Curves and the Rancher (2 page)

“
He
lives on a ranch outside town,
”
Sarah
added.
“
Which is why he doesn
’
t
come in toooften.
”

“
Oh.
”
Cassie hoped her blush had faded. Even if Luke was a nice guy, that
didn
’
t mean he was interested in her.
In her limited experience with men, not many seemed to like curvy
women. Except Phillip - at first.

“
So
where are you staying?
”
Libby asked
curiously.

“
At
the motel down the road.
”
Libby
’
s
enquiring gaze encouraged her to elaborate.
“
My
car broke down a few days ago while I was passing through. Bob said
it would take a couple of weeks to get the part.
”

“
Where
were you headed to?
”
Sarah asked.

Cassie hesitated.
“
I
hadn
’
t really made up my mind,
”
she finally said.

“
And
you wound up working here.
”
Libby
smiled at her.

Cassie
couldn‘t help smiling back. “
Betty
offered me a job when I came here for lunch one day.
”

“
Betty
’
s
great.
”
Sarah
’
s
eyes sparkled.
“
And she makes the
best cherry pie I
’
ve ever tasted.
”

“
I
know,
”
Cassie and Libby said at the
same time. All three girls laughed.

“
Hey,
I
’
ve got an idea.
”
Libby sipped her coffee.
“
Instead
of staying at the motel, why don
’
t
you stay with me until your car gets fixed? I
’
ve
got a spare bedroom and I live four blocks away, so you could walk
to the diner, or I can give you a ride in the mornings when I start
work at the library.
”

“
Oh
no, I couldn
’
t.
”
Cassie felt flustered at the offer.
“
It
’
s
kind of you, but I couldn
’
t impose on
you like that.
”

“
It
’
ll
be fun.
”
Libby grinned at her.

“
What
if it doesn
’
t work out?
”

“
Then
we
’
ll say no hard feelings--
”

“
And
I could move back to the motel.
”
Cassie slowly warmed to the idea. Although clean, the one and only
motel in Coldwater Springs was a little drab. Alone with her
thoughts every night, she couldn
’
t
stop thinking about how long her money would last and if Phillip had
tried to track her down.

“
We
could move you in after your shift finishes,
”
Sarah suggested.

“
Are
you sure, Libby? You don
‘
t even know
me.
”

“
Betty
hired you.
”
Libby smiled.
“
That
’
s
good enough for me.
”

###

Smiling, Cassie unpacked
her clothes. Her new bedroom was a small, rectangular room decorated
in soft peach colors and a twin bed. It would be great if she became
friends with Libby and Sarah. But then she remembered that once her
car was fixed, she needed to get back on the road. Her smile
vanished.
How long would she have to keep running? Surely
Phillip wouldn
’
t be able to track her
to Coldwater Springs? A total urbanite, he hated even getting dirt
on his shoes. Would he really travel all the way to Wyoming to find
her?

“
Cassie,
”
Sarah called.
“
Come and have some
coffee with us.
”

Cassie shook off her
troubling thoughts and walked down the hall to the kitchen. As she
reached the threshold, she overheard Libby.
“
I
think Cassie and Luke would make a cute couple.
”

She peeked around the
doorjamb and watched Sarah stir cream
into her coffee.
“
Maybe,
”
the brunette murmured.

Libby almost snorted.
“
More than maybe. I think they
‘
d
be perfect for each other.
”

“
Libby,
”
Sarah cautioned.
“
Cassie has barely
been in town for a week. And we don
’
t
even know what her plans are.
”

“
I
bet if she got together with Luke she
’
d
want to stay.
”

Cassie
’
s
stomach fluttered as she unintentionally eavesdropped. After the
fiasco with Phillip, she didn
’
t know
if she wanted another boyfriend - ever. Let alone a husband. Once
she
’
d moved in with Phillip, he
’
d
started to find fault with just about everything she did. Taking a
deep breath, she deliberately pushed away the disturbing memory and
entered the kitchen.

“
Hi,
”
she said brightly.

“
Hi.
”
Libby offered her a cup of steaming coffee, embarrassment crinkling
her brow. Cassie decided to pretend she hadn
’
t
overheard their conversation.

Sarah sat at the large
kitchen table.
“
I thought I
’
d
start planning the menu for my wedding.
”
She gestured to a large notepad in front of her

“
When
are you getting married?
”
Cassie
glanced at Sarah
’
s hand.

