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Dan sat up and the sheet pooled around his hips, her mouth watering as she gazed at his thick chest and the swirl of brown curls she remembered tickling her nipples all night. “I have to get moving, too.” Dissatisfaction darkened his eyes as he stood and hauled her against him. “We need to talk, soon.”
A lump formed in her throat. Other than him insisting she return to his bed last night, he hadn’t said, or hinted at where he wanted to go from here. With no other choice, she would take that as a positive sign until he said or did something otherwise. Nodding, she schooled her features to hide the flare of hope his words instigated. “I agree, but I don’t have time now.”
“Grayson and I volunteered our horses at the adult riding ring. Meet me there after you close.”
“Sounds good.” She leaned up and kissed him before grabbing her clothes and dashing into the bathroom.
To her relief, Dan was already out doing chores when she skipped downstairs and went to her car. By the time she was rushing upstairs to her apartment to change clothes, she only had ten minutes to spare before she opened at the time advertised for this morning. Pulling out her phone, she punched in the number to the diner and placed an order to go, wincing when Barbara replied it would be at least an hour due to the crowd.
“Okay. Just stick it under the warmer until I get there. I’m expecting a crowd, too. Thanks.”
Nan’s harried start to the day didn’t get any better as the morning progressed. As much as she enjoyed her customers, and meeting new people who took the time to visit her tea shop before going to the fairgrounds, today she would rather be with Dan. She intended to tell him, point blank, how she felt, where she wanted to go from here with him, and only him. If he wasn’t of like mind, she would deal with it. Her stomach cramped as she imagined going back to their prior relationship but she refused to think further on that possibility. One thing at a time, she lectured herself, carrying two filled cups over to a table.
“Here you go. I know you’ll enjoy the cranberry orange,” she told the older couple whose brand-new cowboy hats and western shirts screamed tourists.
“Thank you, dear. I just love this little town and can’t wait to ride a horse for the first time when we get to the fair.”
“You’ll have fun,” Nan assured her, unable to imagine never having ridden at that age. The bell over the door pealed and Alice entered carrying a to-go bag from the diner. “Excuse me,” she said as Alice came toward her.
Holding up the bag, she smiled and handed it to Nan. “Willa and I were just finishing breakfast when your order came up. Since we were leaving and coming right by here on the way to the library, I sent Willa on and offered to run it in to you.”
Nan took the bag with a smile of gratitude. “Thank you so much, Alice. I’m starving but couldn’t get away yet.”
“You’re welcome. Will you be going to the fair this afternoon?”
“Yes, shortly. How about you?”
“I’m planning on it. Maybe I’ll see you over there.”
“Great, and thanks again,” Nan said as a customer called for the check. Turning, she hurried to set the bag behind the counter, missing the satisfied smirk curling Alice’s lips as she left.
It was over an hour later before Nan could flip the closed sign around after the last person left and she could load up the rest of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Her stomach rumbled, a reminder she hadn’t taken the time to eat yet. Flipping open the lid of the Styrofoam container holding the order of biscuits and gravy from the diner, she grabbed a fork and scooped up a bite with one hand while reaching for another cup to put in the dishwasher with the other. “Oh, God, that tastes good,” she mumbled. But before she could take another bite, a group of teenaged boys went
running by, whooping it up as they rapped on the front windows, startling her. Nan jumped at the sudden noise, her arm knocking the flat box off the counter to land upside down at her feet.
“Crap!” Looking down at the mess, she felt like stomping her foot in frustration. Not only did she lose her meal, but now she had to take the time to clean up the mess, another delay before she could meet up with Dan.
Nan pulled into the designated parking area at the fairgrounds outside of town thirty minutes later, waving to Sydney and Tamara who stood in line with their husbands for one of the wilder amusement rides. A sudden wave of dizziness assailed her as she wound through the crowd, making her way to the opposite side of the rides, games and food carts toward the riding rings. She stumbled to a stop, bracing a hand on a picnic table and one on her stomach as a cramp threatened to buckle her knees.
“Hey, miss, you okay?” a young cowhand stopped to ask, the girl at his side looking at her with concern.
“Fine, thanks. Just the sun and crowd on an empty stomach, I think. Go ahead, enjoy your day.” Taking a deep breath, Nan waited a minute after the young couple moved on, letting her stomach settle before taking off again. She spotted Dan’s tall form next to his steed, Tank, just inside a makeshift corral, Grayson standing next to him with his stallion. The two of them conversed as they kept watch on the other two horses trotting around in a wide loop carrying amateur riders.
Neither man heard her as she walked up trying desperately to ignore another wave of nausea, but their voices reached her clear as a bell from several feet away, much to her dismay. A tight clutch gripped her chest as the sheriff asked the very question she intended to pose to Dan.
“I saw you leave with Nan again last night. Are you two going to stay with your new arrangement now that she’s coping better?” Grayson spoke around the toothpick nestled in the corner of his mouth, his look inquiring.
Nan sucked in a breath against another abdominal cramp and dizzying blur, straining to hear Dan’s answer over the noise.
Dan stiffened in hesitation before replying, “I’m just helping a friend through a tough time. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
Disappointment and regret swamped her, adding to the bile threatening to rise to her throat. She stumbled back then spun around to leave before they saw her. Given the state she was in, she wouldn’t be able to hide her emotions from either man’s astute gaze. Moving as fast as her upset stomach allowed, she made it halfway back to the parking lot before sickness forced her to sink down onto the nearest bench. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, which pissed her off. She’d never wept over a man and didn’t intend to start now. But, God, his words hurt, the pain making her realize how much she cared, how deep her longing for more with Dan went.
Alice appeared at her side unexpectedly, wearing a concerned frown. “Here, Nan, let me help you. Goodness, you’re white as a sheet.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Alice’s free hand went to Nan’s head, checking for a fever. “You’re not warm. In fact, you feel cool, considering the warm afternoon.”
The conciliatory words and tone bounced off Nan’s misery and she didn’t have the strength or willpower to say no when Alice helped her to her feet and guided her over to her parked car.
“Let me drive you to the clinic, dear, before you collapse. Why, you’re shaking like a leaf,” she crooned, opening the passenger door on a small coupe.
