Page 6 of Not Over You (Prosperity Ranch 3)

There was no reason to think that Knox Prosper would be at Racoons tonight, so why Jana was taking twice as long to get ready, she didn’t know. Her dark red hair was less curly than it had been when she was a kid. She’d spent time every day during her teen years straightening her hair. But now, she’d embraced the curly again. Fortunately, she didn’t have to deal with frizz, but rather coaxed the waves into submission.

She touched up her makeup, which was already perfect, but it was her shield between everyone out there and her heart. Another layer of plum lipstick went on, then she stepped back from the mirror to survey the rest of her. Her dress was a navy print wrap-around, and she decided on the heeled sandals that weren’t her favorite to dance in, but she loved them nonetheless.

A horn honked outside, undoubtedly Barb.

Yep. Sure enough, a text chimed in a second later. We’re here.

Jana turned off the lights as she left the house, then locked the door. Not that the town of Prosper was crime ridden, but fresh homemade jam might be a draw for some.

Jana climbed into the back seat of Barb’s Cadillac since Patsy was in the front seat already.

“You’re smokin’ hot, Jana,” Barb said with a laugh. Her platinum blonde hair fell about her shoulders like a waterfall, and her silver dress hugged every toned curve. Barb was perfection in itself. “Anyone special coming tonight?”

Jana fought back a blush. “Not that I know of.”

“Ohhh, did you hear?” Patsy said, twisting in her seat as Barb started driving. Patsy’s short dark hair was spiked up on one side, and her dark, cat-like eyes were rounded with anticipation. “Knox Prosper is in town. I saw him at the gas station today.”

Barb’s gaze met Jana’s in the rearview mirror. Barb winked, and Jana rolled her eyes.

“I appreciate all the updates on Knox, but really, I don’t care,” Jana said in perhaps too sharp of a tone. “We were over a long time ago.”

“I know, babe, but he’s single again.”

“Mm-hmm,” Barb said, her smile a grin.

“I don’t want another woman’s leftovers,” Jana said.

“Oooo!” Patsy squealed. “Someone is feisty tonight.”

Barb laughed and turned up the music, a welcome reprieve from talking about Knox Prosper. If he did show up at Racoons tonight, then he’d be the last person she’d talk to.

The place was packed. New blood in town from all the cowboys arriving for the rodeo, which meant all the ladies had shown up in full force. Jana headed to the bar with her friends, and while they waited for their drinks, she checked out the place. The dance floor was hopping, and most of the tables were full of groups of men and women chatting and flirting.

Everyone was checking everyone else out, and for some reason, Jana was annoyed. It wasn’t any surprise, of course, since it was par for the course with a bar scene. But Jana hated that she’d gotten her hopes up. Knox Prosper wasn’t here, and that shouldn’t matter one way or another to her. Yet, it did.

“I’m going outside for a bit,” Jana told Barb.

“What? Why?”

“Have a headache coming on.” And it was true. Jana weaved her way through the patrons, only to be stopped twice and asked for a dance. She turned both cowboys down and continued outside. Others had congregated outside, talking and joking loudly in their groups, but Jana bypassed them all.

She headed into the back parking lot, which was filled, and leaned against someone’s truck as she gazed up at the summer night sky.

The stars twinkled down at her as if oblivious to the turmoil her heart and mind were going through.

She couldn’t live like this anymore. Couldn’t look around every corner for Knox when she knew he was in town. Couldn’t keep comparing the men she dated to what she and Knox used to have. It had been a long time since there’d been anything between them, and everything she’d heard about him since should have sent her running.

Yet, here she was, by herself at the back of Racoons. Avoiding, once again.

There were plenty of men inside, ones who might be a great match for her. Yet, she’d turned down their invitations to dance. Why? Because she wanted to sit in a corner and wait for Knox to show up? What if he did? What would she do?

Nothing, that’s what. At least, that’s what she’d always done. Whenever he came around, she pointedly ignored him. Just like that night at the rodeo years ago—the night he’d apparently met Macie. Everyone knew it was a shotgun wedding, but that didn’t mean Jana hadn’t felt hurt that Knox had pledged himself to another woman. Which was ridiculous, since they’d been broken up for months.

Why?

That was the question that had haunted her for years. And she was sick of it. She wanted answers, no matter how awkward or uncomfortable the conversation. She wanted to know, once and for all, why Knox Prosper had so thoroughly ghosted her.

Until that night at the rodeo… She knew he’d wanted to talk to her. But she’d panicked, shut down, and instead of looking up at him and greeting him, giving him an inch, she’d not looked at him once. At least not until he’d walked away.

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