Alphas of Red Moon Ranch Complete Series Read Online Free Page A

fifteen-year-old marriage? It wasn’t exactly great small talk. As she ran through another pros and cons list, he asked, “Who burned you?”
    She blinked back at him. “What?”
    He gave her a knowing look. She sighed. “It’s, um…my high school sweetheart, Chris, and I…we got married a long time ago. We’ve been divorced for three years now, but…it’s complicated.”
    “It’s hard to let the past go,” he said.
    “Yes,” she said. “Exactly.” She turned to look at him. “Do you have anything like that?”
    “Something that haunts me?” he asked.
    She nodded.
    “Fair used to come into town one year. Me and my dad would go to see it. He worked all day so we got in late at night, after most everyone had gone. We get in, I turn around…and I see the most terrifying thing my little nine-year-old eyes have ever laid sight on. This guy was dressed up in a clown suit, having a cigarette in the shadows. Wearing this big, nasty frown. Scared me half the death.”
    It took her a second to realize he was teasing her. When she did, she frowned.
    “My dad and I ,” she huffed.
    “Come again?”
    “You wouldn’t say: me went to the fair . You would say: I went to the fair. It’s my dad and I , not me and my dad .”
    “Ain’t you a barrel of monkeys, princess?” he said with a sly grin.
    Aren’t , she thought to herself as she crossed her arms. Aren’t I a barrel of monkeys. This was turning out to be one heck of a first impression. Holly just wondered how she was going to survive a full weekend of this.
    She looked out the window, caught a glimpse of something in the rearview mirror and looked over her shoulder. In the backseat sat a full-sized picnic basket on top of a neatly folded checkered tablecloth.
    “Are we going on a picnic?” she asked.
    He smiled. “Can’t keep anything from you, can I?”
    “I’m a teacher,” she reminded him. “It’s my job to ruin fun.”
    That got a low chuckle from him. “Well, professor, you’re about to get schooled.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “This isn’t any picnic. This is a Jacob Westmore picnic.”

Chapter 7
    He was right. It wasn’t any picnic.
    The classic red-and-white checkered picnic blanket lay strewn out on the ground. It was covered with food—a carton of berries (closed, to keep the ants out), a French baguette, a plate of Brie, spreadable chocolate. A bottle of white wine poked out of wicker basket.
    “Oh my God.” Holly’s hand clasped her mouth, covering her wide smile.
    “You like it?” Two minutes ago, Holly might’ve found that smug smirk on his face irritating, but right now, she had to hand it to him. He’d earned it.
    “I feel like Yogi the Bear is about to appear any second.” She giggled.
    “We better not stay long enough to attract him, then, huh?”
    Jacob picked up a pillow and put it down on the blanket, patting it to motion for her to take a seat. She obliged, lifting the fabric of her skirt so she could fold her legs underneath her.
    “Wine?” he asked.
    “Please.” As he uncorked the wine and filled two plastic flutes, she hunted around in her purse and pulled out her yellow notepad. She dug out a pen and then flipped to the right page.
    When she looked up, he was staring at her like she’d grown another head, holding a plastic flute in each hand. “This a job interview?” he asked.
    “N-no,” she stammered, flushed, and then motioned awkwardly to her pad. “I like lists. They help me organize my thoughts. Is that annoying?”
    The perplexed look didn’t leave his face, but now he broke into a smile. “No,” he said. “It’s adorable.” She tried not to blush and he took a swallow from his drink. “Alright, Miss Wright,” he said. “Fire away.”
    She took her flute with a thanks and then lifted it in toast. “To new beginnings,” she said confidently.
    “To you,” he said. His eyes never left hers. She put the glass to her lips and took a sip, hoping the fizzy champagne would distract