Page 51 of Wyoming Heart

She grimaced. “Well, I couldn’t show weakness around the guys, could I? Who wants to be thought of as a wimp?”

He grinned at her. She really was unique.

She noticed that rapt stare, but she smiled back. Plenty of time to convince him that she meant what she said about not wanting a serious relationship.

JAKEWASGOODcompany and she liked him. As he loosened up and stopped staring at her as if she were the Golden Fleece, she relaxed, too.

“You text me two days before you have to be in New York,” he reminded her when he left her on her doorstep. “I want to be sure I’m not tied up when you want to go.”

“I’ll do that,” she promised. She smiled at him. “I had fun. Thanks so much.”

“Oh, I had fun, too,” he said, grinning. He bent and kissed her cheek. “Good night, gorgeous.”

“You flatterer, you,” she teased. “Good night.”

He waved as he went back to the waiting limousine.

She relaxed as it drove away. If he could be just a friend, she wouldn’t mind going out with him anytime he liked.

She turned to go inside and found Jerry Fender coming up the steps on the other side of the porch.

“Good evening,” he said pleasantly. “Just getting home, boss lady?”

She smiled, a little uneasily. “Jake flew me to Galveston for seafood. Anything wrong?”

“Nothing at all,” he replied. He smiled as his dog came galloping up on the porch with him. “My buddy and I were just taking a last turn around the place to make sure everything was the way it should be.”

She felt oddly safe at the way he said that. “Thanks,” she told him.

He shrugged. “I take my responsibilities seriously. I’m just grateful to have a job. So is my furry friend, here. I’ve put him to work helping us herd cattle.”

She laughed. “Well!”

“He’s a natural,” he said. “Well, good night, Miss Michaels,” he said, and tipped his hat courteously. “We’re going to turn in.”

“Good night,” she called after them.

He threw up a hand. Sagebrush wagged his tail.

SHE’DNOSOONERgotten inside the house than her cell phone rang. It took her a minute to wrestle it out of her big purse.

“Hello?” she said as she fumbled it to her ear.

“So you’re finally home.”

She frowned. “Who is this?”

“It’s Cort.” There was a pause, during which her heart skipped a beat. “I just wanted to make sure you got back okay. The weather’s taken a turn for the worse. Flying can be dangerous when it’s blowing snow.”

She flushed because she hadn’t even noticed the snow. “Oh.” She hesitated. “I hadn’t really noticed the snow.”

There was another pause. “Haven’t you?” he asked, and his voice was curt the point of rudeness.

“Honestly, first Mr. Fender and now you...!”

“Mr. Fender?”

She grimaced. “He was on the porch when we drove up. He said he and his dog were just checking to make sure everything was okay.”

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