Harlequin Heartwarming: August 2022 Box Set by Anna J. Stewart

Author:Anna J. Stewart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

No way.

“Becca?”

As if he needed to ask. He’d long ago memorized every disobedient auburn strand of hair on his ex-wife’s head. Yet, until she turned around, his unsuspecting thoughts were along the more generic lines of If what I can see is any indication, that is one beautiful woman.

His heart even confirmed it, fluttering at first and now pounding its verdict home. The old ticker had pretty much stopped working the day he signed the divorce papers and left behind the only woman he had ever loved. At her insistence. Now, his heart seemed to be back in business, despite his insistence that it stop this nonsense. Wrong place. Wrong time.

Wrong woman.

“It’s you,” she responded. Although her voice wavered, her deadpan expression gave nothing away. No surprise, no excitement. And, thankfully, no disgust. “What are you doing here?”

Of course, she wouldn’t have known he was coming. The cook wouldn’t have access to such information unless guest rosters were shared with the entire staff. His publicist had booked him under a different name, anyway. His whole reason for coming here was to surprise a certain person—his biggest fan. And possibly his smallest fan, judging by the loopy, childlike, first-name-only signature on the letter.

The adult who must have typed the contents remained anonymous. However, he or she had used the Hideaway letterhead and issued an invitation for Cody to call that number or write to that address anytime. Cody did one better. He showed up, unannounced.

The surprise, however, was clearly on him.

“My hat went missing. Someone suggested I check with the cook,” he said, even though he knew that wasn’t what she was asking.

“But what are you doing here? In Destiny Springs?”

She never did let anything slide. If she had, they’d probably still be together.

Cody straightened. Why did he all of a sudden feel defensive over a logical question? Except, yeah, he knew why. His first inclination was to be completely honest. But whoever came up with the notion that honesty was the best policy clearly hadn’t met Becca.

Honesty had gotten him served with divorce papers. The kicker was, she’d known what she was getting into when she’d said I do. Knew he’d be away much of the time, working the rodeo circuit. She simply hadn’t been prepared for the extent of it.

Neither had he. But Cody had been completely honest when he’d said that slowing down would be the worst thing for his career, next to quitting altogether.

She’d been honest, too. His extended career didn’t fit into her time frame for settling down and starting a family. Still, he assumed she’d remain his biggest supporter—like his mother had done for his father—and trust that he’d make it up to her in the long run. For better or for worse was an all-encompassing clause in the Sayerses’ book.

Not in Becca’s, as it turned out. As he saw it now, she’d forfeited her right to know the gritty details about his life. Not that he intended to lie.

“I’m meeting up with a fan.

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