“You looked taller on TV.”
“You were so pretty when you were younger.”
“Do you still talk to Amanda? Can you get her autograph?”
Her favorite had been from the town’s mayor, who’d blurted, “I read you overdosed a year ago. I think I sent your gran flowers as a condolence.”
It was a good thing the ego had been pummeled out of her years ago. Otherwise, the blatant disapproval might have done her in.
She watched a couple of teenage boys stare at her from behind the bookshelves at the far end of the room. She pulled off her headphones and winked in their direction. Her smile broadened as they ran away, books clattering to the floor in their wake.
“You enjoyed that a little too much.”
She started at Josh’s deep voice and swiveled her head to see him approach. Quickly, she clicked the mouse to minimize the screen and turned to block his view completely. “The picture-book section is on the other side,” she said with a huff.
To her dismay, he gave her a knowing grin. “Whatcha doin’, Hollywood?” His lazy drawl made her insides twist in a way she didn’t like.
She shrugged in response. “Checking out the gossip sites. A little Facebook. April’s meeting with the owner at the market to arrange food deliveries to the ranch so I’m killing time.”
He craned his neck to peer over her shoulder. “I think you looked me up on Google.”
“You wish,” she sputtered as a voice sounded through the headphones that she’d dropped to the desk.
“Josh Travers does it again. It’s a new record and another amazing showing from bull riding’s reigning king.” Applause and cheers echoed in the background.
Heat rose to her cheeks as Josh arched a brow.
“Fine. I was curious. So what. Don’t tell me you haven’t looked me up, too.”
“I wasn’t sure which site I liked better—serenawellensforever.com or sarawellsstinks.com.”
“Just the Two of Us fans didn’t love it when I changed my name. They thought they knew me when I was Serena. Like my name mattered.”
“It mattered to you.”
“Reigning king, huh?” she asked.
“That was a while back,” he said with a smile, as if he knew she was changing the subject.
She studied him for a few moments. “I saw pictures of your accident.”
His back stiffened. “Pictures exaggerate.”
“The bull landed on top of you.”
“They got him off quick.”
“Does your knee still bother you?”
“Not really.”
“Liar,” she whispered. “Do you miss it?”
“Not really.”
“Did you ever see that Jim Carrey movie Liar, Liar when he can only tell the truth?”
He scratched his jaw. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s an interesting idea, don’t you think? Even if he tried to tell a lie, it wouldn’t come out of his mouth.”
He just watched her.
“I’m kind of babbling.”
“Yep.”
He did that to her, she thought. He was such a presence. Big and broad and totally in his space—in her space. People in L.A. were always planning what came next, even if it was a trip to the mall. But Josh stayed in the moment no matter what he was doing. He kept busy, and to her eternal gratitude, she hadn’t seen much of him other than watching him walk across the property early in the morning to take care of the horses, then catching glimpses of him throughout the day.
Yesterday, he’d spent most of his time on the roof of the largest cabin, replacing worn shingles. When the sun moved high overhead and the temperature rose with it, he’d taken off his shirt. Much to her dismay, Sara found herself staring out the window in the office far too often. It had been a while since she’d had a man in her life, but she figured she could get her wayward hormones under better control than that.
Here in the quiet intimacy of the library, those little buggers took flight again. With Josh standing in front of her, his faded T-shirt stretched over his chest and sculpted arms, she could imagine...
Nope.
She did not imagine. She’d given up her imagination when she’d abandoned her dreams, around the time she began filling in waitress under the occupation heading on paperwork.
This man was all that stood in the way of the possibility of reclaiming her life, or at the very least, creating a new one. The money from the sale would allow April and her to start over. The only view she’d let herself imagine was Josh Travers disappearing in her rearview mirror.
“So what are you doing here? Did they run out of Playboys at the general store? I don’t think the library has a subscription.”
He shrugged then held out a book. The cover read Talk To Your Teenager Without Losing Your Mind.
“That’s a mouthful.”
“The librarian recommended it.”
“It’s nice that you’re willing to read a parenting book.”
“Claire hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you,” Sara argued as she stood and gathered her things.
“This morning after you and April left I asked her to help me feed the horses. You would have thought I was waterboarding her.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I thought all girls loved horses.”
“Not all,” she clarified.
“Thanks, I’ve got that now. One of the mares sniffed her and she freaked out. I laughed a little.”
“You laughed at her?”
He smacked the heel of his hand to his forehead. “So shoot me. I didn’t mean it. She threw a bucket of grain at me, screamed that she hated the ranch, she hated her mother and most of all she hated me. My dad would have whipped my butt if I’d thrown a fit like that.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing. She ran back to the house. I finished in the barn and came here.”
Sara led the way out of the library and into the warm afternoon air. She glanced up at the bright blue sky, still surprised at how much this small mountain town resembled a movie set. “She doesn’t hate you,” she repeated.
“Did you hear anything I just said?” Josh asked, his face incredulous.
“She’s a teenager. Hormones running rampant and in a new place with a parent she barely knows. Give her time.”
He looked like he wanted to argue then took a breath. “Time. Right. When are you coming back?”
Sara checked her watch. “I’m supposed to meet April in a half hour.”
“What’s the deal with the two of you? She was willing to follow you to Crimson and seems happy to do her part at the ranch. That’s quite the package deal.”
“I don’t know much about the rodeo circuit, but in Hollywood finding someone who truly cares is a rarity.” Sara took a breath before continuing. “I met April about the