Page 55 of Book and Ladder
Cass smiles. “All those muscles. Who knew all it took was a pair of oven mitts to open my eyes.”
“Seriously?” I shake my head. She’s coming in here praising him today of all days?
“I told Daisy I think Patrick would be one heck of a kisser,” Winona says to her sister.
“I see it,” Cass says. “He’s got that full lower lip and a bit of swagger without being too arrogant.”
“Am I being pranked?” I ask.
“You have to admit he’s hot,” Cass continues, undeterred. “Totally not my type, but he’s absolutely not hard to look at. Not. At. All.”
“Do you have amnesia?” I ask. “His family is putting me out of business. And what’s with you two and your types?”
“You don’t have a type?” Cass asks.
I did. And … Patrick might have even been it. Back then, he could do no wrong in my eyes—until he did. But that was so long ago. And today is the last day I want to bring up a latent high school crush on a man who looks like a buff Tom Ellis.
“Tom Ellis,” slips out of me like a sigh, too dreamy, too revealing. Heat crawls up my neck the second I hear myself.
“Oooh. Well, well,” Cass says. “Tom Ellis. Tall. Built. Dark hair. Hmmm …”
Why do all roads seem to lead to that infuriating man?
“I know what you’re thinking,” I say, pointing at Cass.
“I know what I’m thinking,” Winona says. “I’m thinking why aren’t we eating those sandwiches? I’m hungry!”
We all laugh, and thankfully Cass drops the subject of our local Tom Ellis look-alike.
We take the bag to the book nook and Cass hands out the sandwiches.
“Oh! Speaking of types, Daisy, Carli gave your number to a ranch hand.”
“She did what? And why?”
In our main circle of friends, only two of us are in relationships: Sydney and Emberleigh. The rest of us—Winona, Cass, Carli and I—aren’t attached, or even dating anyone.
“Why single me out?” I ask. “I’m not the only one flying solo in our group. Besides, the timing is terrible. And I just went on the world’s worst date. It’s my turn to sit one out. Tell her to give Winona’s number out.”
“What?! No!” Winona shouts. Then she turns to Cass. “Is he cute?”
Cass laughs. “According to Carli, he just started at the ranch and he seems really thoughtful and, yes, cute.”
“Carli said he saw you at the town hall meeting and asked her about you this morning.”
I don’t even know what to say about that.
What man would have seen me on an inward mental spiral, being contained by a caregiver on either side and thought,her—I want her?
“We need to have a pact not to give out one another’s phone numbers,” I say.
“It probably would be for the best,” Cass agrees. “But this is already done, so if he calls … Well, consider saying yes. It might be a good distraction from all the other things you have going on.”
“Maybe,” I agree.
I most certainly could use a distraction.
BTTP comes to mind and I grin a private smile. I’m grateful for his friendship. It’s easy—and safe.
