Jodi O'Donnell - The Rancher's Daughter

He steeled himself against the hurt and confusion he saw in her eyes. He couldn’t let it get to him, let her get to him. It was too much of a risk, and he’d risked enough already. And lost.

Not trusting himself to utter another word, Ash gave a short nod in lieu of goodbye and walked away, the little fawn still tucked under one arm.

Maura turned on her father like a fury.

“How could you, Dad?” she exclaimed. “Ash saved my life!”

He had the grace to look abashed. “Fine. I owe him my eternal thanks for that. But that doesn’t mean you need to.”

He actually shook his index finger at her. “And you know what I mean. I don’t need a damned crystal ball to know what happened in that cave last night. I don’t care if he did snatch you from the jaws of death, he’s no gentleman to take advantage of you that way.”

Maura set her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe you! I wasn’t exactly coerced, you know.”

At her implication, Stratton looked about to burst a blood vessel, his face was so red. Still, he didn’t continue his tirade.

Maura sighed. Her father’s lung cancer had been in remission for five years, but she didn’t need to do anything to aggravate him right back into it. Why, though, was he treating her as if she were a teenager who got picked up by the sheriff for parking out by Lake Monet?

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