Page 13 of Montana Heat

I nodded to the delicate-looking woman in greeting.

“You want your usual and a fill-up?” Evelyn asked, glancing at Susanna’s thermos.

“Please. And an apple tart too. We can come to the counter.” She started to rise.

“Nah, I don’t mind. We’re not that busy right now. I’ll bring it over.” She turned to me. “What would you like?”

“It all smells so wonderful. A regular coffee and something blueberry, if you’ve got it.”

“Great, be right back.” Evelyn turned and walked back to the counter, returning with our orders a short time later. “You two enjoy. It was nice meeting you, Kenzie. Stop back by sometime soon so you can meet Lena and we can all chat.”

After Evelyn walked away, we sipped our drinks and watched the town come to life through the window. Snow fell outside, making the ground look like a thick, downy blanket of white, while the residents trod along like they had all the time in the world.

It was lovely to watch, but seeing more of the white stuff falling, I was dreading the walk back to my apartment. Sure would have been nice to have my car right about now.

“Did Jensen hint at when my car might be ready?” I asked. I didn’t want to nag, but I was antsy without it.

“Uh, not sure. He’ll text me the minute it’s done.”

“So, Jensen. He’s not a man of many words, is he?”

Damn it, why was I asking about him? Why couldn’t I get his deep brown eyes—a warm honey color—out of my mind? Or his muscled arms?

Or the fact that I wondered if they sold tool belts anywhere in town?

“Was he rude to you? I’m sorry. He’s not a morning person at all and is totally unbearable until he drinks a pot of coffee.”

“No, not rude, just…” I wasn’t sure how to describe it.

She rolled her eyes and dismissed me with a wave. “Jensen’s bedside manner isn’t the greatest?—”

I choked on my sip of coffee and laughed. “Bedside manner?”

Susanna giggled too. “Sometimes it seems like he’s a doctor, delivering good or bad news about people’s cars.”

I chuckled as I took another sip of coffee while Susanna kept talking. The other woman was good company. Sitting and chatting with her like this reminded me of my girlfriends back home.

“He’s a lovable grump. I’ve never met a man with a bigger heart, but I swear he’s got trust issues up to here.” Susanna lifted her hand to indicate an imaginary height above her head.

“Hmm.” Sounded just like me since the stalking started—and especially after the break-in at my home in Denver. I definitely struggled with trust issues, too.

“And Charlie said he’s friends with people at a therapy ranch near here?” The ruffians had intrigued my thoughts too.

Susanna smiled wide. “Yeah. The Resting Warrior Ranch is a short drive outside of town. They help people with PTSD issues and physical therapy. They raise and train emotional support animals of all kinds. Even alpacas.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Alpacas? Really?”

She grinned. “Yep. Actually, Lena and Evelyn are married to a couple of guys who run the ranch. Jude and Lucas. I’m sure you’ll meet them all at some point while you’re here.”

I glanced at the two women working behind the counter. “Oh wow. It really is a small town.”

“Everybody knows everybody, for better or worse.”

More people started coming in, making it harder to talk, so Susanna and I stood to leave. “Jensen will think I quit and moved in here for the coffee if I don’t get back soon.”

We waved goodbye to Lena and Evelyn as we left. After coffee, we braved the snow for the walk back through town. Susannawanted to show me the flower shop that had a sale right now on the way back, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt. Maybe fresh flowers, or even a plant of some kind, would perk up my new place.

I found a plant, and we poked around a couple other shops. It was nice to get out and act like a normal person for a while. Back in Denver, it had been a while since I’d done that. Walking around outside at shops had felt like a luxury I couldn’t risk.

---