it.
First order of business—some different furniture, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted the broken-in, chocolate-brown couch she’d spotted in the store window the night before. It was perfect.
She parked in the same spot she had two mornings ago when she’d first ridden into Maverick Junction. BC. Before Cash. It blew her mind how so much had happened in such a short time.
Cash. That cowboy could matter to her—a lot—if she let him. But the foundation of their relationship had been built on dishonesty.
Now that she knew him better, she didn’t doubt for a heartbeat he’d boot her out of his life when he discovered the truth, that she’d been less than straightforward with him. And he would find her out. Eventually. Somehow. It was simply a matter of time.
Best-case scenario would be her coming clean and telling him who she really was and what she was doing here. But that would change everything. Would ruin the easygoing give and take between them, between herself and the other ranch hands, the people in town. Money always changed things—whether you had it or didn’t have it. It got in the way.
Before she told anyone, she wanted a chance for them to get to know her. Annie . Not Annelise, the heiress to the Montjoy Oil fortune.
It made her stomach jittery to think of the house of cards she’d built. It made her stomach even more jittery to think of Cash. And that couldn’t be good.
The bell over the door jangled happily as she stepped inside LeRoy’s Used Furniture.
“Howdy.” A man appeared from the backroom. “Name’s LeRoy. What can I do for you?”
She didn’t bother to check the price, didn’t even think of bargaining with him. “Hello, LeRoy. I’m Annie, and I want the couch in the window.”
“It’s a good one.”
“I agree.”
“That do it for ya?” He picked up a pad and pen and an old pair of reading glasses.
“No, I’m going to take that mirror. The one in the corner.” She moved closer, saw several others leaning behind it. “Actually, LeRoy, I’d like all four of those mirrors.”
They’d be great in the apartment and would give the room the appearance of more space. She almost laughed. Could anything make those rooms look bigger? Well, she’d give it a go.
Surprised, LeRoy nodded and gathered them up.
She waded through the jumble of tables, lamps, and knickknacks, pointing at things as she went. “And I want this. And this.” An off-white wingback chair caught her eye, and she added it to her list.
She wandered around the crowded store, making her selections, mentally placing them in her small apartment, imagining what they’d look like with her paint choices. She’d spray-paint the metal mirror and the lamp to match the chair.
Standing in the center of the jumble, she raised her arms and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. “If I buy all this, is there any chance I can get it delivered? The only vehicle I have is my Harley.” She tilted her head toward the street.
“Oh, she’s a beauty,” he said. “Saw it the other day when you were in to Sally’s. Yes, ma’am, I surely can deliver this for you.”
“Tonight?”
He checked his watch and nodded slowly. “I’ve got a truck out back and a son and his friend with strong, young backs. I’m figurin’ you must be the gal rented Dottie’s place.”
Her body stiffened in surprise. Small towns and their gossip mills. People here seemed to know what she was going to do before she did. But at least it wasn’t splashed in full-color in the tabloids for the entire world’s viewing. And most of all, no one judged her or told her what she could and couldn’t do.
“Yes, LeRoy, I am.” She forced herself to relax. “You know, then, where all this has to go?”
“Yep, sure do.”
“One more thing. If I buy some paint, would you throw that on your truck, too, and deliver it with the furniture and things?”
“Be more than happy to.”
She paid him and then walked down the street
First order of business—some different furniture, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted the broken-in, chocolate-brown couch she’d spotted in the store window the night before. It was perfect.
She parked in the same spot she had two mornings ago when she’d first ridden into Maverick Junction. BC. Before Cash. It blew her mind how so much had happened in such a short time.
Cash. That cowboy could matter to her—a lot—if she let him. But the foundation of their relationship had been built on dishonesty.
Now that she knew him better, she didn’t doubt for a heartbeat he’d boot her out of his life when he discovered the truth, that she’d been less than straightforward with him. And he would find her out. Eventually. Somehow. It was simply a matter of time.
Best-case scenario would be her coming clean and telling him who she really was and what she was doing here. But that would change everything. Would ruin the easygoing give and take between them, between herself and the other ranch hands, the people in town. Money always changed things—whether you had it or didn’t have it. It got in the way.
Before she told anyone, she wanted a chance for them to get to know her. Annie . Not Annelise, the heiress to the Montjoy Oil fortune.
It made her stomach jittery to think of the house of cards she’d built. It made her stomach even more jittery to think of Cash. And that couldn’t be good.
The bell over the door jangled happily as she stepped inside LeRoy’s Used Furniture.
“Howdy.” A man appeared from the backroom. “Name’s LeRoy. What can I do for you?”
She didn’t bother to check the price, didn’t even think of bargaining with him. “Hello, LeRoy. I’m Annie, and I want the couch in the window.”
“It’s a good one.”
“I agree.”
“That do it for ya?” He picked up a pad and pen and an old pair of reading glasses.
“No, I’m going to take that mirror. The one in the corner.” She moved closer, saw several others leaning behind it. “Actually, LeRoy, I’d like all four of those mirrors.”
They’d be great in the apartment and would give the room the appearance of more space. She almost laughed. Could anything make those rooms look bigger? Well, she’d give it a go.
Surprised, LeRoy nodded and gathered them up.
She waded through the jumble of tables, lamps, and knickknacks, pointing at things as she went. “And I want this. And this.” An off-white wingback chair caught her eye, and she added it to her list.
She wandered around the crowded store, making her selections, mentally placing them in her small apartment, imagining what they’d look like with her paint choices. She’d spray-paint the metal mirror and the lamp to match the chair.
Standing in the center of the jumble, she raised her arms and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. “If I buy all this, is there any chance I can get it delivered? The only vehicle I have is my Harley.” She tilted her head toward the street.
“Oh, she’s a beauty,” he said. “Saw it the other day when you were in to Sally’s. Yes, ma’am, I surely can deliver this for you.”
“Tonight?”
He checked his watch and nodded slowly. “I’ve got a truck out back and a son and his friend with strong, young backs. I’m figurin’ you must be the gal rented Dottie’s place.”
Her body stiffened in surprise. Small towns and their gossip mills. People here seemed to know what she was going to do before she did. But at least it wasn’t splashed in full-color in the tabloids for the entire world’s viewing. And most of all, no one judged her or told her what she could and couldn’t do.
“Yes, LeRoy, I am.” She forced herself to relax. “You know, then, where all this has to go?”
“Yep, sure do.”
“One more thing. If I buy some paint, would you throw that on your truck, too, and deliver it with the furniture and things?”
“Be more than happy to.”
She paid him and then walked down the street
Similar Books
