Renee Wildes - Queen of Hearts.pdf - Renee Wildes - allforjesus2001

Queen of Harts

Cover Art: Lisa Amrine

This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products

of the writerÓs imagination or have been used fictitiously and are no construed to be

real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or

organizations is entirely incidental.

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any

manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief excerpts

or quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Twila Hart peered through the windshield at the swirling snow. She barely

saw past the end of her car. The vehicle slowed to a crawl. Home wasnÓt that far. Of

course, driving like this Î she checked the speedometer Î she might make it by

morning.

Monday morning.

Wait. What was that? Twila focused on a growing shadow. Something that

looked an awful lot like aÈ ÐCow!Ñ Panicked, scared to death of hitting the poor

thing, Twila jerked the wheel, slammed on the brakes and screeched as the car

spun past the cow and right off the road. Through a snowdrift and a fence.

Backward.

The cow blinked at her through the glare of the headlights.

Twila tried the key. Nothing. Damn. Stupid Hereford. She turned off the

headlights and hit the flashers. Without power it was going to get cold in a hurry.

She glared at the cow. ÐI donÓt suppose you could get your master and have him

bring a tractor?Ñ

ÐMoo.Ñ

ÐYouÓre a big help.Ñ

Snowplow or sheriff was bound to find her soon.

She blinked. Her cow had cloned itself. Two, no three Herefords surrounded

her car. They came through the hole in the fence. ÐOh, no you donÓt,Ñ she

muttered. ÐAre you guys trying to become hamburgers? Get back inside.Ñ

There was no help for it. She struggled out of the car and went to shoo them

back into their own field. Waving her arms didnÓt work. Whacking the cows on the

butt with her wand didnÓt, either. God, she wished it was real. Finally she grabbed

one by the nostrils and pulled Î and it followed her. ÐIÓll be damned. Mack was

right. It works.Ñ She got all three away from the road, but it was freezing. Icy

snowflakes clumped on her lashes and made her eyes water.

A distant barking sounded, and through the snow shone a headlight. A flash

of black and white fur darted between her and the cows. The Border collie herded

the cows away from the gap in the fence and presumably back toward home. She

shielded her eyes from the glare of the approaching headlight. ATV, with a heavily

bundled rider.

ÐAre you all right?Ñ a familiar rough baritone voice shouted.

Twila nodded. Who was he? ÐCar went off the road.Ñ

ÐI can see that. Nice gate you built, by the way.Ñ He approached to circle her

car. ÐMan, thatÓs not going anywhere without getting yanked back onto the road. I

doubt anyone will come out before morning.Ñ He came back to her, and in the lights

she recognized him. Mack Adams.

ÐM-Mr. Adams.Ñ WhyÓd it have to be HIM ?

ÐMs. Hart.Ñ He stared at the wand in her hand, the shining red satin skirt

showing beneath her coat. ÐDo I want to know?Ñ

Oh, God. She shook her head and dropped the wand in the snow.

ÐWell, hop on. LetÓs get you someplace where you can warm up and use a

phone.Ñ

Twila had to hike her skirt up over her snow pants to straddle the seat. She

wrapped her arms around his waist as he turned the machine around and headed

for distant lights that grew into a respectable farmstead. The cattle milled about a

large feeder. The Border collie sprawled on the front porch.

Mack cut the engine and helped her off. ÐTell me you donÓt teach driverÓs ed.Ñ

She rolled her eyes. ÐNo Î fifth grade math and science.Ñ

ÐThank God.Ñ He motioned toward the front door. ÐAfter you.Ñ

Inside the brightly lit kitchen was blissful warmth. The scent of a wood fire

and coffee. Hardwood floors, granite counters and stainless appliances. The dog

crowded past her as she pulled off her gloves and boots. She pushed back her

hood, removed her hat and caught him staring with a weird look on his weathered

face.

ÐWhat?Ñ she asked.

ÐWhatÓd you do Î run away from the Miss Wisconsin pageant?Ñ

Twila reached up. Oh, Lord. Her cheeks heated as her fingers brushed the

tiara sheÓd forgotten to remove. She unwound her scarf and shrugged out of her

coat. His gaze skimmed the entire satin-and-lace costume with disbelief.

ÐWho the hell are you supposed to be?Ñ

ÐUh, the queen of hearts.Ñ Why did he always get her tongue-tied? She

sounded like an idiot. ÐSchool ValentineÓs Day party. I was on my way home when I

swerved to avoid your cow and crashed.Ñ

He glared. ÐYour car broke my fence and let my cows out.Ñ

She fisted her hands on her hips. ÐI didnÓt go through your fence Î I went

over it. You need to fix that if you donÓt want your cows tangoing with cars.Ñ

ÐSorry.Ñ Mack shrugged out of his own coat and reached to take hers.

ÐBathroomÓs through there if you want to take those snow pants off.Ñ

Twila shut the door behind her and yanked off the bulky pants and the tiara.

Her hair was a tangled nightmare, already half down, so she helped it the rest of

the way. Of all the knights in shining armor, it had to be Mack Adams. High-school

hero worship had turned into a major case of unrequited lust. SheÓd run into him a

few times and been rendered speechless every time. Once at the vetÓs, heÓd eyed

her classroom guinea pigs with a ÐyouÓve got to be kiddingÑ look in his hazel-green

eyes. She could get lost in those eyes.

He thought her a fluffy city girl.

She thought the cutest boy in Tessera had grown into the hottest man sheÓd

ever seen.

And now sheÓd just confirmed his opinion that she was an idiot as well as a

bad driver. This day just got better and better. Time to face the music. She could

take any amount of ridicule for a hot cup of coffee and a working phone.

ÐHere.Ñ He traded her a cup of cream-laced coffee for the pants. ÐSugarÓs on

the table.Ñ

He turned to leave the room, and she found herself staring at his broad

backÈand his ass. Plunking the mug on the table, she dropped into a chair with a

groan and buried her face in her arms.

ÐHey.Ñ A large warm hand touched her shoulder. ÐI reported your car to the

sheriffÓs office. HereÓs the phone if you want to call someone.Ñ

Renee Wildes - Queen of Hearts.pdf

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