Evan grinned. “I like a woman who’s not afraid to step out and take a chance.”
A skinny young man with big ears and teeth stopped at their table. “You guys ready to order?”
“Give us a large thick crust. Half supreme and half hamburger with black olives. I’ll take a Coke, and the lady wants. . .” He lifted his brows.
“Iced tea.” The waiter nodded and walked away as Bethany plucked two packages of sugar from a little dish near the salt shaker. “So, I guess you’ll be happy to get back home.”
“Yeah, all this fresh air is clogging my sinuses.”
She shook her head.
“Seriously, though. There are things I will miss about this place. I can’t believe I’ve lived my whole life in Wyoming and never visited the mountains before. My parents never traveled much, and I’ve been busy working.” He tapped his fingertips on the table as if he were typing on his keyboard.
Bethany couldn’t help wondering if she was one of the things he’d miss. How had she gone from crowning him the greenest among the greenhorns to hating to see him leave? His gaze lifted from the table and collided with hers. For a moment she couldn’t breathe at the intensity of his stare.
“I’ll miss you, Bethany.”
He glanced away, as if fearing her rejection. She ought to nip things in the bud, but the truth was, she’d miss him, too. He’d sneaked in under her radar and stolen a piece of her heart. But like all the others she’d befriended or cared about, he’d be leaving—soon. Still, she couldn’t lie to him. “I’ll miss you, too.”
His hopeful gaze swerved back to hers. His lips tilted upward, and he slid his hand across the table. Hers move forward to meet his, as if it had a mind of its own. He clutched it tight. “So. . .what are we going to do about this?”
She shrugged and pulled her hand back. “Nothing. You’ll go back to your world, as I will.”
Scowling, he repeatedly flicked the edge of his napkin with his index finger, and she thought he’d drop the subject. The waiter delivered their drinks, and Evan captured her gaze again. He sighed. “I won’t lie to you. I don’t have much experience with women. I dated a few times, but most girls prefer jocks to geeks. I don’t want things to end like this. At least we can e-mail each other and stay friends.”
“Yeah, sure. We can do that.” She knew how e-mailing worked. The first week or two there would be a ton of messages, but as the weeks drew on, there’d be fewer and fewer. Maybe it was better to play along, knowing how things would eventually end. That way he’d be hurt less than if she just dropped him now. She had to protect her heart. No one else could do that job.
❧
Their pizza arrived, and they ate quickly, talking little.
He’d pushed too hard, and now she was pulling back. But he didn’t have much time left.
Maybe this was God’s way of telling him that she wasn’t the woman for him. A Christian shouldn’t be yoked with an unbeliever—he knew that—but for a short time he’d allowed himself to run on emotions instead of logical thinking.
Bethany flicked her hair out of her face, and he longed to touch it, to see if it was as soft as it looked.
Stop it, Parker. How could he lose his heart so fast, and to a country girl who didn’t want to live in the country? He straightened. If she didn’t want the country, would she consider living in Laramie? It wasn’t Denver, but maybe it could be a nice compromise. Nah, he’d better just be happy that she agreed to be friends.
Bethany shoved back her plate and finished her drink. Evan jumped up. “Ready to go?”
She flinched, as if surprised by his sudden movement. Nodding, she grabbed her purse.
He walked toward the checkout register, ready to get back to the ranch and away from her. He’d been a fool to bare his heart when he knew things could never work out. What was he thinking?
He’d seen what happened in Erin’s life when a Christian married an unbeliever. Sure, things had been bearable for a while, but in the end, Clint had walked away from his family, leaving behind a debris trail as wide as an EF-5 tornado and a hurting wife and children. Evan had been the one to step in and clean up that mess, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake.
He’d been stupid to think things could work out between him and Bethany, to even consider a relationship with a woman who wasn’t sold out to God. He just had to face reality and make his heart stop aching.
Thirteen
Bethany tapped her finger on the phone receiver. Should I call him or not?
