care of that matter, Todd, and let you know the particulars.”
“The particulars of what?” Megan asked, trailing after him reluctantly.
“Nothing for you to worry your head about,” Jake told her.
Megan rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you later, Todd, and be prepared. Whatever you two are up to, I will find out.”
“Duly noted,” he told her. He knew he’d been living on borrowed time from the moment Heather set foot in town. Despite Jake’s claim to ethical considerations, his own determination to keep the matter private and Heather’s promise not to let word get out, too many people already knew—or had accurately guessed—the facts. Megan was not the kind of woman to stay out of the loop for long. Well-placed sources and timely leaks were how she kept her magazine and her TV show one step ahead of the trends.
To her credit, she hadn’t asked about Heather’s presence in Whispering Wind, and by now she had to know about it. It was a small town, and Heather’s soap role would have brought her instant attention. But as far as he knew, Megan hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of Angel. It was only a matter of time, though. Todd shuddered when he thought of what would happen when she finally honed in on the secret.
Heather was on pins and needles waiting for Todd to keep his word and show up at the diner. Every time the door opened, she glanced over, then sighed with disappointment when another of the regulars entered.
“You looking for somebody in particular?” Henrietta asked.
“No.”
“You’re a terrible liar, girl. Which man is it you’re hoping will show up?”
“Which man?”
“I notice Joe’s not here tonight. He’s been making himself scarce the last few days, same as Todd. You chase off any more of my customers, I’ll be out of business.”
Heather winced. She certainly didn’t want Henrietta to lose business because of her. “Sorry.”
“I was joking,” Henrietta soothed. “Must not be much good at it. Look around here. The tables are filled. I haven’t seen this many ranch hands in here in years. Word must be getting around that I have a pretty new waitress.”
Yes, Heather thought, there did indeed seem to be an awful lot of men crowded into the booths tonight. Young, rugged cowboys with friendly smiles and twinkling eyes. She’d been so busy serving heaping plates of Henrietta’s spaghetti, she hadn’t paid much attention to the gender of the customers. None of them was Todd, that was all she cared about. She’d finally sent Angel upstairs with Sissy, who’d promised to read her a story and then watch her favorite video with her for the umpteenth time.
The door opened again and Heather’s gaze shot to the latest arrival. It was Joe Stevens. He stared around in surprise at the crowd.
“You giving away food in here tonight?” he asked. “Can’t think of anything else that would get these motley ranch hands to leave the comfort of the bunkhouse and their nightly poker games.”
“They’re all paying customers,” Henrietta assured him. “You’ll have to join one of these gangs or sit at the counter. Unless you want to wait.”
He shook his head. “The counter’s fine.” He slid onto a stool and grabbed a menu.
“You take his order, Heather. I’ll get these plates over to table seven,” Henrietta said.
Heather nodded, poured Joe a cup of coffee and set it in front of him.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“Miss me?” he asked with a grin.
“Henrietta did,” she corrected him.
“Had to take a run down to Denver for a few days,” he said, then studied her with that impudent grin still firmly in place. “You sure you didn’t miss me even a little bit?”
“I’m sure. But I was worried you might have taken offense the other night,” she told him candidly.
“Sugar, it would take more than a brush-off like that to keep me away from Henrietta’s food.” His grin spread. “Maybe I’ll try again one of these days and you’ll
“The particulars of what?” Megan asked, trailing after him reluctantly.
“Nothing for you to worry your head about,” Jake told her.
Megan rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you later, Todd, and be prepared. Whatever you two are up to, I will find out.”
“Duly noted,” he told her. He knew he’d been living on borrowed time from the moment Heather set foot in town. Despite Jake’s claim to ethical considerations, his own determination to keep the matter private and Heather’s promise not to let word get out, too many people already knew—or had accurately guessed—the facts. Megan was not the kind of woman to stay out of the loop for long. Well-placed sources and timely leaks were how she kept her magazine and her TV show one step ahead of the trends.
To her credit, she hadn’t asked about Heather’s presence in Whispering Wind, and by now she had to know about it. It was a small town, and Heather’s soap role would have brought her instant attention. But as far as he knew, Megan hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of Angel. It was only a matter of time, though. Todd shuddered when he thought of what would happen when she finally honed in on the secret.
Heather was on pins and needles waiting for Todd to keep his word and show up at the diner. Every time the door opened, she glanced over, then sighed with disappointment when another of the regulars entered.
“You looking for somebody in particular?” Henrietta asked.
“No.”
“You’re a terrible liar, girl. Which man is it you’re hoping will show up?”
“Which man?”
“I notice Joe’s not here tonight. He’s been making himself scarce the last few days, same as Todd. You chase off any more of my customers, I’ll be out of business.”
Heather winced. She certainly didn’t want Henrietta to lose business because of her. “Sorry.”
“I was joking,” Henrietta soothed. “Must not be much good at it. Look around here. The tables are filled. I haven’t seen this many ranch hands in here in years. Word must be getting around that I have a pretty new waitress.”
Yes, Heather thought, there did indeed seem to be an awful lot of men crowded into the booths tonight. Young, rugged cowboys with friendly smiles and twinkling eyes. She’d been so busy serving heaping plates of Henrietta’s spaghetti, she hadn’t paid much attention to the gender of the customers. None of them was Todd, that was all she cared about. She’d finally sent Angel upstairs with Sissy, who’d promised to read her a story and then watch her favorite video with her for the umpteenth time.
The door opened again and Heather’s gaze shot to the latest arrival. It was Joe Stevens. He stared around in surprise at the crowd.
“You giving away food in here tonight?” he asked. “Can’t think of anything else that would get these motley ranch hands to leave the comfort of the bunkhouse and their nightly poker games.”
“They’re all paying customers,” Henrietta assured him. “You’ll have to join one of these gangs or sit at the counter. Unless you want to wait.”
He shook his head. “The counter’s fine.” He slid onto a stool and grabbed a menu.
“You take his order, Heather. I’ll get these plates over to table seven,” Henrietta said.
Heather nodded, poured Joe a cup of coffee and set it in front of him.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“Miss me?” he asked with a grin.
“Henrietta did,” she corrected him.
“Had to take a run down to Denver for a few days,” he said, then studied her with that impudent grin still firmly in place. “You sure you didn’t miss me even a little bit?”
“I’m sure. But I was worried you might have taken offense the other night,” she told him candidly.
“Sugar, it would take more than a brush-off like that to keep me away from Henrietta’s food.” His grin spread. “Maybe I’ll try again one of these days and you’ll
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