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Chapter 12.2
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LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 13
With Tribute being such a small town, it shouldn’t have surprised Nick that the first words out of his aunt’s mouth when he got home were “Well, well, sweetie, you going to tell me who she is?”To her credit, Beverly wasn’t usually a nosy woman, especially for a relative. A female relative, at that. She wasn’t demanding information. She was smiling eagerly, hoping, Nick knew, that he’d finally met someone. As in…Someone.He should have realized that word of a strange woman in town—awoman specifically seeking out Nick—would have arrived home ahead of him. He had not only stood in front of the high school with her, in plainsight of half the town, he’d also introduced her to a trio of big mouths. After that, he had walked her right up to Main Street, for the other half of town to see.Nothing on earth or in the universe traveled faster than the speed of gossip, and he’d provided plenty of grease.And dammit, more people than Aunt Bev were going to wonder whoshe was and what she was do
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 13.1
Shannon walked along the granite wall, reading of one heroic deed after another. The most recent event was a man who’d donated his organs and, upon his death, had saved the lives of several people and greatly improved the lives of more.Suddenly she recalled that this was the monument Wade Harrison had erected to honor the organ donor who’d saved his life, as well as other locals who’d made a difference.Shannon turned and found a wooden bench nearby and took a seat, suddenly wanting to talk to Deedra. At this time of day, her best friendwould be at home. Shannon pressed the speed dial button on her cell phone, and a moment later the connection was made.The two friends wasted no breath on small talk. As was their habit, they jumped right into whatever was on their minds.“I thought you’d be home by now,” Deedra complained.“I would be—should be—but this guy is being difficult,” Shannon admitted.“What? You can’t get a guy to talk to you?”“Don’t overdo the I’m so shocked tone,” Shan
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 14
The woman was one surprise after another, and Nick was more intrigued by her and interested in her than he would have thought possible.Don’t forget “turned on by” while we’re at it, pal.Not likely, he thought. No way he could forget the hot, sharp attraction, even through all the laughter and surprises.The first surprise had been the tie-dyed T-shirt. She’d gone to some trouble, he’d bet, to come up with that. He doubted she carried one in her suitcase.The pearls were a surprise, too. Pearls and a T-shirt? But she made it work.Surprise number three was that she’d tossed him her car keys. He hadn’t expected that. She was a woman who seemed to know what she wanted and how she planned to get there. Letting someone else take charge, even forsomething so simple as driving them to dinner, didn’t fit with the woman he’d been coming to know.The next surprise was how well she took the news that the restaurant he was taking her to was a few miles out of town. He had expected at least a t
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 14.1
“All right. I know I did. What I’m wondering is, how did you know I did? It’s a pretty casual question, did you move here to be near family.Something anyone would ask, if they were curious.” “Something your readers will want to know?”“For right now,” she told him honestly, “it’s what I want to know. What makes you think it’s for any other purpose?”“Your eyes changed.”She blinked. “My eyes changed?”“Your ears grew, all the better to hear me with.”Shannon huffed out a breath. “You’re making fun of me. Never mind. Let’s back up a minute. You said you’d planned to give me a yes or no.”“That’s right.”“So, why didn’t you?”He pulled another rib from the rack on his plate. “Why didn’t I what?”“Oh, man, it’s a good thing I like this brisket too much to throw it at you. You’d try the patience of a saint. Why didn’t you give me a yes or no when I asked if you had family here?”Nick licked a dab of barbecue sauce off the spot between his thumb and forefinger. Slowly. He watched her whil
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 14.2
Shannon’s mind and pulse raced nearly as fast as the tires. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff. It wasn’t the storm that had her on that edge—it was anticipation. Behind her, figuratively speaking, laysameness and familiarity. Safety. Before her, the unknown. And Nick. And maybe, just maybe, excitement like she’d never known.Each time the lightning flashed, it illuminated the interior of the car with an oddly harsh light, throwing Nick’s face in sharp relief, his eyes indeep shadow, the hollows of his cheeks, black slashes. For just a second, in that light, he looked like every fantasy she’d ever had.Did he really want her, or had she misread him?No, he’d wanted her. She’d been sure of that a few minutes ago, so there was no reason to doubt him now. He still wanted her if the rigid set to his jaw and his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel were any indications.“You’re awfully quiet.” She spoke softly, but her voice sounded loud in the car.“So are you,
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 14.3
She made herself look forward during that brief flash of brilliant light.She feared that if she looked at Nick and saw that sharp light on that strong, tense face, she might have a meltdown right there on the walkway.By the time they reached her door, her heart was about to pound its way out of her chest. Not from exertion, but from anticipation, and maybe a wild case of nerves.The Tribute Inn used actual metal keys for its guest rooms. Simpleenough, in theory, but she couldn’t seem to fit hers into the lock. That might have had something to do with the way her hands were trembling, as if she had the palsy.“Need help?”She laughed. “I’d say no, I’ve been putting keys in locks all my life, but tonight I don’t seem—”He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “It’s all right, Shannon. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. It’s okay to change your mind.”Flash. Lightning traced highlights and shadows on his face, this time giving him a predatory look that
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 15
The thunderstorm blew through town around midnight, and the next day the air was fresh and clear and just cool enough to require a sweater, with the tang of turning leaves in the air. The perfect autumn day for a homecoming parade.Shannon strolled along Main from her motel toward the town square.Nick had said that would be the best place from which to watch the parade.At the mere thought of his name, a hot flush raced from her head to her toes and back again. She may have miscalculated. She’d been so sure that she could ease into a casual affair with him, a little mutual scratching of itches, no big deal, just a good time being had by all.Except her night with Nick had been a very big deal. Quite possibly the biggest deal of her life. How was she supposed to look him in the eye today, when she felt her entire world had slipped off-kilter? Would he be able to look at her and know he had reached something deep inside of her that no man had ever reached before? She was afraid the emo
LOVE IN TEXAS Chapter 15.1
“If you ask them, they say yes,” Nick said.Behind the players came the cheerleaders, leaping and kicking and cheering. They stopped right in front of the park, and Shannon and Nick,and performed one of their cheers, stirring up the crowd with school spirit.Shannon took pictures while she cringed. “Why the face?” Nick asked.“I read an article. Cheerleading injuries have more than doubled in the last decade. I wish they wouldn’t do those flips. And on pavement.” But she snapped more shots.“I take it you weren’t a cheerleader.”“Me? Ha. I was a geek. School newspaper, year-book committee, that kind of stuff.”“A geek, huh?” He grinned. “I’ll have to think about that.” “I wish you wouldn’t,” she muttered.“I can see you with a set of pom-poms.”“Watch out, Carlucci, you’re bigger than I am, but I can still hurt you.” “Woman’s got no sense of humor,” he grumbled.The cheerleaders finished their yell and flipped and tumbled their way down the street. The pep squad followed, marching in
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