Page 17 of New in Town

He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table between them. “Is he the family that brought you here?”

“He is. I never really knew him, but he wrote me all these letters. I’m only through two so far, but the one talked about this restaurant. It’s kind of a lot, actually,” she says, trying to slow down on her story. Maybe she shouldn’t unload it all at once.

“What made him ask you to come now?” he asks, seemingly interested in her continuing.

“Well, he died. And I got all the letters from his attorney. Along with his home. He asked me to come here in the letter he wrote before passing.”

“Maddie, I’m so sorry. That’s so much to wrap your head around, I’d imagine.”

“Thanks. Yeah, my head and my heart,” she admits, fidgeting with her ponytail. Her heart is the issue, really—it hasn’t been thinking clearly these days. After all, she was sitting here pouring her story out to a cowboy.

“Any other places he mentions in his letters that you want to see? Anything I can do to help?”

“So far, just the Sterling Round-Up. But can I keep you posted as I read more?”

“Please do,” he responds, warmth in his voice.

She nods and turns her attention to the menu instead, needing a distraction from everything the conversation brought up for her. A distraction from the grief, confusion, and recently, a surprising sense of hope.

When she sees her favorite pizza, green pepper and pepperoni, on the menu, she smiles. Definitely loving this place. Then, when the song playing overhead switches to Tom Petty’sYou Wreck Me, she decides it may be her new favorite restaurant altogether.

She looks up from the menu to find him watching her across the table. His eyes sparkle with delight as she realizes she’s bobbing along with the song. Maddie braces to feel embarrassed but instead her smile only grows.“Tom Petty is my favorite” she explains.

“He’s classic,” he says, smiling back.

The server appears to take their orders, and soon they slip into easy conversation. She learns that he loves outlaw country music, his horse and motorcycle, and now Pip, he adds. His favorite color is dark green and his favorite thing about Sterling Ridge is the ranch where he lives and works. She shares about her life as an emergency veterinarian before moving here.

He asks about her tattoos, and she shows him the black, minimal ink peppering her right arm. Maddie turns her arm so he can see the double flower stem and lemon wedge, then twists it back the other way displaying the sunrise, diamond star clusters, and wordsstay gold.“The line work is so fine,” he says, leaning over the table to see them better. “Your tattoos are dainty, but classic. They fit you well. I like that they fill your arm; they seem so perfectly planned for you.”

She blushes at the compliment, surprised by the effect it has on her. He notices her. He complimented how the tattoos match her, not simply how they look on their own.

She looks up to see that his cool eyes are a deeper blue than usual. And they are trained on her. Her mouth parts in response to the intensity of his gaze, a surge of heat settling low in her belly.

Maddie’s eyes travel to his lips just as the server appears with their food.Saved by the pizza,she thinks. Yet again, she reminds herself that this date is fake, and he is playing a part for the other patrons of Norma’s. But when her eyes scan the room, she notices that he picked a booth shielded away from the others. The look in his eyes could only have been for her.

* * *

“Good first date?” he asks as they walk up to her apartment door.

“The best first date I’ve ever had,” she replies, immediately embarrassed by the truth in her words. She lowers her face to hide the way she’s blushing when his hand catches her chin.

“For me too,” he says softly. He keeps his hand there, cupping her face for a moment. “Goodnight, Maddie,” he murmurs, pulling back and strolling down to his waiting motorcycle.

10

MADDIE

The rich aroma of cinnamon floats up from the bakery below as the morning light fills her apartment. Rolling over in bed, she presses the heels of her palms against her eyes and inhales deeply. This is what heaven must smell like, she muses.

Sitting up and stretching her arms out wide, she notes the time. Early. She’s up before her alarm, and she has a sneaking suspicion that the reason may be related to Grey.

Their date last night was different from what she expected going into this agreement. It was fun, more fun than she’s had in a long time. And she was truly comfortable with him. Yesterday was easy, she felt lighter around him.

If that isn’t enough to keep her mood up through the week, there is a very good possibility she will see Grey again before the next date. Specifically, today. Rather than going to the clinic, she is making a house call. She is heading to Hayes Ranch.

Grey hadn’t forgotten about his request for her to complete the annual exams for their horses. Over pizza, she had questioned him about why Brett agreed to her taking this task over. He had given her an evasive response and steered the conversation elsewhere. She didn’t push the subject. She wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity, as so far, she was still carrying a patient list of one.

As she gets up for the day, the sweet scent in the air beacons her. The bakery downstairs doesn’t have a customer counter since they produce goods to supply the town’s restaurants. Despite this, the owner Lou had introduced himself to her last week and told her to stop down any time for his famous twists and hazelnut coffee. With her new at-home barista machine still a few states away, according to the tracking app, now seems as good a time as any to take Lou up on the offer.

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