She needed Evan’s help with another computer problem but hated calling him after he’d all but given her the cold shoulder then stayed in his room after they’d returned from town yesterday. He hadn’t even come down for dinner or this morning’s breakfast.
She couldn’t exactly blame him.
The elevator doors opened, and Bethany’s heart jolted. She was half disappointed and half relieved when Taylor got off instead of Evan. The teen waved and stopped at the counter. Almost two weeks in the sun had tanned her skin to a golden brown, highlighting her blue eyes. She was a pretty girl who would grow into a beautiful woman as long as she kept her attitude in check.
“Hey, Miss Schaffer.”
Bethany smiled. “Looking for Cheryl again?”
Taylor nodded and glanced out the front window as if searching for her friend. A black SUV pulled into one of the parking spaces, leaving a cloud of dust trailing behind it.
“Um. . .I probably shouldn’t say anything. . .” Taylor glanced up, an intensity in her eyes. She nibbled on her lower lip, revealing front teeth with the tiniest of gaps. “My uncle may be a geek, but he’s a really nice guy. I don’t know what we would have done after my dad left without Uncle Evan’s help.” She looked back at Bethany. “He doesn’t have a lot of experience with women. I hope you’ll give him a break. He really likes you.”
Bethany felt as if her mom had just given her a well-deserved lecture. “I like him, too, but I don’t want to lead him on. You guys are leaving, and so am I. Soon. There’s no future for us together.”
Taylor raised her gaze, probably up to the moose head on the wall behind Bethany. “Never say never. God can do amazing things. Just give Uncle Evan a chance, will you?”
An older couple walked up the front stairs, and the man held the door open for his female companion, probably his wife. In that split second, Bethany wondered what it would be like to grow old with Evan.
Taylor peeked over her shoulder then flashed a tight-lipped smile. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I hate to see my uncle looking sad. He does so much for others that he deserves some happiness of his own.”
Bethany watched the teen walk toward the dining hall. How had the girl changed from Miss Attitude to Wise Sage so quickly?
She shook her head, putting Evan and Taylor out of her mind as she registered the new guests. Five minutes later she escorted them to their room on the same floor as Evan’s. “I hope you have an enjoyable stay here at Moose Valley Ranch. Please let me know if you have questions or if there’s anything I can assist you with.”
“Thank you, miss.” The man closed the door to the room.
As Bethany walked past Evan’s door, her steps slowed. She ought to keep walking. She could figure out the problem herself, but it might take hours. Sighing, she lifted her hand and knocked.
The door handle jiggled, and then Evan stood before her, a slight scowl wrinkling his forehead. His hair was messed up, as if he’d been running his hands through it. His eyes looked tired and red, as if he hadn’t slept the night before.
Was she responsible for his rumpled state? Hadn’t she only been protecting her own heart? It pained her to think she might have hurt him. She ducked her head.
He reached out, lifting her chin with his index finger. “Hey.”
Every fiber of her body seemed happy to be in his presence again. She cleared her throat. “I was, uh. . .”
Evan’s brows lifted.
“I was w
ondering if I could buy you a pop.”
His eyes sparked; then wariness descended, stealing away her hope that he would agree. “Why?”
Pulling away from his stern gaze, she noticed a frayed edge of carpet at the door’s threshold. Better let Dad know about that before it gets worse.
She took a strengthening breath. The discomfort between them was her fault because she had tried to distance herself from him. Could they actually be friends and leave it at that?
Bethany shrugged. She could really use a good friend. She summoned a smile to her face. “I thought maybe you’d need a caffeine fix about now. . .and I could use some help on the computer.”
He faked a brief laugh. “Ah, so the truth comes out.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I could use a break. Just let me save my current work.”
She watched him walk over to the coffee table where his laptop sat. He made a couple of swift hand movements and stood. Beside the couch on the end table was a tray of dirty dishes. “Mind if I grab that tray and take it downstairs?”
