Page 74 of The Cowboy's Country Charm

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Greta looked down at the script she had asked to review, as Kristy and Ariel stood outside the sound booth of the compact sound studio tucked away in a suburban mall. The sound engineer was doing a sound check, and Greta was adjusting her headphones and mic, approaching this little narration like the professional she was.

“So what do you think?” Kristy asked Ariel.

“She’s beautiful,” Ariel said. “That dark hair, alabaster skin, big brown eyes, perfectly symmetrical face.”

It was hard not to gawk at Greta as she read her lines, stopping now and then to discuss something with the sound engineer. She had a luminescent beauty and the most amazing hair that tumbled around her face and down her back and chest in graceful waves.

“It was nice of her to agree on short notice.”

“It was nice of her to agree to be in the auction too.”

“I wonder what her story is?”

“You mean why she’s back home and so available?”

Kristy nodded. “I would think someone like her would be kept more than busy with work.”

“Maybe she needed a break.”

Kristy shrugged. “I’m going to need a break after this gala.”

“You and Rusty should go off for a nice long weekend.”

“We have the Bruger anniversary to put together.”

“It’s going to seem like a letdown after doing this.”

“At least Marcia is pleased that we have a few of these events booked. Gillette is likely in our future.”

Ariel smiled. “We’ll have to renegotiate the lease.”

“Let’s get through this first.” Kristy waved an arm. “Lots of things could go wrong between now and Saturday.”

“Don’t be a Debbie Downer, Kristy. This little hiccup is going to come out better than if we had the original guy. Donors will love it.” Ariel placed her hands on her hips. “By the way, didn’t you promise to fill me in on Stetson’s connection with Greta.”

Kristy shrugged. It seemed such a romantic but private story, since things hadn’t exactly worked out for Stetson. “When she was a teenager, Stetson rescued her from a house fire. And from then on, he’s been smitten. But from what I understand, they haven’t been in communication with each other since that time, mainly because shortly afterward she went to New York to fulfill her dream of becoming a model.”

“Wow.”

Ariel had barely gotten the exclamation out when through the sound studio’s doors walked Rusty’s friend Stetson. He stopped just inside the doorway and stared at the person in the booth, as if neither Kristy nor Ariel existed.

“What’s he doing here?” Ariel asked.

“Rusty asked if Stetson could come and watch her record, as a favor.”

Ariel waved her fingers at Stetson, who acknowledged her by waving back before returning his gaze to Greta.

“Definitely can’t compete with her.” Ariel sighed.

“You can compete with anybody. It’s just, Cupid’s arrow seems to have struck Stetson long before you were on the scene.”

“I guess.”

Greta continued her work in the sound booth without acknowledging Stetson or the presence of Kristy or Ariel, for that matter.

“Do you think she sees him?”

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