nothing she could do about changing what she’d done, and there was no way
to justify her actions. So they had no future. The best thing for both of them was
for her to leave.
The problem was, she didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay and pretend it was all
going to work out. At least for now. Eventually she would have to do the right thing
and move on. Maybe she would even head back home. It was almost time.
“Speaking of weddings,” Felicia said, then winked at Randi. “I saw you dancing with
Brady Jones last Saturday. You looked very involved with each other.”
“Gee, Felicia, you saw me dancing with everyone last Saturday night,” Randi said calmly,
hoping her cheeks didn’t blush and betray her discomfort. “If I had to pick the person
most interested in me at the dance, I’d say McGregor, although he’s a little old.”
“I don’t know.” Felicia finished smoothing her client’s gray hair, then reached for
a can of hair spray. “I’ve known Brady all his life and I think he was showing some
interest in you.”
Randi was torn between wishing the other woman was right and knowing that their attraction
would only cause heartache. “Brady’s a gentleman,” she said lightly. “He doesn’t date
the help.”
Felicia scoffed. “Most of his help are guys, honey. Don’t sell yourself short. I’d
bet my last can of hair spray that you’ve got his attention in a big way.”
Maybe, Randi thought. For now.
An impulsive act had brought her to the only place she thought she might be able to
call home. That same act made it impossible to stay.
Mary Alice put down her scissors. “That should do it. Nice and even.” She fluffed
the drying curls.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
She glanced up and saw Ty standing in the entrance to the shop. All conversation ceased
as every woman’s attention focused on the tall, dark cowboy.
Ty didn’t seem to notice. He strolled in, tipped his hat to the ladies and stopped
behind Randi’s chair. “You about ready?”
Randi glanced at Mary Alice. “How much do I owe you?”
The young woman blushed bright red. “Tw-twenty dollars,” she stammered, gazing at
Ty as if she’d never seen a man before. Maybe she hadn’t, at least not one that good-looking.
Randi paid the woman and left a large tip. On her way out, she promised to give Felicia
a couple days’ notice before bringing the calico cats to her.
“What’s it like to do that?” she asked when they were on the sidewalk.
“Do what?” Ty asked, falling into step with her.
“Stop traffic, reduce intelligent women to incoherence, that sort of thing. You know,
be gorgeous.”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “Sometimes it’s a pain in the butt.”
“I notice you’re not denying the statement.”
He grimaced. “I’ve had it happen enough times to figure out that for some reason,
many women find me physically appealing. When I was younger, I used that to my advantage.
One day I grew up.”
She wanted to ask more questions about the lessons he’d learned along the way. Were
his looks the reason he had lost Denise? But she didn’t ask. For one thing, it wasn’t
her business. For another, she understood all about wanting to keep secrets.
“I finished what I needed to do in town,” he said. “You want to head back?”
“Sure.”
They walked to Ty’s truck, then drove back in companionable silence. But the closer
they got to the ranch, the more her mood changed for the worse. Tension filled her.
If only there was a simple solution for her problem.
As they turned off the main highway, Ty glanced at her. “You’ve fallen for him, haven’t
you?”
She didn’t have to ask who the “him” was. “Looks that way.”
“I think he’s hot for you, too. Is there a reason it can’t work out?”
Brady hot for her? She glanced at Ty, torn between wanting to ask him why he thought
that and wanting to act unconcerned. “I, um, have a few other
to justify her actions. So they had no future. The best thing for both of them was
for her to leave.
The problem was, she didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay and pretend it was all
going to work out. At least for now. Eventually she would have to do the right thing
and move on. Maybe she would even head back home. It was almost time.
“Speaking of weddings,” Felicia said, then winked at Randi. “I saw you dancing with
Brady Jones last Saturday. You looked very involved with each other.”
“Gee, Felicia, you saw me dancing with everyone last Saturday night,” Randi said calmly,
hoping her cheeks didn’t blush and betray her discomfort. “If I had to pick the person
most interested in me at the dance, I’d say McGregor, although he’s a little old.”
“I don’t know.” Felicia finished smoothing her client’s gray hair, then reached for
a can of hair spray. “I’ve known Brady all his life and I think he was showing some
interest in you.”
Randi was torn between wishing the other woman was right and knowing that their attraction
would only cause heartache. “Brady’s a gentleman,” she said lightly. “He doesn’t date
the help.”
Felicia scoffed. “Most of his help are guys, honey. Don’t sell yourself short. I’d
bet my last can of hair spray that you’ve got his attention in a big way.”
Maybe, Randi thought. For now.
An impulsive act had brought her to the only place she thought she might be able to
call home. That same act made it impossible to stay.
Mary Alice put down her scissors. “That should do it. Nice and even.” She fluffed
the drying curls.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
She glanced up and saw Ty standing in the entrance to the shop. All conversation ceased
as every woman’s attention focused on the tall, dark cowboy.
Ty didn’t seem to notice. He strolled in, tipped his hat to the ladies and stopped
behind Randi’s chair. “You about ready?”
Randi glanced at Mary Alice. “How much do I owe you?”
The young woman blushed bright red. “Tw-twenty dollars,” she stammered, gazing at
Ty as if she’d never seen a man before. Maybe she hadn’t, at least not one that good-looking.
Randi paid the woman and left a large tip. On her way out, she promised to give Felicia
a couple days’ notice before bringing the calico cats to her.
“What’s it like to do that?” she asked when they were on the sidewalk.
“Do what?” Ty asked, falling into step with her.
“Stop traffic, reduce intelligent women to incoherence, that sort of thing. You know,
be gorgeous.”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “Sometimes it’s a pain in the butt.”
“I notice you’re not denying the statement.”
He grimaced. “I’ve had it happen enough times to figure out that for some reason,
many women find me physically appealing. When I was younger, I used that to my advantage.
One day I grew up.”
She wanted to ask more questions about the lessons he’d learned along the way. Were
his looks the reason he had lost Denise? But she didn’t ask. For one thing, it wasn’t
her business. For another, she understood all about wanting to keep secrets.
“I finished what I needed to do in town,” he said. “You want to head back?”
“Sure.”
They walked to Ty’s truck, then drove back in companionable silence. But the closer
they got to the ranch, the more her mood changed for the worse. Tension filled her.
If only there was a simple solution for her problem.
As they turned off the main highway, Ty glanced at her. “You’ve fallen for him, haven’t
you?”
She didn’t have to ask who the “him” was. “Looks that way.”
“I think he’s hot for you, too. Is there a reason it can’t work out?”
Brady hot for her? She glanced at Ty, torn between wanting to ask him why he thought
that and wanting to act unconcerned. “I, um, have a few other
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