Steal My Heart (Prosperity Ranch Book 2)

by Heather B. Moore

  Evie grinned. She unwrapped her own sandwich and took a bite. “Pretty good.”

  “And a pretty good view, too.”

  But Carson wasn’t looking at the blue-green river or the wildflowers lining the riverbank. He was gazing at her.

  Carson didn’t want to go back to reality, or head home to start working with Grandad, or face the fact that spring break was almost over. But they’d been at the river for at least an hour, and the longer he stayed secluded with Evie, the more his mind turned over possibility after possibility.

  Maybe Evie would work somewhere else for a year, then realize she wanted to return to Prosper. And him, of course. Or maybe when she met with the principal at the Prosper middle school, she’d have a change of heart.

  Or maybe she’d fall madly in love with Carson and not care about where she lived anymore.

  He could only dream.

  Evie was currently sitting on a rock near the river, her feet in the water, while he packed up the picnic basket, then folded the blanket. Her blonde hair stirred in the breeze, and he only wanted to sit by her and bury his face in the soft strands. He wanted to kiss her for the rest of the day, and convince her to stay in Prosper.

  But right now, he could tell she had something on her mind. She’d been flirty and affectionate the first part of their picnic, but then she’d gone to the river and sat, watching the water flowing.

  There was nothing else he could do to stall and give her more time, so he sat next to her on the rock. Not saying anything and not touching her.

  But she leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder, and looping her arm through his. So he rested his hand on her knee, trying to ignore how nervous he suddenly felt.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Not really.”

  His heart froze. “What’s wrong, Evie?”

  She released a slow breath. “I got an interview with the San Antonio Daily News.”

  His heart resumed a slow beat. “That’s good, right? Aren’t they at the top of your list?”

  “They are,” she said in a quiet voice, “so I should be elated, right?”

  “And you aren’t.”

  “I’m not.” She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I thought I’d be jumping from excitement, but I’m dreading the interview. They’ll see right through me. I have no experience, and they’re going to be expecting great things from day one.”

  Carson knew he shouldn’t smile at her worries—they were irrational because she’d be excellent—so he kept his gaze sober as he listened. When the breeze stirred her hair about her face, he brushed some of it from her cheek. “Do the interview,” he said, although it was the last thing he wanted to encourage because he’d love her to move to Prosper, “and see what you think.”

  “Yeah . . .” She gave him a small smile, but her eyes started to water.

  “You’ll be amazing,” he said. “And they’ll be lucky if they get you.”

  She only bit her lip.

  “Evie,” he whispered, leaning close and touching their foreheads. “You worry too much. Everyone gets these kinds of jitters and doubts. You’ve spent four years getting ready.”

  “Are you just saying that to make me feel better?” she whispered.

  He smiled, then tilted his head to kiss her cheek. “Yes, but it’s also completely true. Do a couple of sample graphics and take them to the meeting. They’ll know right away if you’re a good fit.”

  She moved her hand slowly up his arm, then rested her hand on his bicep. She blinked a few times, and Carson was glad to see that new tears hadn’t appeared. “Why did I meet you at the absolutely worst time ever?”

  Carson raised his brows. “You mean at the football party?”

  She smirked. “No. Right before I graduate.”

  “Maybe . . . it’s the opposite,” he said. “Maybe we met at the perfect time.”

  She bit her lip as she gazed at him, then said, “I should get back. I need to help my mom with dinner. Are you guys coming?”

  “Are we invited?”

  Her smile was coy. “I’m inviting you.”

  “Then the answer is yes,” Carson said in a lighthearted tone. But he didn’t feel lighthearted. Soon, they’d be going back to school and getting even closer to the inevitable.

  He gathered up the basket and blanket while Evie put her shoes back on. Together, they walked back to the truck.

  “It’s after three,” she said, checking her phone.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you mind stopping by the school on the way back? I’m going to pop in and say hi to the principal. I promised my mom I would, and I don’t want it to be a formal interview situation.”

