ChapterOne
Tara lether fingertips slide over the glossy spines of the paperbacks on the shelf, her eyes skimming over the titles as she slowly ambled down the aisle. The scent of espresso and sugar cookies permeated the Books & Beans Coffee Shop and she could just faintly hear the soft conversation from the café area of the store beyond thebookcases.
Part of her felt as if she were committing adultery against the piles and piles of unread books back at her little apartment on the south side of town. She shouldn’t have been looking for a new read when there were so many others waiting at home. It would have taken her more time to run home, make lunch, grab a new book, and hurry back to work. Instead she walked to the little coffee shop-slash-bookstore across the street from her work, for a quick sandwich and a few moments of peace on her lunchbreak.
Besides, one more book to join her precious family of novels wouldn’t hurt. Right? Rachel, the owner of the shop and senior barista, was busy making Tara’s usual chai tea latte with a spritz of cinnamon. It was a sweet and spicy pick-me-up to get her through the rest of her day while being stuck behind the counter at the modest dentist office. She loved her job, but sometimes she wished her boss would let them read during the long, slow periods between appointments so she wouldn’t be bored. Her escape to the coffee shop was often the highlight of her day, besides going home after five o’clock, ofcourse.
Tara’s life wasn’t all pathetic. She had her friends, her family, and, of course, her books. Who could ever be bored when there are so many stories to read, so many worlds to immerse in? Romance, mystery, horror, paranormal, fantasy, historical. She loved it all. Which is why picking out a new book could be so hard attimes.
The best thing she could do was pick one and just gowithit.
Her hand brushed over a spine and she found it wasn’t so smooth and pristine as the others. Her gaze trailed back to the worn trade paperback. Thin crease lines cut through the cursive title so much that she could barely read whatitsaid.
Curiosity got the best of her and Tara slipped the book down from its resting place. She found the top edge covered in a thin layer of dust as if it had been sitting there undisturbed formonths.
It certainly was old. The cover art reminded her of the trashy romance novels her mother used to read. The kind that looked as if it were painted or drawn, rather than photographed and spritzed up with Photoshop. She gazed upon the image of a man, his button-down shirt undone to reveal his rock-hard chest and abs beneath. His piercing blue eyes stared back at her, his slightly wavy black hair tucked underneath a dashingcowboyhat.
With a lasso in one hand and a cattle brand in the other, he looked the part of a rough and tumble ranch hand. In the distance, a brilliant golden sunset blazed across the sky with a girl riding a white horse on the horizon. With her long, dark hair flowing in the fictional breeze, no one would second guess that she was the one the cowboy was going to claim through the course of thestory.
The title scrawled out in an elegant font read, “Texas Bounty”. Tara tried to hold in a laugh as she tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. She had never heard of the title or the author before. A quick peek at the back description, however, set her heart racing. Packed with romance, intrigue, and danger, it looked like just her kindofbook.
Oddly enough, there was no price on the cover. Rachel normally kept her shelves stocked with the newest best sellers and some titles from local authors, but she had never seen a used book like this floating around. Maybe someone came and dropped it off withoutthinking.
“Tara! Your tea’s ready!” Rachel called from the coffee counter near the front of thestore.
She hurried to the café section of the shop with her intended purchase. On the counter sat her cup of steaming tea and the turkey bacon sandwich she had also ordered. Rachel grinned when she saw Tara walk up withthebook.
“Don’t you have enough?” sheteased.
Tara only smiled. “One can never have enough books,” she said as she slid the novel across the counter. “I don’t see a price on this one,though.”
Rachel’s dark eyes took in the cover and then picked it up to check the inside. “I don’t either. I don’t recognize it. There isn’t even a barcode ontheback.”
“That means it’s free then, right?” Tara asked before taking the first sip of her tea.Perfection.
Rachel shrugged her slender shoulders and brush back a strand of blonde hair that escaped from her messy bun. “I guess so. Happy earlybirthday.”
She laughed as the owner handed the book back to her. “Four months early.Fantastic!”
The girls giggled to one another and Tara balanced her sandwich plate on top of the book as she made her way to one of the little round tables just big enough for her and maybe one other person. With the way her long legs occupied most of the space beneath the table, it would have been atightfit.
She settled herself in the seat, crossed her legs and checked her phone to make sure she had enough time to spare on her lunch break. Twenty-five minutes to go. Plenty of time to find out if she would like hernewbook.
It even smelled like a new book, despite the obvious evidence of dog-eared corners and slightly wrinkled edges of the old style cover. A quick peek to the inside told her that it was published on her birth year, twenty-five years ago. Suddenly, the book seemed a little morespecial.
She took another sip of her tea and with the book propped open in one hand, she began eating her sandwich in the other. Minutes ticked by as she stepped into the world of a contemporary small town in Texas. For the most part, it sounded just like her hometown of Brooksdale. One main thoroughfare, one big shopping center, and dozens of mom-and-pop stores that lined the main street of the town. She was born and raised in Brooksdale, just a few hours southwest of Houston and nestled in the heart of prime Texas ranchland that was alternatively used for raising cattle or oil drilling. The people were friendly, though perhaps a little oldfashioned.
Then, she was introduced to the heroine. Independent and slightly awkward, Tara immediately identified with her. Just from the little interactions that were described between Trish and some of the other characters, she seemed smart, funny, and a lover of books just like Tara. She wondered if her boss would buy the lie that she had lost track of time on her lunch break. Already hooked, she knew she could get lost between these covers all tooeasily.
Within the first two chapters, the hero appeared, the man showcased so spectacularly on the cover. Tara held the sandwich over her plate, the juices from the meat dripping into a puddle on the Styrofoam as she felt completely enraptured. The hero and heroine were about to meet in a little coffee shop, just like the one she was currentlysittingin.
She hardly noticed when the front door dinged and slowly swung open to admit a new customer. Tara glanced up briefly as the tall man walked past her toward the counter, but she didn’t bother to take a good look. His heavy boots tapped against the tile floor and faded jeans hung loose around his hips. She did a double-take when his scent wafted to her, following just a second and a half after he had already passed by. He smelled just like the great outdoors, but there was a subtle hint of a strong cologne that made her mouthwater.
Tara turned in her chair and let her hazel eyes roam over his broad shoulders and the way his short-sleeve shirt hugged his thick, powerful muscles. The bottom hem of his jeans were speckled with dry mud so she knew he must have been a blue-collar worker. They were a dime a dozen in this town, not too uncommon, but nothing about this guy lookedordinary.
His arms were tanned, more tan than hers anyway, as well as the back of his neck. Black, slightly wavy hair crowned his head, but was cut short, probably so it wouldn’t be too hard to tame back in themorning.
Her eyes wandered down his back, not feeling the least bit shameful for the way she checked him out. She could only hope that his face was just as pretty as his body. Now she was kicking herself for not having paid closer attention when he first walked in. She could see the way Rachel appraised him in a not-so-subtle way that told Tara all she neededtoknow.
