Page 18 of Rescued Hearts

“Yep, it’s me,” she said in a dismissive tone that wasn’t like her at all.

Was the van still lurking outside, maybe driving down Main Street again?

She darted another look at the window and then the door behind him. If her ex was in town, she needed to know why.

The coffee shop dude was watching her too closely, as if he noticed how nervous she was. And that was dangerous. Because she just might spill everything.

That her ex might be lurking.

That the van was really his.

That her gut was screaming for her to find out what the hell was going on.

Instead of saying a word, she did the only thing that made sense. She jumped out of line and bolted out of the building, packages and all.

Behind her came the guy’s voice, sounding startled by her reaction. “Hey—”

But she ignored him and ran outside, searching the streets for that van.

* * * * *

Gray adjusted the stack of letters in his hand, shifting them against his palm. He hadn’t expected a line in the post office, but it didn’t surprise him. Every small-town transaction came with a personal update.

With a sigh, he scanned the line and sawher. The woman from the coffee shop. The one who took ages at the drink station. He’d only seen her once, but it was enough to prickle in the back of his mind. His encounter with her even intruded on histhoughts a few times since. Even now, he wondered how he appeared to outsiders.

Cold. Unfriendly. Unmoving.

He was all those things. But he was a lot more.

That day, she’d been calm and engaging. Right now, she was anything but mellow.

The woman in front of her asked about her toenail polish, and Gray looked down at her toes peeking out from under the leather strap of her sandals. Shades of lime, peach and sky blue were definitely a choice he hadn’t seen before, not even on his little sister.

She answered the woman in quick tones that said she didn’t want to make small talk. Nowthathe understood. He still had to run some errands for the ranch, which meant long talks in the hardware and feed stores.

At that moment, she swung toward him, her gaze landing on his.

Gray’s world narrowed to a single point—blue.

Blue eyes.

Crystalline blue just like the sea near the equator. As he fell into their depths, they shifted from clear skies to stormy seas.

“It’s you. From the coffee shop.”

“Yep, it’s me.”

She fidgeted foot to foot, and the packages she held threatened to topple to the floor. Suddenly, she did something completely unexpected.

She rushed past him and out the door.

As she ran by the window on the side of the building, he tracked her movement and the way her long, thick hair swirled around her.

Gray didn’t even think—he just moved.

He strode to the door and scanned the street. Nothing appeared different in the quiet little town. A young mom pushed a baby stroller. A little dog trotted along beside her.

Rounding the corner of the post office, Gray spotted the woman he was looking for, not moving toward her car or a local shop. Just moving away.

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