  “All right.” Carson eyed her, wondering what she was thinking. He was glad she was stopping in, but it seemed more of a formality than anything. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “It will literally take five minutes,” she said. “If the principal is even there. School got out about fifteen minutes ago.”

  The drive to the school was quiet, and Carson wondered what she was thinking about. But he didn’t feel like he could intrude right now.

  “Thanks,” she said as he pulled in front of the school and stopped.

  She slipped out of the truck, and he watched her hurry toward the school. He hoped . . . he didn’t know what he hoped. That she changed her mind about Prosper? That she’d stick up for her goals? That she’d be happy whatever she chose? Yeah, that was what he hoped.

  Despite his growing fondness of her, and apparent attachment if his constant focus on her was an indicator, he wanted what was best for her.

  It wasn’t five minutes that he waited, but twenty. He could have maybe read some articles for one of his homework projects, but instead, he watched the comings and goings of the small town. The place was downright quiet, and peaceful.

  When Evie finally emerged from the school, she was walking with another woman. The two approached the truck, and Carson didn’t know if he was supposed to roll down the window, or get out. So he climbed out and walked around to the sidewalk.

  The woman with Evie was petite with short, dark hair. Her red-framed glasses matched the red blouse she wore with no-nonsense black pants.

  “Carson, this is Bev Jarvis,” Evie said. “She’s the principal here.”

  “Great to meet you,” he said, stepping forward and shaking her hand.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” Ms. Jarvis said in a mellow tone. “I’ve heard of your grandfather. The town appreciates his investment in the arena.”

  “I’ll pass the news along to him,” Carson said, glancing at Evie and trying to gauge how the conversation between the two of them had gone.

  They said goodbye to Ms. Jarvis, and Carson opened the truck door for Evie. She slipped past him without a word on how things had gone.

  When he climbed into the truck, she glanced over at him.

  “What?” he asked. “How did it go?”

  “She was really nice and said she has the funds to bring on a part-time graphic designer, but there are other roles in the school I could fill, so I’d have a full-time salary,” Evie said, her voice sounding too happy, too cheerful. “I told her I wasn’t ready to move to Prosper yet, but she wants to keep in touch anyway.”

  Carson’s heart sank at the part about not moving to Prosper, but he liked that the door had been left open. “That sounds perfect,” he said, his own smile becoming more false by the moment. “It will be nice to have that door open if you ever need it.”

  “Exactly.” Evie leaned her head back and folded her arms. “My mom will be glad I stopped in, and now I can tell her I did.”

  Carson nodded. “What did you think about the school?”

  “Oh, not much has changed,” Evie continued in her bright tone. “Still the same old floors and lockers. Lots of memories there.”

  Carson pulled onto Main Street, then glanced at her. “Was that hard?”

  “Hard?” She gave a flippan
t shrug. “No. It was strange, though; I think I can say that.”

  “Evie—”

  “I should get back,” she said. “My mom probably thinks I’ve abandoned her, and I should help with dinner preparations. Maybe after, we can go to Racoons.”

  “To the battle of the bands that aren’t really bands?” Carson wanted to figure out what was bothering Evie, but now she was talking about Racoons, a place she said she didn’t want to go to.

  Evie smiled too brightly. “I’ll introduce you around, so when you come back here, you’ll already know a bunch of people.”

  “Okay,” he said, his heart twisting for some reason. What had happened in that school to have her acting like this?

  Evie popped open her door the second he stopped at her ranch. “Thanks for the picnic, and plan on Racoons after dinner. It’ll be fun.”

  “Evie, wait—”

  But she’d opened the door and hopped down. She waved, then shut the door and hurried to the front porch. Carson watched her disappear inside. He wasn’t even sure what had just happened.

  He tossed his hat onto the bench and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Then he drove back to his grandad’s place, only to find him on the phone with what sounded like a building contractor.

