Page 5 of Cowboy Falling Hard

He didn’t seemed embarrassed that he’d been caught looking for her, or maybe he didn’t think of it like that.

Whatever it was, they stared at each other across the arena and the heads of people and the walkway that separated them.

Folks were chatting, and gradually Orchid realized Lavender and Daphne were saying something else, but she didn’t hear. Wasn’t paying attention to them.

There was something compelling about him.

She already admitted that much to herself, but even while she knew it, she also knew he wasn’t the kind of man she was interested in. Not even a little.

“Did you hear me, Orchid?” Daphne asked, her voice finally cutting through Orchid’s brain haze.

Reluctantly, Orchid pulled her eyes away. Really, she should never have allowed herself to meet his gaze. He’d probably be down here later, trying to ask her out again.

Why not say yes?

Because he wasn’t the kind of man she wanted to be with. She wasn’t going to date just for the fun of it. She was not wasting her time on someone she would never have a future with. She didn’t want to take the risk of falling for someone who was so completely wrong for her.

“No. I’m sorry I didn’t. What did you say?” she asked, noticing that they were bringing the last of the hogs into the pen and were getting ready to start the auction again.

“I heard he was talking to the Piece Makers Sunday after church.” Daphne lifted her brows and gave Orchid a knowing look. “I wonder what he could have been saying to them? Wink wink.”

“Maybe he was offering to bring them drinks. Or maybe they were talking about the weather. That seems to be what everybody talks about at church socials.” Farmers couldn’t get enough of talking about the weather, what it had done, what it was doing, what it was going to do that afternoon, that evening, overnight, and for the rest of their lives.

Not that she blamed them, since their livelihood depended on what the weather did, but she did get a little tired of rehashing it over and over. She wanted to talk about interesting things, not things she couldn’t do anything about.

Or maybe she was just restless and wanted something to complain about.

“That’s not why people talk to the Piece Makers.” Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “And you know it.”

Orchid couldn’t disagree.

“I’d better go.” Daphne looked down at Powell who was still squatting down, petting the kittens. “It’s time to go, honey. I’m sure we can come back and see the kitties again sometime.”

“Thanks for coming over and chatting with us,” Orchid said, and Lavender chimed in her agreement.

Daphne walked away, and Lavender closed the distance between them, putting her arm around Orchid.

“You know, sometimes people do pretty strange things to catch people’s attention. But everything I’ve been hearing around town says that he’s an alright guy.”

“I haven’t heard anything bad about him, either. But that doesn’t mean I want to date him.”

“That’s what dating is for. To decide whether you like him or not.”

“But I don’t want to date someone that I know I won’t be interested in, even if I do decide I like him. That’s the problem. I don’t want to like him and let my feelings dictate my actions. I want to make deliberate choices.”

Maybe that was boring. People had made fun of her over the years for thinking too much, being in her head, being quiet and serious and deliberate in what she did.

But Lavender understood. The arm around her tightened.

“That is so like you. But maybe sometimes your vision is a little narrow.”

Orchid looked at the ground. She knew that to be true. Sometimes she got an idea in her head, and she couldn’t shake it. She latched on and couldn’t be persuaded otherwise.

Was that what this was?

It couldn’t be. She was sure that Dwight was not right for her.

“You don’t want to miss out on what you’re supposed to do because you refused to open your eyes to the possibilities.”

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