fence, and argue with her partner without fear of retribution.
All in all, a pretty darn good day.
When they finally reached the barn she was grateful. Although she thoroughly enjoyed riding Maggie, after a few hours on a horse she was starting to feel a little sore. Okay, maybe a lot sore. Her legs ached, her back was stiff and her butt muscles were screaming. Not that she'd complain to Kyle. Sabrina would never let him know she was hurting, or give him any signs to think she couldn't cut it as a rancher.
"You need to take her saddle off then brush her down before you cut her loose," Kyle instructed.
Sabrina nodded and watched him remove Spot's saddle and grab a brush. She undid the saddle cinch but struggled with lifting it off. The horse was too tall, and she didn't have the strength to lift the heavy saddle. But she'd figure out how to do it somehow. No way was she going to ask Kyle for help.
Apparently he noticed her difficulty and silently moved behind her, lifting the saddle easily off Maggie and walking away without a word.
Sabrina sighed in frustration and grabbed a brush, busying herself with grooming her horse and trying not to think about anything at all.
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After the horses were cleaned and penned, she followed Kyle as he headed toward the ranch house. Jenna sat in the swing on the front porch, sipping tea and reading a book.
"How did it go today?" Jenna asked.
"Fine."
Kyle's one syllable answer made Sabrina grin. He was still angry with her. But today it didn't bother her. Today was the best day she'd ever had, and nothing, not even Kyle's foul mood, was going to spoil it. He walked past his sister without another word and entered the house.
Sabrina sat on the large wooden chair across from Jenna.
Okay, muscles were definitely sore. And a wood chair was not the prime choice at this moment.
"How about some tea?" Jenna asked.
"That sounds great. I'll get it." Without letting Jenna know how much it hurt, Sabrina got up and poured her own glass before Jenna could maneuver out of the porch swing.
"Thanks. Seems to get harder and harder every day to get up once I've sat down. By this time of the day, I'm pretty much done for." Jenna sipped her tea and ran her hand in circles around her swollen belly.
Sabrina knew all about done for. She was cooked and ready to be served. "Do you know the baby's sex yet?"
"No, Luke and I decided we wanted to be surprised. I realize it's easier to know as far as decorating and buying clothes, but it just seemed like it would be more fun if we found out whenever he or she pops out."
Sabrina laughed. "I'll bet you can't wait for that to happen."
She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. I am so ready to get this baby out of me." Jenna inclined her head toward the empty front door Kyle had stormed through a few minutes earlier. "What's up with him?"
"We had an argument."
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"Really." Her brows wrinkled as she leaned forward in the swing.
"About what? Was he picking on you again? I swear I'll kick his butt if he was."
That brought a grin from Sabrina, imagining all five foot two of Jenna in her last trimester of pregnancy taking on six feet of lean, muscled, Kyle. But then again, judging from the fierce expression on Jenna's face, Sabrina didn't doubt who the winner would be.
"No, he wasn't picking on me. I asked him about his neighbor, and he didn't want to tell me anything about their relationship."
"Oh, him." Jenna leaned back in the swing. "Jackson Dent is a major thorn in the Morgan family's side."
"Why, if I might ask?" Maybe Jackson Dent was a subject that was off-limits to all the Morgans.
"For a lot of reasons. Jackson and Kyle have always had an animosity toward each other, from the time they were kids."
"How come they didn't like each other?"
"Kyle was always better looking, smarter, more popular. You know how it is with kids. Plus Kyle rode a horse like he'd been born on one.
And Jackson tried and failed every time he and Kyle competed, both on and off horses. It's kind of sad, actually."
"Why is that?"
"Dent's a smart guy, but I think his father always pushed him to be better than Kyle. He tried, but failed miserably. So not only was he humiliated every time he went up against Kyle, but then he had to face his father's disappointment."
"That is sad when a parent tries to compare you to someone else."
Sabrina knew all about not being good enough, not measuring up. First with her mother, then with Mark.
Jenna nodded. "Dent inherited the Double J Ranch from his parents after they died, and he's been trying to one-up the Morgans ever since.
Couple that with the fact that Kyle's ex-wife Amanda cheated on him
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with Dent and you can figure out why he doesn't even like the mention of the man's name."
No wonder Kyle was so upset when Sabrina wanted to talk about Dent. He must have felt completely betrayed by
his wife. Her heart went out to him as she thought of how much that must have hurt.
"Oh, I didn't know that. I'm sorry."
