Page 86 of Live for Me

I looked back up at him, holding my hand up to block the sun. “Seeing as how I haven’t seen or spoken to you in days, you don’t deserve nice, Beau Marks.”

A muscle jumped in his tanned check, and a low curl of desire flicked between my legs. This cowboy had too much power over me. I didn’t know whether to be pissed off or give in.

He was about to speak when Mason cut in. “Best get a move on, Abbie. Harm likes to hit up every shop in the damn town when she goes.”

Twisting my neck, I looked over to the bull rider, and he tipped his hat to me.

He was being nice to me.

Why the hell was he being nice to me?

Beau called out to Harmony then, who was standing beside her car. “Drop her back off at the bunkhouse when you’re done.”

The redhead smiled. “Will do, Beau,” she said before looking at me. “You ready?”

Nodding, I stole one more look at Beau, the sight of him igniting my soul. “See you later.”

“Be safe for me,” he said to my back.

As I got into Harmony’s car, those four words branded themselves on my soul, scorching it the same way the heat of his gaze did.

“I’ll be at the diner in about an hour to pick up dinner,” Harmony said as she swung into a parking spot in front of the Hayden Hotel. “Meet me there?”

I unbuckled. “Deal. Thanks for driving me.”

“At least it’s better than helping you run away,” she deadpanned, a smile teasing the corner of her lips.

Minutes later, I watched her walk across the street towards the small grocery store, and once I made sure she was inside, I turned and headed into the hotel. The doors were heavy like I remembered, the brass handles glittering in the bright sunlight, adding to the charm. I’d always loved this place. Aside from Hallow Ranch, it was the only place in Hayden I’d ever felt truly safe or even wanted when I was kid. I stepped inside, the cool air hitting my face, to find the lobby empty.

“Abbie? Is that you?” the old man behind the antique wooden checkout counter asked, a wall of gold and silver room keys behind him.

The smell of old books, leather, and firewood filled my nostrils as I made my way across the cream tile, the heels of my boots providing a comforting sound along the way. Once I reached the counter, I smiled at the old man, happy to know he was still around. As kids, Beau and I used to joke that the Bart was older than the town of Hayden itself.

“Hi,” I greeted warmly, placing my hands on the smooth, polished wood. God, the stories this hotel could tell. “How are you, Bart?”

He pushed his glasses up his nose before slowly rising to his feet, grunting as his knees cracked. “I’m doing just fine, darlin’. Been missing you, that’s for sure.”

My throat thickened, emotion gathering right in the middle, making it difficult for me to respond. Instead, I gave him another smile and he lifted his shaking hand, pointing to the grand room to the right of me. “That room isn’t as bright anymore,” he said, laughing a bit as he threw his arms out slowly, making a show of it. “It used to light up when you came in here, carrying a sack of books in your arms. Never seen such determination before, and I haven’t since.”

When I was in high school and finally away from my mother, I’d found that trying to study around a bunch of cowboys washarder than it looked. So, on the weekends, Jigs would drive me into town so I could study here, in the grand room. The town of Hayden didn’t have a library anymore, having lost its funding before I was even born. The schools, of course, didn’t let anyone come in on the weekends or evening to study. The Hayden Hotel was the only place I could get some quiet and focus. Without Bart’s kindness, I don’t think I would’ve made it out of this town.

Education was everything to me. It had been my only way out.

“I’m glad to see the place hasn’t changed,” I said, looking around.

He made a gruff sound of agreement. “Like hell, I would change this place. It’s been in my family for generations.”

I knew that.

Everyone knew that.

The Hayden Hotel was one of the oldest in the state, which was why I wanted to know if he was really planning on selling it to another developer. “Bart, I came here to ask you some questions for a story,” I told him, placing my laptop on the counter. “Would that be alright?”

He scratched the white scruff dusting his jaw. “Well, sure, darlin’. I’d be happy to answer any of your questions, but I don’t want to sit behind this old counter to do it. Let’s go into the Grand Room. My granddaughter can hold down the fort here for a bit.”

Granddaughter?

He looked over his shoulder to the opened door on the left side of the counter. “Margaret, be a doll, and mind the desk for me.”

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