“Okay, got it. Let’s just buy these ladies a drink and see where the night takes us,” Evan suggested, his eyes catching on Jessica Lansbury and her cousins sitting in a booth opposite the bar. Yeah, Jessica was pretty. She had long dark hair that reminded him of Colette’s…
Marshall stopped himself. No more thoughts of Colette. Anything he did with her would be a fling, which was exactly what he didn’t want. Finishing the last of his pint, he signaled toEvan to follow him. He straightened his spine, walking up to the booth where Jessica sat with her cousins.
“Hey, Jess. Good to see you. Mind if we join you?”
“Sure, Marshall,” she answered with an enthusiastic tone. Sliding over in the booth, Marshall placed an arm above Jessica’s shoulders on the bench and waved to the bartender to bring them another round.
“So, who are your lovely guests?” Evan said smoothly, squeezing in next to the two stunning blondes.
“I’m Avery, and this is Hallie. What are your names?”
“I’m Evan, and this handsome devil is Marshall. You ladies like dancing?”
Avery and Hallie glanced at each other and answered “Yes!” at the same time.
Though he knew he was doing the right thing in forgetting about Colette, his stomach sank. Jessica sidled up to him, closing the distance between them on the deep burgundy vinyl bench. Grateful for the interruption of the bartender coming to deliver their drinks, Marshall clutched his beer in desperation, seeking something to busy his hands. Normally, he might wrap an arm around Jessica and see where the night went. Tonight, even sitting this close to her felt wrong.
But Marshall was here to be distracted. He needed to forget about the large cornflower blue eyes that haunted his fantasies. Erase them from his memory in order to move on. Somehow, he thought it was going to be easy.
As he gazed into Jessica’s warm amber eyes, Marshall realized that perhaps his interest in Colette was bordering on something more dangerous than just lust. He was grateful for Evan taking over the conversation and regaling the women with one of his entertaining stories, because Marshall realized he had made a huge mistake.
The booth creaked as he sank deeper in the seat, making himself comfortable.
He took a long swig of his beer and slid away from Jessica, just enough so that their thighs were no longer touching. If there was a solution, he was going to chase it at the bottom of his pint of beer. Or maybe, he would need a few. He had a major problem.
How was he going to deal with his crush on Colette Slip?
CHAPTER 16
Tucking her hands deep in the pockets of her puffy thermal jacket, Colette admired another amazing ranch sunrise. The days were getting longer, and this morning, she was determined to get out of her home and explore the small town beyond the grocery store.
The town of Rosebud had a tiny main street with an adorable grocery store, a theater, a hardware store, a bakery, and a few restaurants and bars. Every building was reminiscent of an old frontier town in its appearance. Most of the buildings had false fronts painted in classic neutral colors, with large signs indicating the nature of the business. Colette appreciated the charm and the ease of getting around. There were no secrets here; everyone knew where to go to find what they needed. The Buttercup Bakery was her destination; the clapboard front painted a bright robin’s egg blue and sprinkled with the occasional yellow buttercup around the shop sign.
It was hard to imagine this kind of charm in the city. Opening the glass door, Colette could hear as the conversations at each table slowed momentarily, then picked up again.
Great.
She was a stranger. As if she could ever forget she didn’t belong here.
Making her way up to the till, she admired the selection of fresh muffins and cakes behind the glass.
“Hi, what can I get you?” a smiling redhead said from behind the counter.
Colette’s top teeth dug into her bottom lip. “I don’t know…” She shook her head, trying to decide, when all the treats looked amazing. “What should I start with? I’m new here, and now I feel like I need to come every day to try all these gorgeous pastries.”
“Hate to say it, but I hope you’ve got lots of time. We have a rotating menu, and it changes every day.”
Groaning inwardly, Colette silently wished she had more time too. “Well, I’ll have to do my best with the time I have. I’ll have the morning glory muffin and a coffee.”
The woman behind the counter gave a nod and took a light-blue plate off a stack and plated the muffin. “So, did you recently move into town? I’m Imogen, by the way.”
“I’m Colette. I’m working at Rosebud Ranch. Temporarily. Just helping out with the finances until they find someone more permanent.”
“Imogen,” a woman with short gray hair called out as she joined Imogen behind the counter. “I hope you’re making our new customer feel welcome. Hi, I’m Edna,” the woman reached across the counter and Colette stared at her hand momentarily.
“I love your earrings,” she answered, studying the large cupcake earrings and shaking her hand. “I just moved to the ranch.”
“She’s working with Marshall,” Imogen said, glancing at the older woman.
