Page 24 of The Cowboy's Redemption
A stunning, chestnut-haired beauty, who had to be six feet of curvy slenderness at least, lifted stunning eyes from a binder she perused at the counter. Light flowing through the store window touched her goddess face and turned her eyes a dark, liquid gold. Her friendly smile of welcome held no vanity at all, only sweetness.
Dana couldn’t help but fall a little in love with her, as most of the world undoubtedly did. She was no slouch in the looks department herself, but this woman was in a class all her own, because her creator had tossed a warm personality into the mix. What on earth was she doing selling lingerie in a small town like Grand, when she could be working the runways of Europe?
“Hi,” the goddess said, her voice cheerfully angelic. She no doubt sang like an angel too, because why not have it all? “I’m Meredith. Feel free to look around. If you have any questions, just ask.”
Dana had a few preferences for things that fit well, but she didn’t see any signs for the designers she favored. Other than price tags, there were no signs at all. “What brands do you carry?”
“Everything is designed and handcrafted by me. I custom-make items too,” Meredith said, as if hand stitching custom lingerie was a skill anyone could master. “And it’s all machine washable.”
Dana had died and gone to heaven. She spent far too long in the shop, considering she had groceries growing warm in the truck, and bags of ice in a cooler, but everything was so pretty, and Meredith was so nice. She finally settled on a handful of panties and a few lacy bras that cost far more than she should spend but was unable to resist.
Meredith wrapped her purchases in tissue paper and packed them carefully in a bag, handling them as if they were fragile, and passed them over as if presenting a gift. She got a particular look in her eyes, as if undecided about raising a subject more intimate than panties, and Dana knew what was coming.
“Forgive me for asking, but are you Dana Barrett?”
“I am.” And here it was.
“I went to school with Tanner and Tate. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” Dana said. This was Tanner’s hometown. She’d known what to expect.
But thefeelings…
Somehow, being in a place that had known Tanner so well, but hadn’t reallyknownhim, magnified the breathlessness talking about him always caused.
Bag in hand, she left the store.
And bumped into Tanner’s sister leavingJax in the Box, the children’s clothing store next door.
Blond, pretty Tate Shannahan, who looked so much like her brother, pushed a toddler in a stroller and carried a baby in a snuggly nestled close to her chest. Dana was acutely aware of the store she’d just left, and the bag she clutched withMayhem’s Private Momentsproudly emblazoned on it.
Neither woman knew what to say or who should speak first. Grand was small, yes. But what were the odds of them running into each other? Lady Dana, who’d gotten her through more than one unwelcome interview in the past, woke up and put herself to good use.
“Hi,” she said, fixing her fan-smile in place, as if she saw Tate every day and this was a normal occurrence.
“Dana. What a surprise,” Tate replied. “I had no idea you were in town.”
Dana had always found it best to keep explanations short and to the point—especially when one wasn’t owed—and followed up by changing the subject as quickly as possible. “I’m just passing through. Who are these little darlings?”
She rolled up her purchases and stowed them under her arm, then dropped to her heels, putting her on the same level as the green-eyed cutie in the stroller, and ignored the expanding ache in her heart. Her baby would be about the same age as this one, if she hadn’t put racing first.
“This is Iris. She’s Miles Decker’s daughter. And this little guy is Tanner—Iris’s new baby brother. He’s two weeks old tomorrow.” Tate rubbed the baby’s wee bottom, which bulged out of the snuggly.
Miles Decker was a former bull riding champion who now worked at the Endeavour Ranch. Dana had heard that he and Tate were a couple, but she hadn’t known they had a baby together. While it made perfect sense that they would name their son after Tate’s twin, the news nevertheless stole Dana’s breath. The expression of utter joy on Tate’s face was another blow to the heart. It took her a moment to figure out why.
Jealousy.
She was jealous, Dana realized in shock, past the dull roar in her head. Tate’s life had come together, whereas hers was in limbo. It seemed Tanner’s grieving sister hadn’t suffered the same sort of public scrutiny that she’d had to endure.
She coaxed a smile out of Iris, who proved to be a sweet, pleasant child, and offered a few polite words of congratulations to Tate that later, she couldn’t recall. She made her way to her truck, and out of the parking lot, then onto the road toward Otto’s ranch, before she had to pull over and talk common sense to herself.
Jealousy was the one emotion she refused to accept. She was in charge of her own fate. If her life was in limbo, it was self-imposed. It wasn’t Tanner’s fault, or Tate’s, or anyone else’s.
She’d chosen competition. She’d chosen Tanner, too. Both came with a level of public scrutiny from rodeo fans that she’d known to expect, whether she liked it or not. And public was the one area of her life where Lady Dana, no matter how much she disliked her, had proved herself useful.
The bag on the seat beckoned to her.Mayhem’s Private Moments…
What Dana did in private was nobody’s business.
