Page 51 of Ride a Cowboy

“Hank. You’re gonna have to give me a minute to take care of this.”

Janice had risen and was hastily trying to put her clothes back on. “Listen, Macie—” the woman began.

“No, you listen. I get it, I really do. You’ve lived your entire life wanting what your best friend had. Hank’s a hell of a catch. So obviously when Sharon passed away, you started thinking you’d finally have a chance to grab some of that happiness for yourself.”

“Macie—” Janice started again.

“Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kick your ass right now?”

With her dress back in place, Janice sagged back into her chair at the table, tears filling her eyes. “No. I can’t.”

Macie blew out an exasperated breath. “Shit. I guess this is what I get for forgetting my phone.”

Hank glanced over at the counter and sure enough, there was Macie’s cell. Typical.

“I really am sorry, Macie. It’s just all those months after…” Janice swallowed, unable to speak Sharon’s name, to mention her death. “He said he wasn’t ready to date. Then I show up here and he’s making you spaghetti.”

Macie walked across the room and took a seat at the table. “Yeah. I know.”

“You’re just supposed to be his transition.”

Macie grinned. “Sounds like we’ve been watching the same chick flicks. When Harry met Sally?”

Janice snorted and nodded. “I love that movie.”

“Janice. This isn’t the way to get a man’s attention. You know that, right?”

Janice sniffled, wiping her eyes. “I didn’t know what else to do. I thought maybe if I offered him…” Her words trailed off as she blushed.

“Sex?”

“Yeah.”

“Hank isn’t with me because of sex, Janice. Or,” Macie flashed him a mischievous grin and quick wink, “at least, not just because of the sex.”

Hank struggled not to laugh. Jesus. He’d woken up this morning one hundred percent certain he couldn’t possibly love Macie any more than he did. She’d just proven him wrong.

“I can see that,” Janice admitted. “I’m sorry I was such a bitch last week. Kind of hoped I could get you to move on when it was obvious Coop wasn’t going to break things off.”

“Last week?” Hank asked, but Macie waved him off again.

Macie sighed. “Yeah, well, it almost worked.”

Janice winced. “When Betty said she overheard the two of you talking about wedding vows yesterday at the restaurant, I sort of panicked. Figured I had to make my move before it was too late.”

Wedding vows?

Then Hank remembered. He’d been trying to help Macie work on Amanda and Brandi’s ceremony. The clock was ticking on the event and she was still struggling to write it.

“I’m in love with Hank, Janice. And I won’t give him up without a fight.”

Hank took a step closer to her. There would be no battle. Macie was the winner, hands down. Game over.

“No,” Janice said. “It’s not a contest I’m going to win. I can see that now. I’m just…I don’t have your personality, Macie. I’m forty years old and I still live at home with my parents. I’m going to die an old maid.”

“There are tons of single guys in Maris who would be lucky to date you.”

Janice gave her a disbelieving look and shook her head.

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