Harlequin Western Romance June 2018 Box Set by Cathy Gillen Thacker

Author:Cathy Gillen Thacker
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488092831
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWO

Scarlett sipped her coffee in front of the hotel window as she watched the sun peek above the horizon Saturday morning.

She’d caught a few winks after Reid and Jessie had retired to their room last night, but she was eager to relinquish her desk duties to the part-time employee Gunner had hired to cover for him while he helped Lydia with the baby.

Her gaze swung to the High Noon room and she envisioned Reid sprawled across one of the double beds as he slept. The cowboy had been her first crush and she’d never forgotten him or his kiss. Every once in a while she’d recall that afternoon and wonder where he was or whom he was with. But she’d never imagined him being a father.

Eventually the streaks of pinkish orange along the horizon gave way to bright sunlight. The pace of life in Stampede was turtle slow compared to the hustle and bustle of Wisconsin’s state capital. Last year she’d despised the tiny Texas town for luring her cousins away from Madison. Not in a million years had Scarlett believed she’d be living here, too.

If not for being duped by Dale, and having been forced to resign from her job, she wouldn’t have packed her belongings and moved south. Fortunately there was a need for social workers, and Family Crisis Services in Mesquite had offered her a job right away.

The door to the High Noon room opened and Jessie stepped outside with Fang. The little Chihuahua was dressed in his Superman T-shirt and his owner wore pajama bottoms, pink fuzzy slippers and a sweatshirt. Coffee in hand Scarlett left the office and followed the duo behind the motel. “Good morning,” she said.

Jessie jumped, then slapped her hand against her chest. “Crap, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” Scarlett sat at the picnic table.

Jessie walked the dog until he did his job, then scooped him off the ground and joined Scarlett, placing Fang on top of the table.

“The plastic bags to pick up his doo-doo are over there.” Scarlett pointed to the waste station.

Jessie put her hand in front of Fang’s face and said, “Stay,” then walked off to clean up the dog’s mess. When she sat down again, she removed a single-serve can of pet food from the pocket of her sweatshirt and popped the lid off. Fang’s tail twirled like a propeller as he gobbled his breakfast.

“Where did you get your coffee?” Jessie asked.

“There’s a Keurig machine in the office. Do you drink coffee?”

The preteen nodded.

Twelve was a little young to get hooked on jitter juice. After the dog finished his meal, Scarlett said, “There’s milk in the office fridge.”

“I like coffee.”

They returned to the office, where Jessie filled a disposable cup with water from the cooler and offered Fang a drink.

“You take very good care of him.” Scarlett watched Jessie make herself coffee, then dump three creamers and two packets of sugar into the cup—definitely not a proper breakfast for a twelve-year-old.

“If you like animals,” Scarlett said, “then you’ll love visiting the petting zoo at your great-grandfather’s ranch.

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