AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chloé leaned over and patted her friend on the hand. Poor Maisie had tried so hard but had sadly failed to get her qualifications. It hadn’t helped matters when her mother had suffered so badly with cancer for a long while bef
ore she finally passed away, just when Maisie was supposed to be studying for her exams. Maisie’s dad had gone to pieces, leaving Maisie to sort everything out. No wonder she couldn’t concentrate on her studies.
“Do you enjoy working there?” Chloé tried to cajole her friend.
Maisie brightened up a little, and giggled. “I do, actually,” she said cheerfully. “Some of the customers are really funny. They don’t mean to be, but they do make me laugh.
“We have to keep an eye on Mr. Hughes over there,” she nodded toward an elderly guy who was sat near the bar. “He keeps picking up dog food instead of cans of stewed steak. We didn’t notice at first – the new girl on the till just assumed he had a dog. It was only when she asked him what breed it was one day that we realized what was happening. We’re still trying to persuade him to go and get his eyes checked. In the meantime we just spy on his shopping basket whenever he comes in.” She giggled, and Chloé burst out laughing at the thought.
“Do you think he actually ate any?” Chloé’s eyes widened.
“We’re not sure,” Maisie whispered back. “I had to stop Trevor from asking him if he felt a bit ‘ruff’ one day, and Dillon keeps making barking noises whenever Mr. Hughes walks into the shop. It’s a good job he’s deaf.”
They were both laughing when a familiar presence appeared at the side of them.
“Having fun?” Tyler Brannagh looked slightly bemused, probably because the two girls were giggling away on such a solemn occasion.
“We were.” Chloé was aware how cold her tone sounded, but she didn’t care. He was intruding – again.
“Pull up a chair,” Maisie urged him, apparently totally oblivious to the change in Chloé’s demeanor.
Tyler drew over a small stool and perched between them.
“I was just telling Chloé about the fun we have at the shop,” Maisie explained, still chuckling slightly.
Tyler grinned. “I’ll bet the local corner shop seems like a million miles away from what you’re used to now, doesn’t it, Chloé?”
Although the question seemed innocent enough, Chloé detected the ice which lay beneath it, and she grimaced. “What do you mean?” She asked curtly.
“Well I hear you’re a high flyer nowadays aren’t you? A big shot in the city, I understand. It must have been hard to leave all that glamour and come back home to Rough Oaks and all this.” He waved a hand dismissively around him, gesturing their surroundings.
Chloé felt her blood begin to boil. “This happened to be my home. This is where I grew up and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just the people that ruin it.” She spoke through gritted teeth, staring at him belligerently.
“You’re right,” he nodded calmly. “It happened to be your home. Not anymore though, eh?” Tyler took a long swig of his beer while she gawped at him, silently admonishing herself for her bad choice of words.
“I can’t see why anyone would want to leave Rough Oaks.” Maisie was apparently unaware of the tension which surrounded them.
“Well I guess it’s just not good enough for some people, is it?” Tyler stared Chloé in the eye and she felt herself get hotter.
“This place is plenty good enough for me,” she spat out at him. “Like I said – it’s the people that ruin it. Have you ever thought that maybe someone might not be leaving the place as much as the people in it?” Chloé hissed at him as she got up. She grabbed her purse and stalked out of the bar, aware of the hushed voices which followed her.
It was starting to snow again as she made her way stealthily back up the track which led to Mile End Ranch. Although it was only late-afternoon the sky was already a dark, murky gray, and clearly held a deluge which was bound to fall by tonight. The weather matched her mood; dark, cold and bitter. Wrapping her coat even more tightly around her, Chloé used one hand to hold her hood over her head as she battled against the icy wind toward her old home.
She’d left her car behind at the ranch, hoping to enjoy a few drinks after the service. She might have, too, if Tyler Brannagh hadn’t showed up again. Seething, she tried to rid his face from her mind.
She hadn’t gone far when she heard the chugging of an engine coming up behind her. She moved to the side of the track to keep out of the way of the vehicle and was surprised when it stopped beside her.
“Get in.”
She stared over at the cowboy who was leaning toward her, calling through his open window.
“Get lost,” she barked back at him and continued walking as steadily as she could manage.
“Don’t be stupid. It’ll take forever to get back in this. And it’s not safe. This road’s already getting icy.” Tyler was adamant, but so was she.
“Well if it’s not safe I’m certainly not getting in there with you.” She snapped back. “I’d rather take my chances on my own, thanks all the same.”
Chloé stomped through the snow which was already becoming quite thick underfoot. She had forgotten how quickly the weather could change up here in the mountains, and she did her best not to stumble in front of Tyler Brannagh.
