Page 8 of Montana Rain

I loved my job and my home, but I was also lonely.

Fuck, why couldn’t I be attracted to someone who was good for me? Someone boring and steady, not someone who put their life at risk regularly.

The fear was irrational, but most fears of this kind were, and it was so deep, I didn’t know if it would ever go away.

Time to go home and just relax. Order a pizza and sit on the couch watching TV until I was too tired to move. I rarely did that, and it sounded perfect.

“Hey, Rayne?”

I startled at Nancy’s voice, thinking she’d already gone. “Yes?”

“Sorry.” She poked her head into the office. She held a small white card in her hand. “This was leaned up against the door outside. I didn’t want it to get lost.”

“Oh.” I frowned. “Thank you.”

She handed it to me, and this time, I heard the front door close behind her. The little card in my hand was like one you might get with flowers. And inside, I saw neat, stark handwriting.

Rayne,

I’m in town for a while, and I wanted you to hear it from me. I’ll be at Montana Jewels coffee, so there’s more privacy from our Resting Warrior friends. I hope to see you and explain.

-Cole Phillips

My heart pounded in my chest. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. There was no way Cole was suddenly in Garnet Bend like I’d manifested him out of thin air.

This had to be a practical joke from one of the girls. I’d mentioned to them that I’d run into Cole in Chicago when I grabbed my coffee yesterday.

But what if it wasn’t a joke?

My stomach tightened. If he was actually here—

I closed my eyes. Even if it was a practical joke, I would risk being laughed at, because I couldn’t stay away. It was an impossible contradiction. I meant what I’d said to him in the hotel about being glad I wouldn’t see him anymore. But that was because I wanted it so desperately, I needed him far away.

I was locking the office behind myself and walking toward Montana Jewels before I could fully register the decision to do so. Nerves swam in my gut. Maybe pizza wasn’t going to be a good idea after all. I’d see when I got to the shop.

I turned the corner and looked at the shop, and my whole body went rigid. It was him. He was sitting at one of the small tables near the front windows, reading a book and sipping coffee like he did it every day.

He wasn’t in a suit now. The dark jeans and blue Henley suited him. The sleeves of his shirt were pushed up, and I almost felt the need to avert my eyes. Forearm porn was one hundred percent real, and Cole Phillips embodied it.

Now that I knew he was here, I wasn’t sure if I was furious or relieved. Furious because he was inexplicably here, and relieved because there was something between us, even if I wished there weren’t.

I pushed into the store and his eyes lifted to mine. Just like the hotel all over again. He pinned me to the spot with his gaze, and what I saw there shook me. It wasn’t victory or joy or even gloating.

It was hope.

“Rayne.”

“I’m just…” I cleared my throat. “I’m going to get a drink.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

I ordered a latte and wrapped my arms around myself while I waited for the barista to make it. I should walk away right now and forget Cole Phillips ever existed.

But I was lonely, and even I wasn’t strong enough to be selfless all the time.

“Here you go,” the barista said, handing me the drink.

“Thanks.”

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