Sarah smiled, displaying
her large
diamond solitaire engagement ring.
“
In
just over two months. Saturday June twenty-nine.
”

“
She
’
s
marrying Chase McCord.
”
Libby
giggled.
“
The guy she had a crush on
forever
.
”

“
As
if you can talk.
”
Sarah punched
Libby lightly in the arm.
“
She was
almost arrested by her boyfriend,
”
she explained to Cassie.

“
That
was
before
he was my boyfriend.
”
Noticing
Cassie
’
s expression of silent
enquiry, Libby
elaborated.
“
My boyfriend
’
s
the sheriff. Jake Morgan.
”

“
Oh.
”
Relief flickered through her. Staying with Libby would be a lot
safer than at the motel. She sat at the table and sipped her coffee.

“
Hey, I
’
ve
got a great idea,
”
Libby said
excitedly.
“
Why don
’
t
you come to the wedding?
”

“
I
couldn
’
t.
”
Cassie shook her head.
“
You hardly
know me.
”

“
Luke
’
s
invited.
”

“
Libby,
”
Sarah hissed.

“
What?
”
Libby looked innocent.

“
It
’
s
kind of you, but I couldn
’
t.
”
Cassie gripped the coffee mug.
She
didn
’
t even know where she
’
d
be in two months
’
time. But it
didn
’
t matter where, as long as
Phillip couldn
’
t find her.

“
You
’
re
more than welcome, Cassie.
”
Sarah
smiled at her.
“
I
’
m
having an old-fashioned Wyoming wedding. The reception
’
s
going to be at my parents
’
house
after the church ceremony.
”

“
I
’
m
her maid of honor and Jake
’
s going to
be the best man. It would be fun if you were part of it.
”

Cassie wavered. It did
sound fun. Although she
’
d just met
them, she really liked Sarah and Libby. Would it be possible to stay
here and work at the diner? She just didn
’
t
know.
“
I
’
m...I
’
m
not sure if I
’
ll still be here.
”

Libby looked
disappointed.

Sarah patted Cassie
’
s
hand.
“
I understand. But if you are
still here, I expect to see you at my wedding.
”

###

A few days later, Cassie
confidently navigated her way through the diner, carrying a tray
loaded with coffee and pie. She was definitely getting the hang of
waitressing. Although her feet hurt at the end of a shift, she
realized she liked working at the diner. Betty, Arnold the cook, and
most of the customers were patient and friendly with her. And there
was Luke.

Don
’
t
think about him, she told herself, stopping at a corner booth and
setting down the order for two elderly ladies.

Thoughts of Luke had
flitted through her mind since she
’
d
been invited to Sarah
’
s wedding.
Last night she
dreamt that she and Luke had
attended
the wedding together. He
’
d taken her
breath away. Tall, broad-shouldered and leanly muscled, his gray
suit fit him like a glove. And the way he looked at her sent
delightful shivers through her. She had definitely remembered
that
when the alarm woke her.

The door jangled and she
automatically looked up. Luke entered the diner, ordering at the
counter and then making a bee-line for a booth in her section.
Butterflies danced in her stomach as she picked up her tray and
headed back to the kitchen.

This was the fourth
time in seven days that Luke had visited the diner. At first,
she had brushed off Libby
’
s
suggestion that she was the reason. But now
…

“
Coffee
and cherry pie for Luke.
”
Arnold
placed the order on the counter.
“
Don
’
t
know what he
’
s doing here at this
hour,
”
he muttered, turning back to
the grill.

Cassie looked at her
small silver watch. Eleven am. Carefully loading her tray, she
walked over to Luke.
“
Coffee and
cherry pie.
”
She repeated the order
shyly, willing herself not to think about last night
’
s
dream.

“
Thanks,
Cassie.
”
His deep, rich voice forced
her to look at him - at his straight nose, firm, sensual lips
…
And then she found herself drowning in the dark pools of his eyes.

Get a grip, she scolded
herself. Straightening, she picked up the tray.
“
Would
you like anything else?
”
She forced
the words past her suddenly parched throat.

“
Are
you busy?
”

She looked around the
diner. There weren
’
t any orders
waiting on the counter
and nobody else had come in since Luke.
“
No.
”

He gestured to the
opposite side of the
booth.
“
Why
don
’
t you sit for a minute?
”

“
I
don
’
t--
”
she
stuttered.