Her Perfect Match Read Online Free Page B

own safety at least care about your animal and the handlers. Suppose one of the men had walked in front of you. I don’t need another man injured right now, especially because someone got careless.”
    Irritated, Elizabeth looked at him from her position in the saddle. He was so handsome yet so provoking. And the afternoon had been going so well. Until now! She tilted her head a bit and tried shooting her best imperious look at him. “Mr. Alton,” Elizabeth said, mimicking the formal tone he’d used with her. “I was taking jumps like that by the time I was twelve years old. My father is an Olympic equestrian coach. Believe me, Glory was in no danger. I know what I’m doing.”
    “Fine. But what if someone had walked in your path?”
    Elizabeth gritted her teeth. Did he think she was acomplete idiot? “Had anyone been near, I assure you, I wouldn’t have made the jump. I have enough brains in my head to check to make sure the yard is empty.” She dismounted and glared coolly at him. “If, however, it bothers you this much, I’ll only jump this fence when Ross is around. Then you can take your objections up with him, since he is the first one I ever saw do it.”
    That said, she slapped Glory’s reins against his chest. Looking nothing if not astonished, he made what looked like an automatic grab for them as she let go.
    “Glory’s had quite a workout,” she snapped. “After she’s been shampooed, kindly see her legs are bandaged. She tends to have a problem with swelling after hard work. CJ Larson knows all about it.”
    Elizabeth didn’t wait to see Jack’s reaction to her imperious demands. She pivoted on her heels and stalked toward the clinic to check on CJ’s mare, Morning, and to see how Cole’s separated shoulder was coming along. Behind her she heard Jack Alton growl, “A real rider takes care of his own mount.”
    She took a deep calming breath and kept walking. As she approached the big stone barn, she shook her head, and thought about her reaction to Jack Alton. Elizabeth didn’t know why she let him get to her, but at least all she’d felt was pure, clean anger. That was a definite improvement.
    Through the years she had always been able to either intimidate or ignore the men she couldn’t avoid but she found either impossible with this one. She wasat least able to console herself with the lack of fear she’d felt. Anger continued to feel good. Really good.
    Then a disturbing thought struck. This was the second time anger toward him had overshadowed the uneasiness she felt around Jack. Had she overreacted to his criticism? Been mean rather than righteously annoyed? Was she trying to make him pay some arbitrary price because he’d looked at her with interest and because he made her uneasy—a feeling she hated?
    She didn’t know, and when she reached the barn it turned out she couldn’t divert her thoughts with a visit with Cole. He’d left for his office, having put Georgie Burk in charge of Morning. After a short visit with the sweet-natured mare and older man who’d been at Laurel Glen for years, Elizabeth set out for her car. She’d spent a lot longer than expected riding, which was why she’d jumped the fence. Cutting the few minutes it would have taken to ride around the other stables and barn had seemed worth it, but she hadn’t picked up any time after all, thanks to being held up by Jack Alton’s lecture. Consequently, she was even later for work at the women’s shelter than she would have been if she’d stopped to open the gate!
    Nearly everyone assumed she worked at New Life Inn as a volunteer, but it was more for her now—she was getting paid for her work. With her parents’ finances collapsing, Elizabeth had finally taken a stand against her father and his demand that she not work for a living. He found it embarrassing. And as always, she found his attitude positively Victorian.
    With Meg Taggert for a role model, Elizabeth had broken out of the mold and set out