Cowboy Ever After

Chapter 14

Matt finished looking at the last page and closed the sketchpad with a gentleness that caused a flicker of hope to flame to life in her chest.

"These are really good. Have you ever shown your work?"

Surely she hadn't heard him correctly. "Excuse me?"

"You're talented."

Gretchen blinked against tears and thought she might have just fallen a little in love with Matt. "You really think so?"

"Don't sound so surprised. Surely someone has told you that before."

She looked away, not willing to divulge the truth. At least not the part that still hurt when she thought about it. "I wasn't sure it was good enough." She wondered if she was making a mistake, but she was tired of holding her dream buried deep inside her. "I'd really like to write and illustrate children's books."

"You could do it," he said without hesitation, making her want to hug him with all of her strength. "What progress have you made?"

"Just preliminary work." She couldn't voice the rest, didn't want him to see her as the belittled, fearful person she was at her core. At least where her dream was concerned.

They talked about her drawings and her ideas for books until she realized that it was time for Keri to close the bakery for the night.

"Sorry," Gretchen said when she made eye contact with Keri. "Didn't realize we'd talked quite so long."

Keri smiled and waved off Gretchen's apology. "No worries. Goodness knows I've always got plenty to do here."

Matt walked her to her car. "I hope you'll come to the rodeo again tomorrow night, and this time stay all the way through to when I ride." He took a step closer and caressed her cheek. "There's only one girl I want to see when I'm finished."

His lips replaced his fingers on her cheek, causing her breath to catch.

Later, as she lay in her car trying to go to sleep, she found it impossible. Matt's interest in her, the sweet kiss and his absolute belief in her dream were almost too much to believe. Even though she was still homeless, she'd just experienced what was, without a doubt, the best night of her life.