A Cowboy For Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas) by Katherine Garbera Page B

her best friend in high school they’d both wanted to get out of Marietta. Liz had gone to Hollywood to become a star and had done it. But something had happened and she’d ended up back here in Marietta, teaching drama to school kids.
    Annie knew there had to be more to the story, but she had her hands full dealing with her own problems right now and she had a feeling that Liz would talk about it when she needed to.
    “You waiting for me?” Annie asked.
    “ I sure am. Imagine my surprise when my old high school friend moved back to town and didn’t even say anything,” Liz said.
    “ We haven’t talked in like ten years,” Annie said, given that Marilyn had been giving her the cold shoulder and she’d gotten a less that warm welcome from most of the Scott brothers, she hadn’t realized anyone was happy she was back other than maybe Carson. “But I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was back in town.”
    “ I know. Why is that?” Liz asked.
    “ Life,” Annie said. “So we’re both back here where we swore we’d never be,” Annie said.
    “ Funny the way it is,” Liz said with the same grin that Annie remembered from high school. She was still a uniquely beautiful woman with a beautiful face. Not classically elegant, but her features were stunning. “I actually could use your help.”
    It was a little cold with the snow falling and Annie was on her way to meet Marilyn and her kids at park to start the Christmas Stroll. She and her sister were trying to rebuild their relationship, but Annie was coming to realize that she wasn’t the only one with trust issues. “Do you mind walking with me?”
    “ Not at all. Heading to the park?” Liz asked as she took a sip of the hot chocolate in the Styrofoam cup that said Copper Mountain Chocolates on the side. The town looked magical tonight all decked out for Christmas. At the end of Main Street she noticed a couple of sleds and saw Lane Scott holding the reins to one of them. It was hard to believe he’d lost part of his leg. He seemed so hale and healthy. The fact that he seemed happy and wasn’t running away just made her feel like more of a coward since she’d been dodging Carson’s calls.
    “ Yes, you too?” she asked.
    “ You, me, and everyone else,” Liz said, putting her hand on Annie’s arm to stop her from walking. “I need your help with the nativity play we are putting on.”
    “ I’m not really that good at acting.”
    “ You had a reality TV show, girl.”
    “ That’s different and it was only for one season,” Annie said. Not at all surprised that Liz knew about her foray into television. It had ended the day the FBI had interrupted a lunch she was having and brought her in for questioning. “Do you know why it ended?”
    Liz stopped and pulled Annie off the sidewalk. “I do. I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
    Annie nodded. It was odd to have that part of her old life come up now and she realized that it was part of her past. She hardly thought of her that any longer. She’d been focused on redoing her house, rebuilding her relationship with her sister, and finding her place in Marietta. “I don’t know—”
    “ It’s okay, Annie. I’m just saying I’m here. What I need you for is designing some sets for me. I have all my little actors and a lot of their parents have volunteered to help paint and build things but I need someone with a good artistic eye.”
    Annie was tempted. Even though she’d promised herself she wasn’t going to put down roots here. Not after the way she was busy trying to keep her distance from Carson. But Liz’s offer struck a chord deep inside of her... something that she’d been missing for a long time.
    “ Okay, I’ll do it. What exactly do you need?” Annie asked.
    Liz whooped and hugged her close. “I knew you’d say yes. Here’s the script and I sort of blocked out a storyboard of some ideas. It’s rough.”
    Annie took the script that Liz had pulled from her large Louis