Cowboy Ever After

Chapter 7

"So, tell me about the Primrose."

Over the next several minutes, they meandered down one side of Main Street as she told Matt about the café, India Parrish's Yesterwear Boutique, the old-time hardware store, and every other storefront they passed.

"You really do sound like a tour guide. You've probably lived here from the moment you were born." He said it as if he couldn't conceive of the concept.

"Actually, no. I'm fairly new to Blue Falls. I guess I just like it and soaked up all these details without realizing it. We serve a lot of tourists in the café, and they ask questions by the boatload. It helps to know the answers."

"So, what brought you to Blue Falls?"

She shrugged, not wanting to get into the real details behind her move. "Just felt like a change."

Before he could ask any more personal questions, she took the opportunity to cross the street. Though he was nice, friendly, and so charismatic he could charm the stripes off a zebra, she suddenly wanted to finish the tour.

Hoping to distract him further, she ducked into Bibliography, the small bookstore that was her favorite place in town.

"Hey, Marti," she said to the older lady sitting behind the counter.

Marti looked up and pulled off her reading glasses, letting them hang from the bedazzled chain around her neck. She gifted Gretchen with one of her infectious smiles. "Hey, hon. Good to see you." Then her gaze shifted to Matt, who'd stepped into the store behind Gretchen.

"This is Matt. He's in town for the rodeo, and I'm showing him around."

"Well, that's nice of you." Marti didn't even attempt to hide the smile that said so much more than her words.

Yet again, warmth crept up Gretchen's neck into her cheeks. Frustrated that she blushed so easily, she headed toward the shelves of books that stood in a line behind the small seating area next to the front window.

"The store is small, but Marti still manages to pack a lot of variety in here."

Matt wandered down an aisle, scanning the spines of the books as if looking for something in particular. Gretchen watched him, a little surprised. If she really thought about it, it would make sense that a rodeo cowboy would like to read to fill his down time.

"You going to look around for something?" Matt asked when he looked up and met her gaze.

"Oh, sure." She skimmed the spines of the books, trying to concentrate on the titles and authors. But her thoughts kept going back to Matt and wondering why he made her so jittery. It wasn't as though they were diving into a relationship and she had to worry about being made a fool of again.

She shrugged and decided to allow herself this one afternoon of enjoying his company.