“Nothing more than that. Just two people doing some stuff, just because. But that’s okay. I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I wasn’t exactly uncomfortable. I…”
“It’s okay.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She wasn’t like any woman he’d ever met. This not-dating was beginning to feel a lot like dating, and he didn’t mind one bit.
I enjoy spending time with her.
A little voice inside reminded him,Don’t take your eye off the prize, Cowboy. This is your year.
“Thank you.” She placed her hand on his forearm. “This has been a birthday I’ll never forget.”
She closed the door behind her, and he cursed himself for not having had something perfect to respond with.
He went back down to the trailer, put out the campfire, and cleaned up. Sitting under the stars against an inky-black sky, he was too comfortable to go back to the house. He’d pony the horses back to the barn in the morning. He kicked off his boots. Right then, all he wanted to do was sit there and think about his new neighbor.
12
A week and a halflater, Merry Anna got ready for church, then went out and sat on the stoop. She wasn’t used to letting other people pick her up, and waiting made her antsy. Finally, she walked down to Tara’s.
Tara was already outside, about to get in her car.
“Thanks for offering to drive to church this morning.” Merry Anna lifted the handle and slid into the passenger seat.
“I’d have picked you up.”
“I know, but I figured since I was ready, I’d meet you.”
“Dear, I know you usually walk, but it’s so hot this weekend. I just couldn’t stand the thought of you sweating out there.” Tara glanced over at her. “Okay, really I just thought it would be nice to have the company.”
Merry Anna pulled two small fans from her purse. “Just in case they haven’t gotten the sanctuary air-conditioning working any better this week, I picked us up a couple of little fans while I was shopping.” Merry Anna flipped open a blue one and fluttered her lashes as she fanned herself dramatically.
Tara laughed. “You do look like quite the Southern gal.”
“Why, thank you so very much,” she said in an overlybreathy Southern accent. She turned and fanned Tara. “Seriously, they work really well.”
“Oh, they do.” Tara lifted her chin, enjoying the cool breeze. She motored down Main Street so slow that Merry Anna was pretty sure that if she’d left at the same time on foot, she may have beat Tara to church.
Tara put on her turn signal a block from the turn. The incessant clicking accentuated the snail’s pace at which they were moving, and it took everything Merry Anna had not to say something.
Finally, Tara swung wide, almost into the other lane, and turned into the church parking lot.
Merry Anna clung to the door, silently vowing never to ride with Tara again after today.
They got out of the car, and the two of them started toward the door. Tara stopped and greeted just about everyone along the way. Like a pair of bumblebees pollenating a field full of flowers, they zigged and zagged their way inside.
The church was pretty packed, so they took a seat near the back. Merry Anna pulled out the hymnal and started tagging the songs listed in the bulletin. She handed the hymnal to Tara. “I marked them for you,” she whispered.
“You are so sweet. Thank you.” She clutched the book in her lap.
Merry Anna put placemarks in her own hymnal. The pipe organ bellowed in a rich tone that made Merry Anna hitch a breath.
It was right about then that something on the other side of the sanctuary caught her eye.
Adam walked in with his cowboy hat in his hand and took a seat at the end of a pew near the front.
Her stomach swirled. His dark hair curled just above his collar. It had been over a week since the horseback ride, and she found herself smiling. She hadn’t expected he’d be back in town in time for church after riding this weekend.
Tara elbowed her and gave her a knowing smile.