  Carson went into his bedroom and dug out his laptop from the backpack he’d brought. He logged on, then connected to the hotspot on his phone. Moments later, he’d looked up the San Antonio Daily News, where Evie was interviewing next week. He scrolled through the website, and clicked on several featured links. The graphics had an outdated feel, and surely, Evie would bring a fresh look to them. From all that he could see, Evie would probably enjoy working there.

  And he would miss her.

  He knew that now. The connection he had with her in a short time already felt deeper than what he’d had with Stacee. Maybe it was because he was older, or had been through some harder things.

  Carson sighed as he considered his options. There were really only two. Move to Prosper to work and be with his grandad. Or . . . not move to Prosper so he could be closer to Evie. But would she even want him around? That last few minutes in the truck had felt like she’d made up her mind about something, but wasn’t sharing it yet.

  Carson shut down the laptop and headed out of his bedroom. His grandad was still on the phone, sitting on a barstool with paperwork spread before him. Carson set about doing the dishes in the sink. The place didn’t have a dishwasher, so he did them by hand.

  When his grandad was finally off the phone, Carson said, “How are the plans going?”

  “Good,” Grandad said. “I should have all the bids by next week, then I can decide who to work with. They’re promising the job completion in two months, but you’ll be here by then and can help oversee it.”

  Carson nodded. “Right. We need to talk about that.”

  “Oh? Sounds serious.” Grandad shifted on the barstool and clasped his hands atop the counter.

  “I want to know what my options are with working for you,” Carson said.

  “Is this about Evie?”

  Grandad didn’t miss much.

  Carson braced his hands on the counter across from Grandad. “Yeah.”

  Grandad nodded and rubbed at his chin. The white whiskers there had never been shaven clean that Carson could remember. “When I met your grandmother, nothing could have changed my mind about her.”

  Carson had heard plenty about his grandmother, a woman he’d never met. From all descriptions, she was a no-nonsense woman. She was the love of Grandad’s life, and when she was gone, he never remarried. Never wanted to.

  “I wish I could have met her,” Carson said.

  “She would have told you to follow your heart, son,” Grandad said. “I want you here, with me, in Prosper. But if a man has found his person, his woman, that’s more important.”

  Carson exhaled and held his grandad’s steady gaze. “You’ve done so much for me and Rhett. You dropped everything when we needed you, and you’ve taken care of us ever since.”

  Grandad rose to his feet and walked around the counter, then he placed a hand on Carson’s shoulder. “And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. The beauty of being self-employed is that I can make choices. I’m not tied to one place, one house, or one office. Prosper is where I want to retire, since I’m getting on in years. And yes, I’d love to have my only grandson at my beck and call. But I don’t mean my decision to be a decision for you as well. Go out and live your life, son.”

  Carson blew out a breath, then placed a hand atop his grandad’s. “Thanks for your blessing. I still don’t know what my final decision will be.”

  “Don’t make a final decision, then,” he said. “One day at a time. It’s the Hunt way.”

  “I thought it sounded familiar,” Carson said with a smile. “That’s what I told Evie, too, but I think she sees the only way forward is to not create more ties to Prosper.”

  Grandad gave a curt nod, then a cheeky grin. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, son. But no woman is worth it who doesn’t take a bit of work.”

  “I’ve no doubt,” Carson said.

  “I’m just glad you’ve moved on from Stacee,” Grandad said. “And that you’ve healed enough to believe in happiness again.”

  “I’ve always believed in it,” Carson said.

  “Perhaps. But you’ve never allowed yourself to trust in it.”

  Carson folded his arms with a sigh. “It’s a risk, especially with Evie.”

  “Yes,” Grandad said. “But you go out there and show her that you’re the man for her.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  Grandad shrugged and picked up the pack of cigarettes that he’d left on the kitchen table. After removing one, he said, “If it’s right, then things will fall into place.”

