“Actually, I’ll just get what I need.”
“Just a few minutes,” she beamed. “A cup of coffee.”
“No time for that, ma’am.”
I was trying to be nice. I really was.
“But you haven’t met Scott and his wife Linda,” she pressed. “They’re going to take over the store when Dick retires. He’s owned this store for over forty years, and he’s been collecting hats just as long,” she said, pointing to the hats hanging from the wall. There had to be ten rows high and it traveled from the front wall of the hardware store, all the way to the back and around the other side. Hundreds—maybe thousands of hats—and for what?
“Oh, and you’ll love this!” she beamed, rushing over to the wall and flicking a switch.
I heard a toy train whistle and looked to where she pointed. A train ran across a track just below the hats, across the center of the store on a beam, and every which way.
“Very…cool,” I answered, not knowing what else to say about that.
“Dick put that in about twenty years ago with Scott. When he was just a boy?—”
“Yeah, I really have to get back,” I interrupted, then turned and walked away. Christ, the stories she might have told me were endless. How did anyone get anything done in this town when all they did was sit around and talk?
From there, I quickly grabbed the items I needed and brought them to the checkout counter. Colleen was polite but quiet, taking my money and bagging my items.
“Have a nice day.”
“Oh, you too.”
I paused mid-step, sure I heard a hint of humor in her tone. But I kept walking. It was only a short walk to the parking lot. What was the worst that could happen?
Twenty minutes later, I got out at the ranch and slammed the door, stomping over to Liam, who was doing his best not to laugh at me.
“Next time, get your own damn supplies,” I muttered, wiping chocolate milkshake that was dripping from my hair.
“I told you to stay and talk.”
22
JOSIE
Tiptoeingaround the house had become a new habit of mine over the past few days. It worked great when Scarlet was home alone with me, but if Sawyer was home, he immediately joined me wherever I was, staring me down until I eventually ran away.
Today, he wasn’t making it easy on me. It all started when I was making my tea, minding my own business. I admit, I was distracted by thoughts of JR’s naked back, and that inevitably led to my downfall.
“How long are you gonna stare at those tea leaves?”
I jumped at the sound of his voice, splashing hot tea all over my hand. “Shoot!”
I quickly ran the cold water, shoving my hand under it for instant relief. However, the man—whom I still called my brother—was standing there with a smirk on his face.
“If you keep doing that, people are gonna think you’re a witch.”
Whatever he meant, it went right over my head. I was too flustered with him in my presence.
“Because you look like you’re reading tea leaves,” he added.
“Oh, right.”
I shuffled to the right, but he followed, not letting me pass. So, I moved to the left, but he did the same. Then I feigned right and moved left, but he anticipated my moves and blocked me every step of the way.
“I played football, sis. You’re not getting past me.”
