Gunslinger. Angi Morgan

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СКАЧАТЬ to the porch. She tried to turn her back on Bryce and walk like a normal person through her kitchen door.

      It didn’t happen. She hesitated, waiting for him to lean the ladder on the tree. He just watched her act like an unsteady idiot. Bryce was practically a stranger. She’d only met him a couple of times in town.

      “I hope you like it sweetened. That’s all I have.”

      “Sure. I’ll get this down.”

      “Thanks so much. It’s stuck up there pretty good.” Oh my gosh. She was babbling, trying to wait him out. If he’d just look away, she could dart into the kitchen.

      Kylie had never been a normal teenage girl, but she was certain this was how they acted. Flushed, embarrassed, unsure of themselves—everything that she was experiencing for the first time. She’d been a full-time employee by the time she’d reached puberty. The boys she’d known back then had never been mature enough for her tastes.

      Needless to say, the men who accepted her as an adult at that age hadn’t been good for her. Well, spilled milk and all that...whatever the saying was. She’d moved past it. She was in a good place and didn’t have to think about that any longer.

      Throwing her shoulders back, she turned, leaving herself vulnerable to a nonexistent attack. She slid the glass door open and marched to the refrigerator for the pitcher. Two glasses sat on a pretty little tray she’d picked up at the antique shop this week. She added a freshly sliced lemon to a matching bowl and poured the tea.

      Five years. She’d survived five years. Her life was changing and it was time to keep her promise to herself. If she could survive this long without being discovered, it was time to start living again.

      Taking a second, she watched Bryce tug on the pole trying to free the tiny saw. He arranged the ladder soundly in place, shook it a little to see if it was steady, then climbed.

      It had been a very long time since she’d allowed herself friends. Then again, being Bryce’s friend wasn’t too high on her agenda. She’d watched him out in the yard fixing up Mrs. Mackey’s rental. He’d stopped by the pie shop while she’d been at lunch.

      It might be a coincidence, but Hico was a very small town. If there was a visitor here for a couple of hours, a resident was likely to encounter them a couple of times. So running into a neighbor at the store and pie shop was almost predictable.

      She hadn’t been the only woman catching a second or third glimpse of his straight nose and dimpled chin. A constant five o’clock shadow had never done anything for her before getting a look at Bryce. She was full-blown giddily attracted to every muscle his tight T-shirts exploited.

      The view as he climbed the ladder wasn’t helping to cool her heat.

      Mrs. Mackey had praised Bryce’s ability as a handyman and suggested his skills not be wasted while he was living on their street. At face value her statement had been so innocent. Then the other ladies who had conveniently stopped by the museum had all giggled.

      “If they could see you right now, they’d probably faint or have heart attacks. They definitely would if they knew what my plans for him are.” She took the dish towel and fanned her flaming cheeks. Dipping her head, she closed her eyes, embarrassed by her desires. “What are you thinking, Kylie? Yes, it’s been a while. But you can’t just ask him to bed. You deserve more than that.”

      With her mind made up to slow her racing thoughts, she met her helpful neighbor at the bottom of the ladder. He stepped onto the grass, tree trimmer in hand, following her to two chairs and a small patio table—her fourth anniversary present to herself.

      No matter what she kept telling her mind to do, she couldn’t avoid the manly chest turning a feminine shade of pink. He took a sip of tea, then gulped it down.

      “That’s really good. Just hit the spot.”

      “Thanks again for the help, Bryce. If you hadn’t been home, I’d be watching that pole saw rust.”

      “I doubt that, but anytime.” He tipped his straw hat in her direction.

      “That’s interesting.”

      “What?”

      “The hat-tipping thing. No one under the age of sixty has ever tipped their hat to me before. In fact, I’d never seen it until I moved to Hico. People wave when they pass in their cars. They acknowledge me on the sidewalk. They even open the museum door, wave and go on their way.”

      “I’d say they’re just being friendly.” He finished off his tea and set the glass down.

      “It’s the reason I stayed here. I hadn’t planned on it, but I’m glad I did.”

      “That’s right. You work in the Billy the Kid Museum.” He took another long gulp of his tea. “I used to make my brother pretend he was Billy the Kid when we were practicing quick draw.”

      That’s what she wanted...to be so relaxed and easy going. She sipped. It had been five years. Maybe it was possible? “And who would you pretend to be?”

      “The sheriff.”

      “Why not the outlaw? I thought kids wanted to be the cool gunslinger who shot things up?” She noticed he actually looked a little embarrassed. “Did you play cops and robbers, too?”

      “I think I got in trouble one too many times for shooting birds with my BB gun. Too many lectures on how I should be a better example. Besides, the good guys always win.”

      “I’ve heard that.”

      Before she could think again if she was the good or the bad, she heard his cell vibrate.

      He jumped to his feet and reached into his back pocket. “Excuse me a second, I have to take this.”

      Kylie tried not to listen. Maybe it was a habit mixed with genuine curiosity, but she felt uncomfortable and moved out of earshot to the tree. It wasn’t difficult to discern the phone call was upsetting to Bryce. His side of the conversation was a lot of one-word responses. His body language became very stiff and formal. She sipped her tea, looking at the dead limb that still needed to be trimmed back to the trunk.

      When he returned, Bryce dropped his hands to his knees, bending at the waist to lean forward.

      Kylie set her glass down, approaching cautiously. No matter how much she wanted to know this man, she didn’t. That was a fact that she couldn’t push aside. “Is something wrong?”

      “Everything, I’m afraid. Someone couldn’t do their job correctly and my timetable’s been advanced.” He straightened.

      The sadness and concern didn’t belong on his handsome features. The urge to wipe them aside was too strong to ignore. She recognized it and held it in a secret place where she kept most of her emotions.

      “I’m sorry, Bryce. I hope things work out for the best.”

      “I hope so, too. There’s something you should know, Kylie.” Bryce rested his hands on his hips. “If I can find you...so can Xander Tenoreno.”

Chapter Two СКАЧАТЬ