Page 14 of Spilling the Tea

“Well, at least you know he has a heart. Some men don’t have an empathetic bone in their body.”

As far as Zoey was concerned, a heart wasn’t all he had. The man was too virile for words. When he’d been on his horse, trotting around the corral, she’d had to fight hard to keep from staring at him when he hadn’t known she was doing so. He appeared masculine, rugged, and very much like a cowboy.

“What else do you know about him?”

“Not much. I didn’t ask a lot of questions. For all I know, he might have a girlfriend. I’m certain he does.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I can’t imagine a man who looks like him not having one.”

“Well, I’m wondering why he thought you were a reporter. What’s Chancellor’s last name?”

“I don’t know. We never got that far. Like I said, I was busy telling him my story to gain access to his ranch. He only trusted me enough to let me nose around outdoors.”

“Yes, but look what you achieved when you saw the barn. But still, when you see him tomorrow, you need to get his last name.”

“I won’t see him tomorrow. He said Thursday would be a better day for him to give me a tour.”

“Well, whenever you see him again, I want a last name, Zoe.There has to be a reason he’s leery of reporters. Take some pictures of your cowboy. I’d like to see him.”

“He might not want his photo taken. Like I said, he probably has a girlfriend.”

“Where are you now?”

“I’m on my way back to the hotel. I’m excited about the prospect of his great-grandmother talking to me.”

“Regardless of what he told you about his great-grandmother’s mind being sharp as a tack, you know how it was with my grandmother at eighty. We shouldn’t expect her to remember much of anything.”

After ending her call with Lucky, Zoey entered the gas station’s convenience store for a candy bar and a bag of cookies. Normally, she wasn’t into junk food, but today, she felt she needed a sugar kick.

She hadn’t mentioned anything to Lucky about how she and Chance had stared at each other across the yard. She’d felt something and wanted to believe he had, too. It was as if a magnetic pull trapped them, and neither could look away.

She had felt the intensity of his gaze touch her everywhere, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet and areas in between. Those areas in between still felt sensitive because it had been a while—years—since she’d made love with a man. Not since she’d first moved to Baltimore and began dating Luther.

Over the years, she’d dated guys she considered nice, but they turned out to be toads. The only thing on their mind was getting her into the nearest bed. Then Dr. Luther Fitzpatrick, a heart specialist, transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was someone who enjoyed doing a lot of the things she did, like playing tennis, going horseback riding, going to the theater, and attending concerts. They’d dated for almost a year when he got the opportunity to work at a hospital in Wyoming. He hadn’t loved her, and she hadn’t loved him. His move to Wyoming had officially ended things between them.

Eight months later, when she’d gone back to San Francisco to visit her aunt and tell her about the dreams she’d begun having, Aunt Paulina introduced her to Conrad. He was the son of a friend who’d worked in international banking. He’d warned her up front that he wasn’t used to long-distance relationships and would try to persuade her to move back to San Francisco. He certainly had tried. Every chance he got.

She’d gotten that call from a friend in San Francisco that Conrad was seen around town with numerous women. When she questioned him about it, he admitted it and she hadn’t wasted time ending things between them. More than anything she was glad they hadn’t shared a bed. After nearly two years of not being intimately involved with a man, she’d been convinced she didn’t need one…until she’d met Chance.

He reminded her of all the pleasure a woman could share in a man’s arms. Just looking at him made her think of hot bodies between silken sheets doing all sorts of naughty things. His walk alone was sensuality in motion, and how he wore those cowboy outfits—from the Stetson on his head to those boots on his feet—was sexiness personified.

For her, just the very thought presented a new set of problems. She knew little about him other than she was fiercely attracted to him. What if he was seriously involved with someone else? Would he have looked at her the way he had today if he was? Lucky was pushing for his last name, but more than anything, Zoey needed to know if there was a woman in his life. Special or otherwise.

She had opened the door to get back inside her car when her cell phone rang from a number she didn’t recognize. “Yes?”

“Dr. Pritchard, this is Dr. Kemmic.”

Her heart began racing. Had he located Dr. Sharon Newberry? “Yes, Doctor Kemmic?”

“I just wanted to give you an update. I talked to a doctor at the hospital where Dr. Newberry worked and was told she retiredlast year. She and her husband are traveling abroad for six months and won’t return to the States until August. He will try to get word to her to contact me when she gets back.”

“That’s wonderful. I appreciate it, Doctor Kemmic,” she said, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. She had anticipated talking to Dr. Newberry sooner than that, but she had to believe good things came to those who waited. Look how long it had taken for her to begin getting her memory back. Even her doctor had warned her for years there was a fifty percent chance it might never return.

It was returning, and she was happy about it.

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