  Carson knew his grandad was right, but the wait was painful.

  Evie ignored Becca’s phone call. Yeah, she should answer it, but her mind was a whirl. Going into that school had opened a flood of memories, ones that she hadn’t cared to recall. She still felt out of sorts just thinking about it.

  When her phone rang a second time, Evie eyed it. What did Becca want? Finally, she snatched up the phone from her bed and answered it.

  “Hi, what’s up?” she asked.

  “Oh, I was going to leave a voicemail,” Becca said. “Guess what?”

  “What?” Evie said, hiding a sigh as she leaned against the stack of pillows on her bed.

  “I got my acceptance to medical school!”

  “What?” Evie sat up fully. “That’s amazing! Congratulations!”

  “I can’t believe it,” Becca gushed. “I mean, I sort of can, but I think I’m in shock.”

  “This is so great,” Evie said. “When do you start and all that?”

  “August, but I have to sign up for lab work right away,” Becca said. “Everyone says that there’s a waiting list for the morning labs, so unless I want to be there late at night . . .”

  Evie listened as Becca continued to tell her the details of what her first year of medical school would be like, and she felt pride expanding in her chest. She hadn’t doubted Becca, but now that it was actually happening, it was amazing.

  Becca had a plan, a direction, and a future career, and Evie wondered how that would affect their friendship. They’d both be moving on and no longer roommates. The thought was sobering.

  All that was familiar to Evie would change before she knew it.

  “So what’s new with Carson?” Becca asked.

  Evie blinked. She hadn’t caught the past few things that Becca had said. What had been the segue to talking about Carson?

  “He’s great,” Evie said. “We went on a picnic today.” She glossed over the details, even though Becca seemed thoroughly impressed about the picnic. “And I’m actually heading back to campus tomorrow.”

  “What? You have another whole weekend.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Evie said. “But it’s too hard to get any
homework done here, and I’m feeling the pressure from my mom to accept a job at the local school.” After coming home, she had told her mom about meeting with Ms. Jarvis, and her mom had lit up and asked a million hopeful questions.

  “Oh, Evie,” Becca said, her tone sounding like a sigh.

  “What?”

  “You’re doing it again.”

  Evie’s neck prickled. She knew what Becca was talking about.

  “You like a guy, and just when he’s interested in you, you run.”

  “No,” Evie said immediately. “I’m not running. We’ve kissed . . . a lot. And things are good between us.”

  “Did he ask you to reconsider your decision about Prosper?”

  “Nothing of the sort,” Evie said. “In fact, it’s much worse than that.”

  “What do you mean?” Becca asked in a concerned tone.

  “He’s happy that I got the interview with the San Antonio Daily News,” Evie said. “In fact, he said they’d be lucky to have me.”

  Becca didn’t respond for a moment, then she said, “Does he know you’re going back tomorrow?”

  “No one does,” Evie said, feeling defensive again. “I’ll tell my family after dinner. No reason to be the focus of the dinner conversation.”

  “Well . . . this is your decision, obviously, but I hope you at least give Carson a chance.”

  Evie closed her eyes, grateful that Becca couldn’t see her in person. “I’m not running. I’m just cutting spring break a couple of days short.”

  Becca’s non-reply was a reply by itself, and by the time Evie had hung up with her friend, she was feeling hollowed out.

  But this was what it was like to make a decision that someone didn’t agree with. It would be much easier to cave to everyone’s expectations and wishes, as she had her entire life, to avoid the self-doubt. She could do this; she would do this.

  After dinner, of course.

  The dinner hour crawled by, and Evie hated every minute of it. Not even Ruby was enough of a distraction, since she was seated on the other end of the table. Instead, Carson sat by her, and although his arm was half-draped over her chair part of the time, he otherwise didn’t touch her. He mostly talked to Holt and Lane, though there were plenty of times they included her in the conversation.