Verona made a dismissive sound. “Retirement’s for old people.”
“Well, nobody here fits that description,” Liam said, further charming Verona.
“Mr. Parrish, if I were a younger woman, you’d be in trouble right now.” Verona shot India a look that said while she might be too old for Liam, India definitely wasn’t.
Geez, just what she needed—to be caught in the crosshairs of Verona’s incurable desire to matchmake. She’d been called Blue Falls’ own Cupid on more than one occasion.
“I hear you’ve been able to take a look at our facilities,” Blake said, thankfully steering the conversation in a less “Oh, look how hot the cowboy is” direction.
“Yes, India was kind enough to show me around. I think with a few repairs and adjustments, and some good prize money for the riders, you could pull in a sizable crowd.”
India directed the others toward the table where this whole rodeo idea had been hatched. Over the next half hour, they hammered out the details and came away with a verbal agreement pending the forthcoming written contract.
“I think this calls for a bit of celebration,” Verona said as they wrapped up the discussion. “I’m thinking pie down at the Primrose.”
“Sounds good to me,” Liam said.
India guessed he’d have a bit more than pie, considering he’d been hungry for lunch when he’d arrived at the shop earlier. The grin on Verona’s face left India conflicted. Part of her didn’t want to leave Verona alone with Liam. Who knew what kinds of crazy ideas she might put in his head? But she’d spent about as much time in Liam Parrish’s presence today as she could handle. She needed some time alone to detox from his way-too-sexy, fry-your-brains looks.
When India didn’t walk toward the front door like the rest of them, Verona looked back at her. “Aren’t you coming, dear? It’ll probably be slow here this afternoon, anyway.”
India shook her head. “No, you all go ahead. I’m expecting a delivery this afternoon.” Which was true, but also a convenient way of getting out of the pie outing.
She thought she heard Verona heave a sigh, but she ignored it. If Verona could find a successful man who looked as if he could grace the cover of GQ, then that would be a different story. Yes, Liam Parrish was dead sexy, but she very much doubted they had anything in common other than being citizens of the great state of Texas.
Liam opened the door and allowed Blake and Verona to go out ahead of him. But then he hesitated before following them and met India’s eyes. He held the door with one hand and his bag of wet clothes with the other. “It was nice to meet you. And thanks for the use of your dressing room.”
“You, too, and no problem.” She nodded toward the bag in his hand. “You might want to hang those up in your truck so they don’t sour.” Needing to escape his gaze, she dipped below the front counter to retrieve a couple of wire hangers. “Here. I’ve got more of these than I can use.”
Liam took a step forward and accepted the hangers. “Thanks.” After a momentary pause, he nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”
She nodded back then watched as he walked out the door, said something to Verona and Blake then crossed the street to drop off his clothes in his truck. She noticed he just tossed everything into the backseat, not taking the time to hang his wet clothes. She rolled her eyes and forced herself to look away, to refocus on the order form for some 1920s flapper-style fashions.
But no matter how much she tried to make herself focus on work, her thoughts kept going back to that glimpse of naked legs and the indisputable fact that the sexiest man she’d seen in a long time had been fully naked mere feet from her. And it didn’t seem to matter that he was nothing like her dream guy.
* * *
LIAM’S STOMACH FELT AS IF it were going to consume itself by the time the waitress at the Primrose brought his plate of chicken-fried steak with a heaping order of fries. The coffee and stale doughnut he’d downed that morning as he left Fort Worth were long gone.
“Thank you,” he said to the waitress.
She gave him a shy smile before leaving the table.
“Don’t look now, but I think you have another fan,” Verona said as she gestured toward the waitress.
“She’s a waitress. Being friendly is how they make good tips.” And what did she mean by “another,” anyway? Was she referring to herself? Because she surely couldn’t mean India. They’d parted on friendly terms, but he couldn’t imagine a woman like her giving him a second glance. Well, maybe a glance but nothing remotely serious. He’d learned that the hard way.
Still, there had been that unexpected moment in the truck earlier.
“I think you underestimate your appeal, Mr. Parrish.”
“Verona, let the man eat his lunch,” Blake said, his voice part teasing, part gentle scolding.
Verona swatted Blake playfully on the arm, drawing a laugh from her successor at the tourist bureau.
Thankfully, the rest of their conversation veered toward the rodeo, life in Blue Falls and how the rain would barely make a dent in the rainfall deficit. But no matter how the conversation twisted and turned, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering back to India Pike. One would think he’d learned his lesson with women who wore dainty, hundred-dollar shoes and then were surprised when they didn’t hold up to a little uneven terrain. Give him a good, solid pair of boots any day.
But damn if he couldn’t get the image of her striking, pale blue eyes and wavy black hair down to her shoulders out of his mind. Not to mention the curves of her body as he’d held her in his arms. What had possessed him to pick her up like that, anyway?
“Can I get you all some dessert?” the waitress asked from his side almost as soon as he’d finished his last fry.
“What kind of pie do you have today, Gretchen?” Verona asked.
“Pecan, lemon, rhubarb and chocolate fudge.”
“You all enjoy,” Blake said as he stood. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
Liam reached across the table to shake the man’s hand again. When he was left with just Verona and the waitress, he had to resist the urge to fidget.
“None for me, thanks,” he said.
“Now you can’t leave your first visit to the Primrose without some of its famous pie,” Verona said. “I think it’s actually against the law.”
Gretchen nodded her agreement. “At least a night in jail.”
Knowing better than to try to defy two women who had their minds set, he said, “In that case, I’ll take a slice of pecan to go. I’ve got to get back to Fort Worth.”
He didn’t know if he actually saw a flicker of disappointment on Gretchen’s face or if Verona’s suggestion of an attraction was making him see things that weren’t there. Whatever it was, it was gone in the blink of an eye.
“And for you, Verona?” Gretchen asked.
“I feel like lemon today. And get me a slice of the chocolate fudge for India. It’s her favorite.”
Gretchen nodded and headed off to retrieve the pie.
“Too bad India couldn’t join us,” Verona said. “At least I can get her some pie for the work she’s doing on the rodeo.”
Liam made a noncommittal sound.
After Gretchen brought them their to-go boxes and Liam picked up the bill, they headed out the front door. Verona pulled out her phone and looked at the display.
“Oh,