“I’ll get it.” He snatched up the tray and held it so high she couldn’t reach it, even standing on tiptoes.
“You’re the guest. I should be carrying that.”
He pulled his door shut. “Maybe, but I was the one who ate the food.”
Bethany sighed and trotted down the stairs with Evan beside her. Their being together felt right somehow. Like wearing matching shoes or hitching the correct team of horses to a wagon. She was in dangerous territory, allowing her thoughts to travel along such lines.
At the counter, Evan lowered the tray and she grabbed for it. He raised it over her head again, sidestepped around her, and grinned. “How about you unlock the store, and I’ll return this to the kitchen?”
“Fine.” She conceded her loss with a smile of her own. She liked this playful side of Evan Parker. In the store she grabbed two cans of pop and a bag of chips. She wrote a note that she’d taken them so she could deduct the items from their inventory later, then locked the door. Evan joined her at the counter.
“So. . .what seems to be the problem this time?”
She told him and stood beside him, watching the master at work. She was no dummy concerning computers, but he seemed to know them inside and out. It amazed her how he could fix something in five or ten minutes that took her hours, if she could fix it at all. Leaning toward the monitor to get a better look, her arm touched his. He’d rolled up his sleeve, and this arm was free of spots. The warmth of his skin soaked into hers and made her hands tingle. He seemed oblivious but shifted his feet and leaned a bit closer, all the while jiggling the mouse and working the keyboard. His milk chocolate hair hung across his forehead, and his lips moved as if helping him.
The doors opened, and her father strode in. Bethany hopped back a half step, putting distance between her and Evan. He glanced sideways and grinned. The rascal had been aware of her nearness all along if she wasn’t mistaken.
“What are you doing back, Dad? There haven’t been any more problems, have there?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Jenny’s running low on sugar and some other stuff, so I made the run back here. Got another problem with that crazy computer?” Her dad barely glanced at them as he walked around the counter and into the office. “Don’t know how you expect me to run that thing when you can’t even get it working. I’m going to have to build a house for Evan so he can stick around and help keep that computer working.”
She wasn’t sure if her dad was just mumbling to himself or complaining loud enough for them to hear on purpose. Teaching him to run the computer was a big concern. He was a skilled man, but with horses, cattle, and ranch equipment, not electronics. Maybe she ought to figure out a way to rehire Maggie. Having the teen work the counter as she had last summer would free Bethany to do other jobs.
Something that sounded like a foghorn blasted outside. Evan jerked his head up and stared out the front window at the same time Bethany did. What in the world? A huge pink RV stopped along the back edge of the parking lot.
“Talk about Pepto-Bismol. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything quite like that.” Evan stared openly at the huge vehicle.
Bethany rounded the counter and squinted at the lettering on the side of the motor home. In fancy gold script, she read, The Groovy Grannies. “Oh my goodness! Dad! Elsie and Margaret are here—and they’re not in their semitruck.”
“Two grandmas drive that thing?” Evan’s surprised expression made her giggle.
Her dad came out of the office and strode toward the door. “What do you mean they’re not in their semi?”
“Well. . .look!”
He muttered under his breath. “I tried to talk them into selling that pink semi last time they was here, but I never expected them to buy something as hideous as that.”
She hugged him. “Be nice, Dad. They’re entitled to live their lives the way they want.”
Bethany dashed out the door and jogged down the steps. Elsie had traveled the country hauling freight the past few years with her friend Margaret even though both of the women’s families had tried hard to get them to retire. It looked as if they finally had.
“Howdy!” Elsie climbed out of the RV and waved, her silver hair sparkling in the sunlight. Wearing leather boots, a pink tank top, and shorts, she stepped to the ground. She enveloped Bethany in a bear hug. “My, just look at you. You’re so lovely.”
“And look at you. You’re retired.” She pushed back to see Elsie’s wrinkled face. “You are retired, right?”
