Page 24 of The Cowboy's Country Charm

“Don’t we all? What kind of baggage would be so bad that you would turn down a tumble?”

Kristy shook her head. “Found out he was in Special Forces in the air force. That can’t have been a walk in the park. And for ten years. And now he’s angling to be a policeman. A brutal job where all you see is the underbelly of humanity. And he says his family has forgiven him for not wanting to take on the family ranch, but it seems he’s carrying around a lot of guilt from it.”

“Sounds like he’s human. What is your perfect guy then? No issues, so into you that nothing else matters?”

That was harsh. “You make me sound like I’m narcissistic. It’s just, I’ve got so many issues of my own that I’m not sure I have any bandwidth left for someone else’s. At least not at this moment.”

“Dean the Weasel hurt you that much? You really didn’t know what was going on?”

Ariel had coined the “Dean the Weasel” moniker after Kristy had broken up with him. It certainly fit.

Kristy sipped the wine. “Nope. Of course, after I found out, all those little things that had been niggling away at me made sense. But when you’re in love, or think you’re in love, if there is any doubt, you brush that doubt away and deny that things aren’t perfect.”

“I wouldn’t know. Sadly, I’ve never been in love. They say, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Ariel raised her glass and took a long sip.

“I don’t know if that’s true. I’m so leery now of opening myself up to loving anyone again. I mean, how can I trust anyone? Especially now that I realize Dean was going through the motions because he wanted my father’s help, not because of me.”

“I don’t think it was just for your father’s help, but maybe you have to find someone who wouldn’t need your father’s help at all.”

“And wouldn’t that let Rusty out? He’s going to be a cop, so who knows where that will lead. Maybe he’ll want to be in the state police. Or on the governor’s detail.”

“Or just a cop in Gillette, his home base.”

Kristy shrugged. “Regardless. I’ve barely had enough energy to move, much less date someone. And it’s only going to get worse.”

“Your call. Looks like I’m going to have a roomie for quite a while, which is a good thing, considering how my own love life has been going.”

Kristy leaned over and gave Ariel a hug. “Looks like we’re stuck with each other, cuz.”

***

From his seat at his sister’s kitchen table, Rusty sipped his coffee as he watched Lexi pace. She clasped a cell phone to her ear, and the only words coming out of her mouth were an occasional yes and no.

“I hope she’s good. We can’t afford a mistake.” Lexi put down the phone and sighed.

“What’s got you all worked up like a hen that’s lost her chicks?”

Lexi slid into the seat beside him. “Cort and I are vice-chairs of the Boots and Bells event, along with the Matthews, who are the chairs. The head of the company we hired, An Affair to Remember, will be out of commission until after the gala. That leaves your friend and the other woman to run the whole thing, because it’s too late to try to bid it out to someone else.”

Rusty sat up at attention. “Kristy’s boss? What happened?”

“Apparently she had a heart attack, and they had to do open-heart surgery. Regardless, it means we are stuck.”

“I’m sure Kristy and Ariel will do a great job. Have you met them yet?”

Lexi nodded. “We met with them the other day, and Marcia, their boss, didn’t show. I thought it was odd, but they said she had an emergency.” Lexi shrugged. “I guess having a heart attack and open-heart surgery qualify as an emergency. What do you know about Kristy?”

“Not too much.” Though he’d like to know more.

Lexi leaned across the table. “Tell me she’s good.”

“The firm did an amazing job with the VA hall for a wedding.”

“That old honky-tonk?” She sniffed. “Well, just cleaning up the place would be an improvement.”

Rusty fished his cell phone out of his pocket. “Let me show you.” He tapped the screen, found the picture he’d taken for just such an occasion, and flashed it before Lexi.

She let out a low whistle. “It looks like a fairy-tale palace. Did Junie do the flowers, because they are stunning?”

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