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I’d been enjoying my walk, too. I’d gone down to the creek for a while, although it wasn’t my first visit. That was the day after I moved here. I wanted to explore… and find excuses not to unpack. Nothing changes, you see? Anyway, I didn’t feel like retracing my steps along the creek tonight, so after I’d stared at the sparkling water for a while, trying to forget about tomorrow, and growing up, I made my way back along Main Street, gazing into the store-fronts, and daydreaming.
I was wondering about re-arranging the furniture in the living room of my tiny home, when I paused by the bookstore. I’d noticed it during the weekend I first came here, but it didn’t have such an incredible window display back then. To be honest, I can’t remember exactly what was in the window on that day, but it wasn’t anywhere near as arresting as the sight of that school teacher made entirely of books. Okay, so the face was painted onto a piece of card or paper, but the rest of the body was built from stacks of children’s books, a lot of which I recognized, just from their spines.
I was admiring it, wondering how long it must have taken to create, when that man suddenly barged into me, and the next thing I knew, I was on my ass on the sidewalk.
For a second or two, I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to do, or say, but then I looked up at him, and even though I thought I’d been winded by the fall, that was nothing compared to what happened when I set eyes on him.
My stomach did something really strange then. It was similar to how I felt when I first saw the cover of Rake’s Ranch but multiplied by about a million, entwined with that feeling you get when you’re nervous about something, with a sense of excitement and wonder all mixed in. I wasn’t sure what that was about, but as I gazed up into his sky-blue eyes, I felt a whisper of heat down my spine. He held out his hand, lifting me to my feet as though I weighed nothing, while I studied his square, lightly stubbled jaw, his mop of light blond hair and generous lips. He was kindness itself, as well as handsome, with a perfect athletic body, beneath his dark blue jeans and pale gray t-shirt.
He told me his name then.
He’s called Tanner.
It’s a nice name. It has a strength to it, like its owner, who also revealed that he lives here, in Hart’s Creek. I smiled at him, relieved that I might get the chance to see him again, although my lips were gabbling about moving and unpacking, which reminded me I should go home, rather than taking up any more of his time.
I made my excuses, and as I was stepping away, he said, “Maybe I’ll see you around?” in a way that sounded like he wanted to, and I had to be honest and say, “I hope so,” in reply, although I was too embarrassed to hang around any longer.
I walked away then, but just before I got to the corner of Main Street, I turned back.
Tanner was still standing there, right where I’d left him, and there was something about him that made me flip around and walk backwards, raising my hand to wave. He waved back, and I swear to God, my heart stopped beating.
At least, it felt that way. It can’t have done in reality because I completed my walk home, letting myself in.
Since then, though, I haven’t been able to focus on anything other than the memory of Tanner’s adorable face, his piercing blue eyes and his gorgeous body.
I certainly couldn’t care less about the unpacking, and despite my shaking hands, I pour myself a glass of water and head for the bathroom. I usually prefer to shower, but I think a bath might help me relax after what just happened, and while it’s running, I wander into the bedroom and undress. There are still a couple of boxes in here, containing bed linen and towels, and I shake my head, wondering if I’ll ever get everything done, before going back to the bathroom, and climbing into the bath, shutting off the water and settling beneath the rose-scented bubbles.
Tanner…
Like I say, the name suits him, but I wonder where he lives and what he does… and why my body feels so strange. It’s like a numb tingling coursing through me, coupled with a fevered excitement that I can’t seem to control.
There’s no doubt it’s Tanner who’s having this effect, because I’ve never felt this way before. But how can that be? I know nothing about him, except that he lives in Hart’s Creek and is older than me.
How do I know that? The lines around his eyes gave it away. Like his name, they suited him, though, and I liked them.
I liked everything about him, from the tousled look of his blond hair to the way his t-shirt stretched so snugly across his chest… and the depth of his voice. It whispered across my skin like a gentle breeze, making me shiver. In a good way.
I’m shivering now… but that’s because the water’s getting cold, and rather than heat it up again, I climb out of the bath, wrapping myself in a fluffy pale pink towel. It matches my bathrobe, and once I’m sufficiently dry, I pull that on and make my way out to the living room.
The boxes are still there, making me all too aware of their presence, but my need for food is more important, and I raid the refrigerator, finding some chicken, peppers, carrots and broccoli. A stir-fry will be quick and easy, and once I’ve chopped all the ingredients and heated my wok, it takes no time to cook. I add some soy sauce and honey right at the end, then serve it into a bowl, leaving enough to take to work tomorrow for lunch.
I feel like lounging on my couch while I eat, but that’s not an option when it’s buried beneath boxes of books, so I settle at the dining table, switching on the TV and finding a movie to keep me occupied.
I’ve come in half-way through, I think, and while I could go back to the beginning, it’s not really my thing. I’m not a great adventure movie fan, so I turn down the sound, my mind flipping instinctively to Tanner instead.
I’ve never met anyone quiet like him. Not that I’ve really ‘met’ him as such. He knocked me to the ground – unintentionally – and we’ve exchanged a few words. That’s hardly a meeting. But it felt like there was something between us. At least, it did to me.
Maybe that’s my inexperience talking.
Who knows?
He suggested he’d see me around, and I wonder if there’s any way I can contrive a meeting and maybe hope he takes the initiative?
I’m not sure how, when I know nothing about him, but it’s gotta be worth some thought.
I smile, finishing my meal, and put my bowl in the dishwasher before I shut out the lights, wandering through to the bedroom, ignoring the boxes of books I leave in my wake.
They’re a problem for another day, and I climb into bed, naked as ever, but don’t pull up the covers. My skin feels unusually sensitive tonight, and I reach for my book, opening it at the page marked with my favorite bookmark, before I nestle back against the pillows. This is another cowboy romance and is the tenth novel in the series that started with Rake’s Ranch. I hadn’t realized it was going to be a series when I bought that first book, but once the second one came out, I bought that too… and the third, and the fourth…