Elsie nodded as Margaret, wearing a lavender sweat suit and black sunglasses with shiny sequins along the top, rounded the front of the RV. “That’s right. We are officially retired.”
“Then what’s this contraption?” Bethany’s father waved his big hand in the air.
Elsie shoved her fists to her slim waist. “What did you expect, Rob? That we were just going to retire in some old folks’ home?”
Bethany grinned. “I don’t think he ever expected you to retire at all. So, what brings you out here?”
“We came for our wagon tour.”
Bethany glanced at her dad. “But that was just a test registration to see if anyone would call and offer you a better deal at some other ranch. That hasn’t happened, has it?”
It was Margaret’s turn to get her feathers ruffled. “Well, if they did, we’d have given them what for. Imagine stealing your customers. Why that’s unethical.”
Bethany looped her arm through Elsie’s and tugged her toward the lodge. “Still, I never meant that you actually had to go on the tour.”
“We want to. We have all the time in the world now.”
Her dad offered his arm to Margaret, and the two followed them inside. “Let’s all go get something cool to drink. My treat.”
“You’re so generous, Rob,” Elsie joked and patted Bethany’s arm. “I thought you were starting a new job in Denver, dear.”
Bethany darted a glance at her father and noticed his lips tighten. “We can talk about all that later. I want to hear what you’ve been doing.”
They marched inside, but as Bethany turned toward the dining hall, Elsie tugged her in the other direction, toward the counter.
“My, my. I’d say that young man is quite an improvement over that young tart you had working here before.”
Evan’s vivid blue eyes widened as he looked up from the monitor.
“Whew! And look at those eyes. Just like Paul Newman’s.” Elsie turned to Bethany and whispered, “I do hope you’re planning on keeping him.”
Her cheeks felt as if they’d been torched. “He doesn’t work here, Elsie. Evan’s a guest who’s helping me get the new computer system up and running.”
Elsie turned loose of her arm and walked up to the counter. “Come along, young man. We’re taking refreshment in the dining hall.”
Evan’s questioning gaze rushed to Bethany’s. She didn’t mind him joining them and nodded toward the dining hall. He loo
ked down and made a few quick taps on the keyboard then offered one arm to Elsie and carried his pop can in the other. “I already have a drink, but I’d enjoy the company.”
Margaret took Evan’s other arm. “You can’t have him all to yourself, Els.”
Bethany suppressed a grin. Evan looked bewildered but smiled down at the two older women and led them into the dining hall as if he were escorting royalty.
Over tea and pie, they caught up on all that had been going on at the ranch. Elsie pushed back her empty plate. “I don’t like that all these strange things have been happening.”
“Maybe the prankster has gotten tired. You haven’t had any problems here while I was gone, have you?” Bethany’s father looked across the table at her, and she shook her head.
“Nope, nothing but some cancellations.”
“Good, maybe that’s over with.” Elsie smiled at Evan as he took a swallow of pop. “Are you married, young man?”
Bethany stifled a gasp as Evan worked hard not to spew his drink. He pounded his chest and coughed. “Uh. . .no, ma’am.”
Elsie winked at Bethany, and Margaret smiled as if she’d won the lottery. Bethany shoved back her chair and stood. “Don’t you think we should get back to work, Evan?”
He nodded and stood. “Nice to meet you both.”
If Bethany hadn’t been as anxious to leave as he was, she might have laughed at his hasty escape.
❧
Evan leaned against the corral and watched Taylor lead a golden horse out of the barn. She’d called it a palo-something. She waved, warming his heart. If nothing else, this trip had brought them closer together. He prayed that when they returned home she wouldn’t cop an attitude like before.
The setting sun sent lances of light into the pink and orange clouds, creating a view that took his breath away. Only the almighty God could have created such a magnificent sight. He forced his gaze away so that he could concentrate on Taylor.
“Watch me, Uncle Evan.” She nudged her horse in the side, and it jolted into a trot. Taylor bounced up and down.
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