The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

eyes, his motorcycle hit the pole, over and over again, each time more brutally than the last.

It had been the same with her. But instead of smashing into a pole, a damn bull bucked her off its back. And the bull did it again and again, every time harder than the last.

Somewhere deep in his soul, Austin knew her, and she knew him. They had fought their demons and, despite them, they survived.

Her eyes slowly drifted from Austin to Donald McCabe. His last breath was a gentle rush of air, and his life drifted away like the last wisps of smoke from dying embers.

56

MacKlenna Farm, KY (1885)—Austin

The MacKlennas covered the furniture and paintings with black shrouds and held Donald McCabe’s wake that evening. When neighbors, friends, and associates heard the husband of Sean MacKlenna’s twin sister had died, they came in droves from Midway, Frankfort, and Lexington.

Almost every guest was curious about Austin’s height and good looks. He tried explaining the distant relationship between his family and the MacKlennas, but that only drew more questions than he could answer. Emily finally took pity on him and came to his rescue, explaining that the two families’ link came through an illegitimate child.

That shut them up.

Austin caught up with Ensley going through the buffet line. “I thought you ate already.”

“That was appetizers. What you see on my plate is the full course.” She licked her lips. “It seems like months since I’ve had decent food.”

“I thought you liked what Norman cooked.”

“It was okay, but this”—she licked her lips again—“is gourmet food in comparison.”

“Wait till you sample Amber Grant’s food. Now, that’s gourmet. There are lots of good cooks in the family, but Amber has them all beat.” He looked around for a place to sit. “Let’s go outside. It’s too crowded in here.”

They found two wicker chairs on the veranda, and he carried them out into the yard to get away from the crowd.

Ensley followed him into the evening shade beneath the oaks. “Are you hiding from someone?”

“The women inside couldn’t stop staring, and the men treated me like a freak in a carnival show. They were worse than the press corps and twice as annoying as my family.”

Ensley covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, but he tugged her hand away. “Stop laughing.”

“I’m sorry, but it seems weird that these Southerners sipping mint juleps on the veranda think you belong in a cabinet of curiosities, and the cowboys treated you with the utmost respect.”

“Hey, you’re right. They treated me like a regular cowboy and thought you belonged in a cabinet of curiosities.”

“They did not.”

He laughed. “You’re right. It wasn’t curiosity. It was fear.”

“Afraid of me?” she asked, pressing her hand to her chest. “That’s impossible. What’d I do to invoke fear in them?”

“Oh, let me count the ways. You cussed like a damn sailor. You rode a gold horse like a goddess. You broke a bronc no one would ride. And you had Norman eating out of your hand.”

“I did not. Norman ruled the roost.”

“With an iron hand and an iron skillet, but he doted on you. They were all terrified of him. So they figured if they were scared of someone who doted on you, then you must be a terror.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit.”

He leaned over to kiss her, but she popped a deviled egg into her mouth just as he made his move. Instead, he kissed the tip of her button nose. “You’re too cute for anyone to be scared of.”

“Cute?” She gave him a side-eye. “I’m twenty-eight. I don’t want to be cute.”

“Would you rather be sexy and gorgeous?”

“Sure. Wouldn’t all women?”

“Yep, but not all women can be cute, sexy, and gorgeous.”

“You can’t be cute and gorgeous.”

“You can’t? Hmm. Well, right now, you’re cute with that bit of egg on the side of your lip.” He took her napkin and wiped it off. “When you’re horseback riding in jeans, you’re sexy as hell, and when you come out of the bath with wet hair and glistening skin, you’re gorgeous.”

“I bet that’s the one you like the best. The wet hair and glistening skin.”

“Nah. I like watching you on horseback.”

She blushed, and he laughed. He knew where her mind was drifting off to, and he wanted to push it further. But he didn’t want anyone to think badly of her or to offend Sean and Lyle Ann.

No, he’d wait until he had Ensley alone with time to explore—possibilities. And while his ultimate goal was to get her in his big bed at the ranch, he’d take whatever she offered, wherever she offered it. Taking the next step had to be on her terms, though.

“You look damn good on your horse, too,” she said. “The first time I saw you, I thought you looked like a knight riding his black destrier.”

And then she stared at him in open-mouthed horror, and on the heels of her shock, he had a punch to his solar plexus. He knew, without doubt, what she was thinking, and he didn’t like it any better than she did.

Black destrier? Mercury. Ferdiad.

“They’re gone, Ensley.”

“No!” she gasped. “I lost Tesoro to a bear, and I promised Tavis I’d take care of his horse.”

Austin squeezed her arm affectionately. “There may still be hope. The horses were booked on the train from Medora to the Midway Depot. Maybe they’re in Midway waiting for us to pick them up.”

“But that’s dangerous. I mean, the Illuminati know we escaped. Maybe they’ll be in Midway thinking we’ll come back for the horses. We might end up leading them here to Elliott and his brooch. That would be a disaster. I bet that’s why Elliott didn’t want anyone to know JC was here.”

“Shit! You’re right. As much as it pains me to leave them behind, we can’t do anything to draw attention. I’ll let Sean know the horses might show up.”

“Won’t that put Sean and his family in danger?”

“I don’t think so,” Austin said. “The Illuminati want the brooches, and