Jenna shrugged. "All water under the bridge now. Except Dent can't keep himself from reminding Kyle whose bed his former wife is warming every time they run in to each other. That's the only area, in Dent's mind, where he bested Kyle."
Sabrina's eyes widened. "You mean she's still with him?"
Jenna nodded. "Jackson and Amanda got married last year, so Kyle's ex-wife is now married to his biggest enemy. And don't think Jackson ever lets Kyle forget it either."
How awful. Not only to have his wife cheat on him, but then to be faced with it on an almost daily basis, knowing the woman he once loved lived on the neighboring ranch and slept with the man he hated the most. Sabrina wouldn't be able to tolerate living so close to Mark. That's one of the reasons she came to Oklahoma, and when she bought her own ranch she'd make sure it was as far away from Dallas and her ex-husband as she could get.
"Well I see now why he was so angry at me for wanting to know more about his neighbor."
"Don't take it personally, Sabrina. He gets like that whenever Dent's name is brought up, no matter who says it."
"He must have loved his wife a lot. How sad she would do something like that to him."
Jenna laughed. "Loved her? I don't think so. She was a useless piece of trash from the day she said I do. Pretty much every day after that it was I don't, I won't and I hate you."
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"Was she always that unpleasant?" Sabrina couldn't imagine him wanting to be with a woman like that.
"I don't know what he was thinking when he married her. She made promises to him about what a great wife and partner she'd be, when all she was really interested in was being the wife of a rodeo star. When Kyle had to quit competing and work the ranch after our parents died, Amanda was livid. Then she found out that as a rancher's wife she'd actually have to do some work. After that, being Mrs. Kyle Morgan no longer interested her."
Sabrina knew all about Kyle. Her attorney had given her a family bio when Sabrina expressed interest in investing. Kyle was a rodeo star with a bright future, but had given it up when his parents died in the plane crash. He took over managing the Rocking M, and subsequently went through an ugly divorce which cost the ranch almost one-third of its value.
"Then why would she marry Jackson Dent? He's a rancher too."
Jenna smiled. "Oh, but Jackson is a rich rancher. Big difference. As his wife, Amanda can spend all her time hosting parties and playing tennis at the country club in town. Sure a lot different than what she had to do around here. Amanda made life pretty miserable for Kyle.
That's why he paid her so well, even though her settlement request was ridiculous. He'd have paid any amount to get her off the Rocking M and away from him and everyone else."
Sabrina couldn't imagine what Kyle went through being married to Amanda. But then again, she'd had dreams of what marriage was going to be like, and her dreams had been shattered too. They had much more in common than she realized.
With a huge effort Jenna rose from the porch swing, then stretched her back. "It's my night to cook dinner, so I'd better get started."
"Please let me help you with dinner."
"It's not necessary. I can do it."
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"Don't be silly. You need to rest and not spend so much time on your feet. Besides, since I'm such a novice in the kitchen, I can stand to learn a lot more about cooking, and I'd really like to help."
"Okay, then. Thanks, Sabrina. I appreciate it. It's been a long time since I've had a friend around here. I'm glad you came."
As Sabrina followed Jenna into the house, she mentally added another plus to her already great day. She had a friend.
K K K
After helping Jenna get dinner started and into the oven, Sabrina headed upstairs to change. She felt dusty and dirty from riding all day, and couldn't wait to put on some clean clothes and freshen up. She slipped on shorts and a tank top, then brushed out her hair and wound it up in a clip on top of her head. Later she'd take a nice long bath in that gorgeous tub.
On her way back down, she felt aches and twinges she hadn't felt earlier. Every part of the lower half of her body hurt. The simple act of walking down the stairs caused the muscles in her rear end to announce their overuse. She was hurting, and had a feeling it was only going to get worse as the evening wore on.
Jenna was setting the table. Earlier, Sabrina had insisted Jenna sit and give instructions on how to fix the roast, so she could rest while Sabrina did the cooking. With a modest amount of protest, Jenna agreed.
They had a great time, laughing about Sabrina's inability to cook at the tender age of twenty-seven. Jenna had the capacity to make the things most embarrassing for Sabrina seem inconsequential, and for that she'd be forever grateful.
"The roast smells wonderful. You did a superb job. But then again, you had an impeccable teacher." Jenna winked at her.
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Sabrina laughed as she helped Jenna finish setting the table. Her muscles were aching more and more by the minute, but she tried her best to hide it. By the time Kyle and Luke came in, she had the roast and vegetables on the table ready to serve. But she was almost too tired and too sore to eat.
