Page 24 of Not Over You (Prosperity Ranch 3)

She pocketed her phone. “Um…”

He nodded. “That’s what I thought. Tell me about it.” The green of his eyes seemed to bore into her.

“Well, it’s boy meets girl, they realize they’re perfect for each other, and they live happily ever after. You know, all the standard stuff.”

“Doesn’t sound standard to me,” he said, “at least in my experience.”

He was still too close, even though there were about three feet between them.

“Maybe it’s not standard in real life,” Jana said, “but books are supposed to be a break from real life. A getaway.”

“If anyone needs a getaway in life, it’s me.” His mouth twitched.

“What’s so bad about your life?” she teased.

“Well…” He pretended to think. “I wasted a lot of years being mad at someone I shouldn’t have ever been mad at.”

Jana’s pulse rose… He was going there?

He leaned against the counter, not too far away from her. “Then I thought getting married was the right thing to do—and maybe it was—but I had a lot of growing up to do still. So I really worked that angle and dumped my family and stepped out on my wife.”

Jana went very, very still.

But Knox’s voice was even, calm, like he was telling someone else’s story. “Then I try to work out visitation with Ruby, and it’s always on her mom’s schedule, never mine. Not to mention every time I want to see my kid, I have to face the fact that my ex-wife is now my sister-in-law. It’s like my family is too crowded for me to fit in it anymore. Not that I can blame anyone. I was pretty rotten.”

Jana could only stare at him. She didn’t know what to say—she hadn’t expected him to be so open about all of this.

“So, don’t you think I deserve to read a happily-ever-after story?” His green eyes held hers. “A getaway book?”

“That’s quite the sob story, Mr. Bull-Rider.”

“It’s not over yet,” he said.

“Oh? Do continue.”

He took a step closer, raised his hand, and touched her hair. Then his hand skimmed her shoulder before it dropped.

Jana wasn’t sure if she was able to take a full breath.

“I’ve had to get over some pretty bad habits—on some days, I didn’t know if I was coming or going. But most of all, I’ve got a lot of regrets… especially with you.”

Jana had no answer, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to speak even if she did.

“So… does that buy me access to your book?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re one persistent man.”

“That I am.” He was giving her one of those heart-stopping smiles.

“Okay, one chapter.”

He grinned and strode to the living room.

“Wait,” she called after him, hurrying to join him.

He sat on the couch and handed her the laptop.

“I can’t believe you,” she mumbled, but she couldn’t deny the thrill running through her. She was both thrilled and a little petrified. She opened the laptop, then scrolled to the top of the manuscript.

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