She yelled for Tara as she got close to the porch. She ran up the front steps and pounded on the door. “Tara?” She twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. “Tara? Where are you? Are you okay?”
Tara walked into the front room, a thick leather tool belt hanging from her hips. She had a hammer in one hand. “Hey there.”
“Oh my gosh. I heard a loud bang from my place. I was afraid you were hurt and trying to signal for help.”
“Don’t be silly. If I get hurt, I’ll call the police or the fire department. I wouldn’t sit here banging in hopes someone might get nosy.”
Is she calling me nosy?“Well, thank goodness you’re okay.”
“How was your little s’mores party?” Tara asked.
“It was fine.” Look who was being nosy now. “What do you know about it?”
“Nothing. That’s why I asked. I saw the way Adam looked at you after church.”
“We volunteered to help with teen night. It was not a date. Believe me, those kids kept us on our toes.”
“Mm-hmm. Nothing sweet went on around s’mores time?”
Could that woman read minds, or had someone from thechurch been gossiping already about the fact that Adam had swept a melted marshmallow from the side of her mouth?His fingers were as light as a feather against my cheek…No. Tara was just digging for information and wishing for something that was not going to happen.
“Nothing to speak of,” Merry Anna said as casually as she could manage with the memory of his touch hanging in the forefront of her mind. “We went through a lot of marshmallows, and the kids had a great time.”
“Well, that’s good,” Tara said, looking a bit disappointed. “Doing your part for the community and all.”
“Right.” Community was the last thing on her mind when her hand had shot up in church to volunteer. She knew darn well that if Adam hadn’t been the first to volunteer, she wouldn’t have offered.
“You’re not going to tell me about you two going to the rodeo together next Friday?”
Merry Anna hadn’t told a soul. “How do you know about that?”
She shrugged. “People in a small town talk.”
“Tara, you are newer around here than I am.”
“Yes, but I made friends with the men, and they are way bigger gossips than women. They cannot keep a secret.” She pinched Merry Anna on the cheek. “It’s okay. He’s very cute. I’m not your mama. I’m not judging you. If you hang out with that handsome cowboy for a while, maybe it’ll loosen you up a little.” She swatted Merry Anna on her rear as she turned and walked back into the kitchen.
“I don’t need loosening up.” Merry Anna followed her.
“Sure you do. What are you going to wear?”
“To the rodeo? Jeans, I guess.”
“Merry Anna, you need to drive down to the western-wearstore on the other side of the mountain and get you a bright-red pair of boots and great-fitting jeans. What’s that song? ‘Blue jeans and pearls are my kind of girl’ or something like that. You’ll figure it out.”
“That’ll seem like I’m trying too hard.”
“No, it’ll just show that you want to look your best. And who knows when you’ll meet your next true love? Maybe this bull rider isn’t it, but who’s to say Mr. Perfect won’t be there selling T-shirts or photographing the event for some fancy magazine? Got to always be ready.”
Somehow the thought of her next true love selling T-shirts was a bit disappointing. “I’m not looking for love. I’m just going to support my friend and understand the sport a little better.”
“What’s there to understand? Guys tie themselves to a mad bull and then try not to get thrown to the ground and gored in eight seconds flat.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“And more to life than being alone. Which is why I made friends with those breakfast-club guys.” She shook her finger in Merry Anna’s face. “You need someone.”
“I really don’t. Even when I was married, I was the one who took care of us financially. My ex did nothing. I don’t need anyone.”
