Page 14 of Not Over You (Prosperity Ranch 3)

Had Knox ever worked so hard to get a woman’s number? Not in his recollection. But telling Jana he was truly interested in learning the art of jam-making had led to the segue of asking for her number.

“So we can agree on a time,” he told her in the kitchen that looked like it contained every raspberry in the state of Texas.

Jana was good about staying on the opposite side of the table from him, which was a smart thing to do. Because if there was one thing Knox was realizing, it was that Jana was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her beauty was only one part of her, though; it was her character that he’d been most drawn to in high school.

Okay, so he wasn’t crushing on her. Not at all. He was just analyzing another person’s character, like one did from time to time. Jana had caught his attention in high school when they were in English class together. Yeah, he’d always known who the skinny redhead Jana Harris was. But their senior year, something had changed over the summer, and the girl who sat two rows in front of him had gone from sweet hometown girl to stunning.

She’d been standoffish toward him at first, and he couldn’t really blame her since he did have a bit of a reputation. She had her friends; he had his. That had also complicated things, because he’d dated two of her friends, albeit briefly.

Now, Jana was reaching into the back pocket of her jeans. Ones that he liked very much. She pulled out her phone and said, “What’s your number?”

It was a good thing to hear. He recited his number, and she sent a text to it.

Just then, a truck pulled up outside the house. “They’re here,” Jana said in a rush, “and I forgot to load the jars into their boxes.”

Knox jumped in to help, wondering about the blush staining her cheeks. They loaded the boxes quickly, and by the time the delivery guy was ready for the last one, the box was loaded.

“Thanks,” Jana told the delivery guy, and gave him a tip.

Knox watched her as she interacted with the delivery guy—Jed something or other. Jed certainly wasn’t immune to her charms, and Knox wondered if Jana had a boyfriend.

Would it be too forward to ask? There was a time he wouldn’t have even thought twice about asking a woman if she was in a relationship, but he was the new Knox. Or at least, he was trying to be.

Jana turned to him next. “Ready to get back to your broken truck?” she said, her tone light, which was a definite improvement from when she’d first stopped and talked to him.

“Yep,” he said.

“Okay, great,” she said. “I’ll just grab my keys.”

He probably shouldn’t have stared after her as she walked into the house. He was just curious, that was all. Here in Prosper, he should be focusing on only two things. Winning the bull-riding and spending some time with his daughter. Which he’d do tonight. And he’d already done his rodeo practice. So that left fixing his truck and wishing that Jana wasn’t going to be dropping him off soon.

Jana came out of the house again, keys in her hand. He wasn’t positive, but it looked like she’d put on some lip gloss. Had her lips been shiny earlier? Should he be noticing? They headed to her SUV, and after they both climbed in, Knox said, “If you’re not too busy, I’m happy to treat you to lunch. You know, as a thank you.”

Jana looked over at him with raised eyebrows as she started the engine. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I still haven’t decided on the jam thing, and lunch in public would feel… a bit much.”

“You’re probably right.” He rolled down the window and let in the warm breeze as they drove. From his peripheral vision, he could see that Jana was smiling, though.

“I’m sure there are plenty of other women in Prosper who’d jump at the chance,” she continued. “You know, hanging out with the town rodeo legend, and all.”

Knox slapped a hand on his chest. “You’re wounding me.”

Jana laughed, and he grinned. “Save it for someone else, cowboy. I’m not one of your rodeo chicks.”

Knox groaned and pulled his hat down over his eyes. “You did not just say that.” He felt the SUV slow.

“We’re here,” Jana said.

He lifted his hat to see that she’d pulled over next to his truck, but he wasn’t done with their conversation. “This is your last chance. Lunch?”

She shook her head. “I’ve got a busy day, and no offense, but running out of jars, then helping you out this morning put me behind schedule.”

“More jam-making?” he said. “I can help with that.”

“No, I have other deadlines,” she said.

“Like what?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away.

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