“You have anything to put on your hands?”
Leah looked up at Tyler, so close, and her breath caught on its way to give her words a voice. “Uh, yeah. Thanks for your help.”
He smiled then, the first time she’d seen him smile, and it was the kind of thing that turned a reasonably intelligent woman into a blithering idiot.
“You said that already,” he said.
“What?”
“You thanked me twice.”
Her brain scrambled for an appropriate response. “Once for each hand?”
He laughed at that, making her smile, too.
Leah broke eye contact, her thoughts fixated on the man who had helped her. The feel of his strong arm around her shoulders, not allowing her to fall. The way his smile totally changed his face. And those blue eyes that drew her with a power that would scare her if she thought about it.
For tonight, she chose not to think about it.
A Rancher to
Love
Trish Milburn
TRISH MILBURN writes contemporary romance for the Mills & Boon Cherish line and paranormal romance for the Mills & Boon Nocturne series. She’s a two-time Golden Heart® Award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips and a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. And from her earliest memories, she’s been a fan of Westerns, be they historical or contemporary. There’s nothing quite like a cowboy hero.
To Beth Pattillo and Page Pennington. Thanks for the help in brainstorming this and other Blue Falls stories at our MCRW winter retreat. Your ideas and support came right when I needed it.
Contents
Frustration and anxiety twisted Leah Murphy’s middle as she sat outside the sheriff’s department office. Which, of course, was completely irrational considering she was here to see her cousin Conner, one of the local deputies. But some part of her brain, the section that governed fight or flight, had her flashing back to the night when her apartment had been filled with uniformed officers.
No, she didn’t want to think about that here. She’d come to Blue Falls to leave the memories behind, but they seemed determined to stay adhered to her every thought like a supremely unwelcome guest. Like one of those people who didn’t understand the concept of personal space and insisted on invading it.
Leah gripped the steering wheel of her little crossover SUV and forced herself to take several deep...slow...breaths.
Her parents were concerned she was running from her problems and fears instead of confronting them, but she needed this. Needed the peace and calm and safety she’d always associated with Blue Falls. She looked out the windshield at the town’s quintessential American Main Street in the distance and allowed herself to believe that violence never visited here. She knew that wasn’t true. Every place, no matter the size and location, experienced violence of some type. But at least for now, she needed to believe the lie.
With another fortifying breath, she turned off the engine. Immediately, the Texas heat started to bake her like a potato in an oven with four wheels, prompting her to get out of the vehicle.
The door to the sheriff’s department office opened, and Leah couldn’t prevent a sharp intake of breath when a tall man stepped out. When would she stop being so jumpy? Then recognition hit the moment the man smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back at Sheriff Simon Teague.
“Hey, Leah. Conner said you were stopping by for a visit. I wanted to tell you that I got Keri one of your necklaces for her birthday and I earned major ‘Good Husband’ points. So thanks for that.”
Leah chuckled a little, which felt foreign, like a language she’d once known but had largely forgotten because she hadn’t used it in so long. She chose to look at it as a positive step, however small.
“Maybe that should be part of my business logo, ‘Keeping Husbands Out of the Doghouse.’”
“Sales would skyrocket.” Simon flashed another easy smile, making Leah think that Keri Teague was a lucky woman.
Leah wondered if she’d ever feel safe enough again to find her own happily-ever-after.
“Have a good visit.” Simon tapped the brim of his tan hat and headed for his department SUV.
Beginning to feel as though her fair skin was blistering under the brutal late July sun, she walked inside. The blast of cold from the air-conditioning hit her as equal parts shocking and welcome. Even before her eyes adjusted to