A Man of Means. Diana Palmer

‘‘Sarcasm doesn’t get you any points with me. I’m just making the position clear. We need a cook, not a prospective soul mate.’’

      ‘‘Speak for yourself,’’ she told him, turning back to her door. ‘‘I think Leo likes me already.’’

      ‘‘I just told you…!’’

      She opened the door and looked back at him with pure irreverence. ‘‘Your brother can speak for himself. You don’t own him, and you don’t own me. I’ll do what I please.’’

      ‘‘Damn it…!’’

      ‘‘With charm like that, it’s no surprise to me that you’re still single,’’ she said as she walked into the house.

      ‘‘I can be charming when I’ve got a reason to be,’’ he said icily. ‘‘But that’s something you’ll never know!’’

      ‘‘Lucky me!’’

      He started to speak, closed his lips tight, and walked back to his car.

      She closed the door quickly and leaned back against it, almost shivering with anger. Of all the conceited, infuriating men she’d ever met, that one took the cake!

      The next day, Rey phoned her midmorning to tell her that he and Leo would pick her up at one for the drive down to Jacobsville.

      She had her suitcase packed and the house closed up when the big luxury car pulled into the driveway. It was a late-model car, and it looked odd, sitting in front of the shabby little house.

      As she walked to the car, Meredith saw curtains fluttering and knew that the neighbors were getting an eyeful. They probably thought she was being carried off by the mob. That amused her and she smiled, glad that something diverted her mind from her father and her pain, and the misery of the past few months.

      ‘‘We hadn’t planned to ask you to help us move cattle,’ Rey drawled when he saw how she was dressed, in jeans and a striped shirt and boots.