Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 60(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 60(@300wpm)
“I’m glad you’re home,” I reply, and clink my glass to hers.
“Are you still out at the ranch?” she asks casually.
“Oh, yeah. I was born there, and I’ll probably die there. But that’s not a bad thing. What are you doing these days?”
“I’m a bookkeeper,” she says. “For Bitterroot Pediatrics. It’s not a bad thing, either, really. I like the doctors.”
“Is Doc Simpson still there?”
“He is, and he’s about a hundred years old.”
I laugh with her and notice that Joy isn’t wearing a ring on an important finger. “No husband?”
“Nah, I’m single. What about you? Are you still with Sandy?”
“No.” I shake my head, thinking about my high school girlfriend. “We broke up not long after graduation, actually.”
“So, you’re single, too, then.”
I nod, and Joy’s smile spreads. “That’s pretty convenient, because I have a confession to make.”
“I can’t wait to hear what it is.” I wave back at a friend from across the room and then give Joy my undivided attention. “Spill it.”
“I’ve had a massive crush on you since the sixth grade.”
CHAPTER 2
JOY
Iswear to God, I’ve broken out in a cold sweat, and I can no longer hear the music blaring around us. Did I just say that out loud? To the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my entire life?
I’m so lame.
“Is that so?” John leans a shoulder on the wall, looking so tall and casual in his jeans and button-down, so calm and collected as he watches me with humor-filled brown eyes that I could just get lost in.
“You know what? I think I’m done embarrassing myself for one night. It was good to see you, John. I’m sure I’ll run into you around town.”
I nod and try to walk away, but he catches my elbow in his grasp.
“Hey, there’s no need to be embarrassed. I’m sorry if I made you feel like that. It’s just not every day that a woman says something like that to me.”
“Right,” I mutter, looking down at the gorgeous shoes that I wish I hadn’t worn. They’re killing me. “I’m sure you hear it a lot.”
“What’s that? I can’t hear you over Huey Lewis and the News.”
I laugh at that. “I didn’t say anything.”
“John!” A teenager who looks a lot like John comes running up to him and tugs on his shirtsleeve. “Hey, can I just stay with Sarah Beth tonight? We can just walk to her place later, after the dance.”
She bites her lip, watching him hopefully.
“Yeah, that’s fine, but be sure to call home to let the parents know. Just call me tomorrow when you’re ready to come home.”
“Totally awesome,” she says and kisses her brother’s cheek. “You’re a rad brother, you know?”
“Don’t you forget it,” he says with a wink before she hurries off, and then he turns to me. “Well, looks like I don’t have a reason to stay here, and since we can’t hear each other well, would you be interested in blowing this off? We could get pizza or something.”
I absolutely, positively will not say no to that offer.
“That actually sounds fun. I just have to go to my car and change my shoes.”
He grins and offers me his arm, which I take, feeling the muscles of his biceps bulge under my hand.
John Wild has wicked muscles.
It must be from all the ranch work.
“I’m parked over there,” I say, pointing to my little Honda Civic.
“That car isn’t made for snow,” he says with a scowl.
“It has front-wheel drive,” I counter, “and I like it.”
“Hmm,” is all he says when we reach the little white car. I unlock the driver’s side with my key, then get in to change from my heels to my boots. I even remembered to bring socks along, which makes me quite happy.
Once my feet are finally warm and in footwear that won’t make me break my neck, I step out of the car once more and lock the door with my key.
“Why don’t we walk?” I ask, blinking through the heavy snowfall. “It’s not that cold, and Old Town Pizza isn’t far from here.”
“Are you sure you’ll be warm enough in that dress?” He doesn’t look convinced as he looks me up and down.
“One minute. You have to turn your back.”
He raises an eyebrow but does as I ask as I unlock the car once more. I slip inside and shut the door, then wiggle out of the dress and replace it with the jeans and sweatshirt that I had in a gym bag in the back seat. After I’ve slipped the boots and coat back on again, I step out of the car and see that John still has his back to me.
“Okay, you can look now.”
“Do you keep an entire closet in the back seat of that tiny car?”
“No.” I laugh as I lock it once again and step away from it, shuffling through the soft snow. “I had extra clothes in the car because I’d planned to go to Jazzercise the other day, but I never made it. Now I’m glad I didn’t.”