Page 26 of The Cowboy's Unshakeable Love

Libby shrugged. “Wherever the two of you want to take it. I have to tell you that when I heard that you’re going to stay here, I thought that it was because of him.”

She shrugged. “He helped me to see that it’s the right move – and he said that he’d like me to stay. But I wouldn’t say that it’s because of him, thathe’sthe reason.”

“No, obviously Callie’s the main reason, but …” Libby shrugged. “I don’t know, and I don’t mean to be so nosy. He’s a good guy, and he’s into you in a big way. I haven’t seen him like this before.”

Retta had to smile at that. “That reassures me. I haven’t seen me like this over a man before.”

“Then see where it goes. At the end of the day, that’s all any of us can ever do.”

“True.”

“Are we good to go inside then? I didn’t mean to keep you out here while I interrogate you.”

“I’m good to go – and it didn’t feel like an interrogation.”

“Good, because it wasn’t meant to be one.”

Libby pushed her across the parking lot and when they reached the door of the bakery, an older man in a cowboy hat held it open for them to go inside.

Retta was surprised to see how crowded the place was. Libby came around the chair so that she could see her.

“I should have thought about it before we got here. It’s not going to be easy getting you through the crowd without you getting jostled. Should I just park you here for a minute and go see if I can find one of the guys to clear a path for us?”

“Okay, thanks.” Retta wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of being parked by the door and left to sit by herself, but she didn’t see how else they could work it.

Libby maneuvered the chair so that it was to the side of the door and set back out of the way. “I’ll be back as quick as I can. You’ll be fine there.”

Retta looked around the crowded space. All the tables were full, and people were standing around in groups. She couldn’t see the counter, or the booths in the back. That was one of the many things about being in a wheelchair that she didn’t enjoy. She couldn’t see past people in the way that she could when she was standing. At five-four, she wasn’t exactly tall, but she still felt like she stood close to eye-level with most people. From her seat in the wheelchair, she felt as though she was more at butt-level, and instead of being able to see around people, she was staring into a dense forest of denim-clad legs.

She smiled to herself. At least down here she got to notice the variety of footwear people wore in a way that she never normally would. There were lots of dusty cowboy boots. A few sets of pretty-looking cowgirl boots that were obviously for show and not for work. There were a few pairs of sneakers, too. She was so engrossed in trying to guess who the feet belonged to that she forgot to feel self-conscious about being the woman in the wheelchair.

She soon discovered that new-looking, clean cowboy – or cowgirl – boots belonged to people who had to be tourists. The work-worn boots were usually matched by a work-worn looking cowboy. The sneakers were tourists. And … all her breath caught in her chest when she spotted a very familiar pair of cowboy boots making their way through the crowd.

The brown leather, square-toed boots were tracking from her left – from the counter, toward the booths in the back. Then they stopped moving. A warm feeling filled her chest when they changed direction and came toward her. When they stopped, she looked up with a big smile.

“Hi, Travis.”

He grinned. “Hello, darlin’. Two questions.”

“Ask away.”

“First, what are you doing sitting over here all by yourself?”

She shrugged. “There was no way we were going to attempt to get through the crowd with my chair, so Libby went to find someone to help.”

He grinned. “And here I am.”

She grinned back at him. “Here you are. But what was the other question?”

“How did you know it was me before you even looked up?”

She chuckled and pointed at his feet. “I’d know those boots anywhere.”

He shook his head with a smile. “Didn’t realize you’d even noticed them.”

“I wouldn’t have normally, but you get a whole different perspective on life when you’re sitting in a wheelchair.”

His smile faded and he squatted down so that he was at eye-level with her. “Shit, sorry. I keep forgetting that.”

---