"Where's Brady?" Jenna asked.
Kyle shrugged as he washed up and sat at the table. "Said something about a hot card game in town tonight. Doubtful we'll see him again until morning."
"Dinner smells great honey," Luke said as he sat next to his wife and placed a soft kiss on her mouth.
"Don't thank me, Sabrina made it," Jenna answered at the same time she shot Kyle a don't even think about saying a word look.
"With Jenna's expert help," Sabrina added, smiling at her friend.
"You didn't need my help. You're a natural in the kitchen. But I really appreciate that you did the cooking. My back was hurting and I want to drag Luke crib shopping in town tonight, so the rest was helpful."
"Oh, crib shopping. I can't wait," Luke said, tongue-in-cheek. At her affronted look he grinned, his brown eyes twinkling. "Anything for you, princess." Luke pressed a kiss to Jenna's temple, and Sabrina was in awe of the loving looks that passed between them. It was clearly obvious they cared deeply for each other. She wondered what that kind of love would feel like.
The meal once again turned out edible. Actually, it was very good.
And although she tried not to pay attention to Kyle, she watched out of the corner of her eye for his reaction. He ate in silence, but Sabrina noticed with some satisfaction he had two helpings.
Take that one and shove it down your palate, Mr. Morgan. Yet another triumph for Sabrina, another test passed--at least to her own satisfaction.
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Now if only she could quit squirming in her chair. Sabrina counted the minutes until dinner was over so she could limp up to her room for a hot bath to ease her sore muscles.
K K K
Kyle had to admit the meal was good. Great in fact, as good as anything Jenna ever cooked. If nothing else, Sabrina was a fast learner.
At least in the kitchen. The rest still remained to be seen.
He watched her as she finished cleaning the kitchen. The two of them were alone now, as Sabrina had shooed Jenna and Luke off right after dinner so they could get to town and do their shopping. She rinsed the dishes and washed the pots while Kyle wiped up the kitchen table and dried the pots and pans.
As the last of the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, Kyle watched Sabrina grab her lower back and stretch. She absently ran a hand over her butt, and Kyle could guess what the problem was. He suppressed a grin as he imagined how sore she must be from her first ride today.
"Feel okay?"
"Fine," she said tightly.
It was obvious she wasn't. In fact, he could tell every movement was pai
nful for her. Okay, so maybe he had taken her out too far today considering it was her first time on a horse. He hadn't thought about the soreness that resulted from being bounced around. Riding was as natural to Kyle as breathing, and he'd never experienced an ache from spending hours on end in the saddle. But Sabrina wasn't accustomed to being on a horse.
"You're sore aren't you?"
Sabrina whirled around, then winced at the sudden movement.
"Sore? No, I'm feeling great."
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She was a terrible liar. Pain showed all over her face. Her expression was drawn and tight, and Kyle wagered she'd fall in a heap and cry if given an opportunity.
He shook his head and walked over to her. "Come on, it's time for you to go upstairs. You need a hot bath and then you need to rub some liniment on your...uh sore spots."
"No, really, I'm fine. Just a little tired."
Kyle put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.
Her amber eyes were shimmering pools of pain. "Sabrina. Listen to me.
It's not a sign of weakness to be sore from your first ride. I shouldn't have let you ride so long today. Now you need to go soak in a hot bath and rub some liniment on. Trust me, it'll help."
She nodded and headed toward the stairs. He followed behind her, intending to take a hot shower himself.
But watching her attempt to take the stairs was a lesson in frustration. First of all, he was behind her. Her skimpy shorts stretched tight against her ass as she agonizingly lifted each foot slowly to ascend the stairs. His jeans were going to get tight, too, if he didn't hurry this along. Finally, he had enough and told her to stop. As soon as she did, he swooped her up in his arms.
"Kyle! What are you doing?" Her expression registered shock as he adjusted her against his chest. He tried to ignore how perfect she felt in his arms.
"I'm carrying you up the stairs so it doesn't take me, or you, twenty minutes to get there." She was light as a feather and he took the stairs two at a time, not stopping until he gently deposited Sabrina on her bed.
He watched as she sat immobile, either unable or unwilling to move.
"I'm going to run your bath for you."
Sabrina nodded, exhaustion clearly showing on her face. Purple shadows darkened under her eyes and every movement caused her
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forehead to crease. She didn't even try to argue with him when he told her he'd run her bath for her.