down on Tess’ head and she pulled the lead to
get Tippi closer to the copse of trees in the clearing. From this vantage
point, she had a better view of Phoebe and her guest. Tess tried not to be
obvious but… damn . He was built. His biceps bulged against the sleeves
of his black t-shirt and the jeans fit nicely around his… body. Beat-up cowboy
boots definitely gave the impression this guy had spent some quality time on a
ranch or a farm. He crossed one ankle over the other and drew hard on his
cigarette before blowing a plume of smoke skyward.
Although Tess had been out of the loop while in school, pretty
much everyone in Memory Grove knew everyone else and she didn’t recognize him
as a local, not someone who had grown up here anyway. She would have remembered
the disarray of his hair and the hard line of his jaw. Just then he flashed a
smile at Phoebe and Tess groaned out loud. That man was a masterpiece and the
curiosity was killing her. She wanted to know who he was and how Phoebe knew
him.
The wind kicked up and blasted hot air and dust in her face.
Her mouth went dry and her palms sweated around the rope clenched in her fist.
She needed a drink of water. A barrel filled with ice sat against the front wall
of the stables. Phoebe kept it stocked with water bottles and Gatorade. Tess
wrapped Tippi’s lead around the branch of a tree and started back across the
clearing.
Despite her best efforts, she could not stop looking over at
him. Her eyes traced the lines of his long legs and settled on his silver belt
buckle. She couldn’t make out the design, but it was definitely rodeo style,
big and round and embellished. The sun glinted off of it and blinded her for a
second.
The definition of his muscular torso was obvious through the
tight t-shirt tucked behind that buckle. Unable to pull her eyes away from him,
Tess didn’t see the old railroad tie lying on the ground. The tip of her boot
caught on the large piece of wood and she pitched forward, landing face first
in the dry grass.
Oh. My. God. Please. Please, tell me he didn’t just see
me eat dirt.
She closed her eyes and spit a blade of grass out of her
mouth. Bracing her hands on the ground, she started to push herself up when she
heard the heavy footfall of people running.
“Hey. Are you okay?” A strong hand touched her shoulder
gently.
Wishing the ground would crack open and swallow her, she
rolled over onto her back. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
The bright glare of the sun blinded her and she could only
make out the shape of his body, until he moved in closer. “Let me help you up,
sweetheart.”
His eyes were a shade of gray she had only ever seen on the
air force jets that flew in formation over her childhood home. A crooked smile
lit up his face and he wrapped his hand around her arm and slid the other
behind her shoulder. With little effort, he had her back up on her feet.
Dirt covered her knees and she shook her head. “Thank you. I
feel like an idiot.” From a mix of adrenaline and embarrassment, her heart rate
sped up. If he came any closer, he'd probably hear the rapid thud banging against
her ribcage.
He laughed and reached out, pulling a piece of hay out of
her hair. “Could’ve happened to anyone.”
Yeah. But this kind of thing only happens to me. Stupid
me.
“You okay, child? You got to watch where you’re going.”
Phoebe sidled up close to the guy. She didn’t seem as concerned with Tess’ well-being
as she did with making sure she stayed as close as possible to him.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m okay.” Tess brushed off a clump of dirt
from her jeans.
“Didn’t knock your brain loose or nothing?” Phoebe jutted
her hip out and grabbed her belt loop.
“No, ma’am. I’m fine.”
“I haven’t seen you here before.” A small vertical scar
interrupted his left eyebrow. Tess wondered if the mark was from a fight or
maybe a riding accident, something sexy and dramatic.
Phoebe looked up at him and back to Tess. “Shane,
get Tippi closer to the copse of trees in the clearing. From this vantage
point, she had a better view of Phoebe and her guest. Tess tried not to be
obvious but… damn . He was built. His biceps bulged against the sleeves
of his black t-shirt and the jeans fit nicely around his… body. Beat-up cowboy
boots definitely gave the impression this guy had spent some quality time on a
ranch or a farm. He crossed one ankle over the other and drew hard on his
cigarette before blowing a plume of smoke skyward.
Although Tess had been out of the loop while in school, pretty
much everyone in Memory Grove knew everyone else and she didn’t recognize him
as a local, not someone who had grown up here anyway. She would have remembered
the disarray of his hair and the hard line of his jaw. Just then he flashed a
smile at Phoebe and Tess groaned out loud. That man was a masterpiece and the
curiosity was killing her. She wanted to know who he was and how Phoebe knew
him.
The wind kicked up and blasted hot air and dust in her face.
Her mouth went dry and her palms sweated around the rope clenched in her fist.
She needed a drink of water. A barrel filled with ice sat against the front wall
of the stables. Phoebe kept it stocked with water bottles and Gatorade. Tess
wrapped Tippi’s lead around the branch of a tree and started back across the
clearing.
Despite her best efforts, she could not stop looking over at
him. Her eyes traced the lines of his long legs and settled on his silver belt
buckle. She couldn’t make out the design, but it was definitely rodeo style,
big and round and embellished. The sun glinted off of it and blinded her for a
second.
The definition of his muscular torso was obvious through the
tight t-shirt tucked behind that buckle. Unable to pull her eyes away from him,
Tess didn’t see the old railroad tie lying on the ground. The tip of her boot
caught on the large piece of wood and she pitched forward, landing face first
in the dry grass.
Oh. My. God. Please. Please, tell me he didn’t just see
me eat dirt.
She closed her eyes and spit a blade of grass out of her
mouth. Bracing her hands on the ground, she started to push herself up when she
heard the heavy footfall of people running.
“Hey. Are you okay?” A strong hand touched her shoulder
gently.
Wishing the ground would crack open and swallow her, she
rolled over onto her back. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
The bright glare of the sun blinded her and she could only
make out the shape of his body, until he moved in closer. “Let me help you up,
sweetheart.”
His eyes were a shade of gray she had only ever seen on the
air force jets that flew in formation over her childhood home. A crooked smile
lit up his face and he wrapped his hand around her arm and slid the other
behind her shoulder. With little effort, he had her back up on her feet.
Dirt covered her knees and she shook her head. “Thank you. I
feel like an idiot.” From a mix of adrenaline and embarrassment, her heart rate
sped up. If he came any closer, he'd probably hear the rapid thud banging against
her ribcage.
He laughed and reached out, pulling a piece of hay out of
her hair. “Could’ve happened to anyone.”
Yeah. But this kind of thing only happens to me. Stupid
me.
“You okay, child? You got to watch where you’re going.”
Phoebe sidled up close to the guy. She didn’t seem as concerned with Tess’ well-being
as she did with making sure she stayed as close as possible to him.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m okay.” Tess brushed off a clump of dirt
from her jeans.
“Didn’t knock your brain loose or nothing?” Phoebe jutted
her hip out and grabbed her belt loop.
“No, ma’am. I’m fine.”
“I haven’t seen you here before.” A small vertical scar
interrupted his left eyebrow. Tess wondered if the mark was from a fight or
maybe a riding accident, something sexy and dramatic.
Phoebe looked up at him and back to Tess. “Shane,
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